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Prompt Questions:​

What specific actions or acknowledgements have made you feel seen or valued as a researcher within your School, College, or the wider university?​

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In which spaces, such as departmental roles, university communications, or research events, have you felt overlooked or misrepresented?​

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What kinds of platforms (e.g. staff profiles, seminar slots, newsletters, or PGR-facing events) would help share your work and journey more effectively across UofG?​

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Whose recognition matters most to you—peers, supervisors, senior leadership, students, and how would that recognition make a difference?

Prompt Questions:​

What kind of career support do you currently need at UofG, e.g. guidance on promotion routes, grant writing, job security, or transitioning roles?​

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Have you had access to mentoring or informal support that reflects your experiences as an LC–ECR? If not, what was missing?​

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What specific formats would be most useful to you—peer mentoring circles, cross-School meetups, 1:1 coaching, or drop-in sessions?​

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Are there existing initiatives at UofG that the network should connect with or improve upon?​

Prompt Questions:​

When have you experienced a sense of belonging or connection within your School, College, or research group? What made that possible?​

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What types of peer-focused spaces, such as informal meetups or discussion circles—would help you connect with others in similar positions?​

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How could the network create opportunities that go beyond disciplinary boundaries or contract types (e.g. fixed-term, PGR, postdoc, teaching-research hybrid)?​

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What formats would work best for you—regular in-person sessions, online groups (e.g. Teams), or flexible, drop-in events?

Prompt Questions:​

Have you encountered structural challenges—such as funding ineligibility, unclear progression routes, or assumptions related to your age, life stage, or career background?​

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Are there policies, forms, or expectations that feel misaligned with your current role, life stage, or previous career background?​

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Which parts of the university, such as HR, funding bodies, your School, or early-career programmes, could better account for your realities?​

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What practical role could the network play in surfacing these issues or advocating for small but meaningful policy or process changes?

Prompt Questions:​

Have life responsibilities (e.g. caregiving, health, relocation) affected your ability to engage with research or academic life?​

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What kinds of understanding, flexibility, or peer support would make it easier to balance work, study, and life commitments?​

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If you returned to academia, changed your role, or moved between disciplines, what support helped—or what did you find missing?​

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What specific supports could the network explore—such as phased return options, buddy systems, or more accessible event formats?

• This community is a catalyst for change

• Acknowledge other forms of expertise

• We come in with different motivations

• Know we exist!

• "Mature students Community"- does this exist? (5 votes)

This Padlet brings together material generated during our consultation sessions - including two online workshops (where we used Padlets live) and one in-person session (where we captured ideas on post-its and flipcharts). It also provides a space for members to continue shaping the future of the network.

The LC-ECR Network is by LC-ECRs, for LC-ECRs. We want this network to reflect your experiences and needs, and to ensure that you feel you:

· Have a stake in how the network grows and develops.

· Have a voice in setting its priorities and activities.

Slides used on the day can be found linked above and here: LC-ECR Consultation.pptx

• Identity, Visibility & Recognition

• Peer, Community & Belonging

• Life Balance & Transition in Academic Networks

• Navigating Structural Barriers

• Career Development & Mentorship

Please read through the open questions and responses, and think about what you would like the network to do to support you.

You can also vote for your favourites (by clicking the ♥ on each post) or add your own ideas (using the + icon at the top of each section).

Votes from the in-person session have been recorded next to posts where applicable, so that the priorities identified on the day are preserved here.