Thomas is a lecturer in bioscience, with a passion for enhancing student agency throughout their education and promoting narrative and multidisciplinary teaching experiences. Gaining expertise in fields from f-element chemistry, to photochemistry, protein structure and enzyme catalysis over their early career, Thomas strives to develop the transferability and interconnectivity of students’ knowledge to better help them recognise and pursue their own path and interests

The lead up to the leap:

In the modern academic environment, the road for those finishing their PhD can be uncertain at best and, more often than not, daunting in the face of unknown, undefinable path for progression. Newly qualified post-doctoral researchers (PDRAs) find themselves met with a series of warring demands should they wish to make the leap to lecturer, needing to: meet the high research demands of their current contract; draft and publish manuscripts from their PhD/previous contract; guide and train existing and new PhD students; help with Bachelors and Masters projects; develop a teaching portfolio; gain a teaching qualification/accreditation; demonstrate capacity to attract external funding; develop their own research direction; and disseminate their findings to national and international audiences. Such is the profile that a PDRA is expected to fulfil in order to be competitive in their application to modern academic posts; and all of this in the face of ever shortening PDRA contracts, alongside limitations from funding bodies on research dissemination and teaching time.

It was at this crossroads that I found myself upon my arrival in Manchester for my second PDRA contract; faced with the decision of which area of my professional profile needed to take priority over the next 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, before my contract ended. Even in the two years since finishing my PhD, not only had “teaching qualification” moved from the desired criteria of academic job postings to an essential criterion, but the expectation was now that candidates should demonstrate achievement of Fellow (FHEA), not just Associate Fellow (AFHEA). This realisation, on top of research demands and external collaborations, resulted in the belief that realisation of the leap to academia was drifting further and further out of reach.

This is where the Leadership in Education Awards Program (LEAP) became vital to my journey, providing an accessible, structured pathway towards application for my FHEA award, offering support and guidance throughout the process. Despite a limitation, and my only critique of the program, that only teaching experience gained at the University of Manchester could be used for the required case studies; this was offset by both the flexibility in the LEAP structure, including multiple submission dates across the year, and the proactive approach of the LEAP representatives at the School level, who were only too happy to help find suitable teaching opportunities.

Comfort in the air:

Saying that time is a luxury for a PDRA is, at best, an understatement the majority of the time; the proactive advertisement and recruitment by the LEAP team, coupled with multiple submission opportunities, showed a commitment to accessibility that is hard to find in other course structures. While undergraduates and many PhD students have a timeline that adheres to the academic year, PDRAs start their contracts across the full year; LEAP makes it so that even a 12 month PDRA, starting in the middle of the academic year, can pursue their HEA accreditation during their contract.

A second aspect of the program that is all too easily overlooked is the assessment structure itself. It is all too common for those early in their career to experience imposter syndrome; this manifests readily in doubting that their knowledge and experience are good enough for an accreditation held by their supervisors. As a result, it is more common for PDRAs to seek their AFHEA rather than the FHEA as it’s better to achieve the lower accreditation than to aim for the higher one and get neither. To combat this, while guidance from the LEAP team is given on which accreditation might best align with a candidates experience, applications for the FHEA are first assessed at that standard however, if they don’t meet the FHEA standard they are immediately assessed for the AFHEA; this opportunity to strive for the FHEA, even if the candidate feels they’re borderline, while knowing that they may achieve at least the AFHEA offers a safety net that I cannot stress enough. With time at such a premium for modern PDRAs, it would be all too easy for a candidate to prepare all year for their FHEA only to miss the criteria and leave their contract no further forward; LEAP mitigates this, providing comfort and support in the knowledge that, even if you decide to make the leap in pursuit of the FHEA and just miss, you’ll still have taken a notable, recognisable step forward in your career.

How to stick to the landing:

So, what now? Since achieving my FHEA, I have been continuing to build on my teaching practise, focusing on the development of inclusive teaching strategies; training pathways for PhD students; mental health and wellness advocacy and support; and crafting resources to aid others in developing a holistic practice, whether through supervision or teaching. With a particular focus on inclusive education, I’ve been working to steadily to specialise in pastoral support to both mitigate stress and address imposter syndrome through authentic and transparent discussion as a way for students to build confidence in their abilities at different stages of their studies. One of the most important aspects to this so far has been aiding students, whether undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD, in identifying how they themselves learn best, what interests them, and how they might couple these with their individual needs, enabling them to more readily navigate what is an incredibly nebulous time of life.

To those with the leap to come:

For those preparing to make a leap of their own, whether from masters to PhD; PhD to PDRA; or PDRA to lecturer; I would offer advice based on acknowledging the inherent difficulties in these leaps that are too often overshadowed by hindsight.

The first piece of advice is to work on accepting that the feelings of stress, uncertainty, anxiety, even those of interest, excitement, and passion, are all not only valid, but that you’re very much not alone in experiencing them. Too often we are told that “it’ll be fine”, or we “don’t need to worry so much”, statements that, while well meaning, do little to acknowledge the lived struggle of the moment. Accepting that these feelings are a natural result of an uncertain career path is the first step to learning to process them, manage them, and preventing them from becoming all consuming. Not only that, but be wary of those insisting that progression, that making the leap, is purely skill based, that you just need to try harder; while there is always room for growth and improvement, there is also an inherent element of luck involved in gaining that next position. Just because you weren’t successful in an application doesn’t mean you’re not good enough, or that you’re missing something, it may also just might have been a case of not being in the right place at the right time.

Secondly, treat your approach to CPD (whether research or teaching) as modular rather than linear; you are aiming to build a portfolio, a jigsaw, not a list; and the pieces can be as diverse as you desire them to be. Specialisation and expertise are important, especially when it comes to seeking that all too elusive external funding, but diversity is a strength of its own, a way to help you stand out from the crowd as you look to move up. Whether that is knowledge of multiple techniques; multidisciplinary collaboration; cross-subject expertise; or teaching and pastoral skills; each piece helps demonstrate your adaptability and potential to add to a department or school. While there are some big milestones (your PhD, or FHEA, as examples), other pieces can be small, courses or workshops, online and audited courses, certificates, seminars, they all count towards that full picture.

Finally, it is entirely ok for you to ask “what can this position do for me?”; especially as PDRAs, positions are usually transient, and you will move on in a few years. Whether it’s teaching experience, HEA accreditation, conference attendance, potential for collaboration, or freedom to lead project and develop some of your own; even if it’s just the chance to enjoy your personal life, to focus on your mental health, your physical health, or to just have fun outside the office to reenergise yourself; it is so very important that you are able to seek what you need, rather than just providing what’s asked of you. While each position you take will have various potential to aid in growing your portfolio, at the University of Manchester, the LEAP framework is an opportunity that I would strongly recommend engaging with as thoroughly as possible.

Related