How has joining the CARICE Board contributed to your professional growth?
Joining the CARICE board has contributed to my professional growth by showing me how research agendas and priorities are set at higher level.
Sharing my thoughts – especially as an advocate for early‑career researchers – has strengthened my confidence in terms of expressing my ideas within a professional setting. It has helped deepen my thinking and understanding so I am now able to advocate effectively in a professional setting. Learning about the strategy (and ways of getting there) for the successful running of a research centre has been very valuable and I deeply respect the tenacity of my senior colleagues. I now better understand the role of senior academics in the current academic climate.
What have you learned as a result of your experience on the board. What specific skills have you gained or strengthened through your board role (e.g., leadership, communication, the value of networking)?
By being privy to and participating in discussions around seed funding, I’ve learnt to identify what stands out in funding applications, and therefore how to better engineer my future applications for success and help reviewers understand and synthesise the information clearly and easily. It has also helped me identify the skills I need to acquire or improve on and how my perspective and view of academia differs from that of others. This has been very helpful for my own reflection and personal & professional growth.
Has the experience gained on the board helped to move your career towards more leadership roles?
Yes – serving on the board has helped me better understand the strategic thinking used by senior colleagues. Observing their varied and extensive experience has given me valuable insights into higher‑level decision‑making. This is helping me develop the skills needed for future leadership roles.
Would you recommend joining the CARICE Board to early‑career researchers?
Yes, absolutely – it is a very meaningful way to support other early-career researchers. The CARICE board members are very experienced and supportive, so it is a positive, friendly environment to gain the insights outlined above. Furthermore, whilst life needs to be about more than just doing something because it looks good on your CV – it does look pretty good on your CV!