1. Balancing acts: teaching and research priorities, challenges, strategies
Dr charlotte mathieson
@cemathieson

2. Balancing acts: teaching and research
The challenges
What does an academic career path look like?
What are the challenges and competing demands?
Strategies and suggestions
Prioritising, planning, action
Teaching & research as co-productive

3. 1. The challenges

4. What does an early career path look like?
There is no typical path
A period of precarity is common, and increasingly longer
Multiple, short-term contracts across institutions (simultaneously/successively) typical
Most early career jobs are teaching-focused (ECR fellowships available but harder to come by)
Applying to numerous jobs, mostly unsuccessful, is the norm

5. What is expected for a permanent academic job?
A strong research profile:
**Publications: journal articles, book chapters, monograph
*Funding: track record of small grants, building up to larger funding
Participation in conferences, symposiums, other research activities
A portfolio of teaching activity:
*Experience of teaching seminars at Undergraduate level
Experience of lecturing, supervision, and teaching at Masters level
“Extras”
*Administration/ academic service (conference organisation/ serving on a committee/ peer reviewing)
Public engagement, communicating with non-specialist audiences

6. The challenges of meeting expectations
Research vs teaching:
Strong research profile vs. teaching-heavy contracts
Timescales:
Long-term goals vs. short-term needs;
Planning through precarity
Being multi-skilled:
Research / Teaching / Administrative skills

7. 2. Strategies and suggestions

8. Prioritise Understand what’s needed for an academic job:
Look at requirements of different types of positions in your field – see jobs.ac.uk
Identify CV gaps – what do you need to focus on?
Talk to supervisor/ mentors about your skills, and how to prioritise and develop

9. Planning Short term (6-12 months) vs long-term (2-5 years)
Flexible and accommodating but focused on priority areas
Helps you focus, make the most of time available, keeps you accountable

10. Publication strategy Plan what – when – where you will publish
PhD to book, or articles?
What journals / presses?
When and what order?
Research Excellence Framework
Requirements for Early Career Researchers (new guidelines out late July)
Quality not quantity
1-2 high-quality articles better than many book chapters/ conference proceedings

11. Putting plans into action
Set yourself deadlines – stay accountable!
Find what works for you: time-blocking / daily writing / weekly target
Peer support: writing groups / writing buddy
Mentor/ supervisor: guidance
Check in: review, revise

12. Beyond borders – teaching and research as co-productive
Research in the classroom:
theories, concepts, approaches (place, literature)
using materials from your research
using technologies from your research e.g. blogs, digital tools
Teaching in research:
Refreshes research ideas
Puts you in touch with “core” concepts, disciplinary basics

13. c. mathieson@surrey. ac. uk @cemathieson www. charlottemathieson
@cemathieson