Early Career Researcher (ECR) Network
(Image courtesy of Sebastiaan ter Burg)
The La Trobe Early Career Researcher (ECR) Network invites you to join our group of volunteer members connecting ECRs across La Trobe University (LTU) Colleges and campuses.
Our network provides ECRs with opportunities to expand your networks, share knowledge and access support during the early phase of your research career.
We grew from an awareness that ECRs are a distinct group in the LTU community – our needs, job security and track record differ greatly to PhD candidates and senior collects.
Who is an ECR?
At LTU our ECRs include all researchers (casuals, fixed term and permanent staff) who completed their PhD up to seven years ago. This excludes career interruptions such as:
- non-research employment
- part-time status
- personal leave (for example carers or parental leave).
Why join the ECR Network
We provide ECRs across our Colleges and campuses with the opportunity to connect with academics you don’t normally engage with. For example, if you work in history, you might not typically meet a researcher from biomedical science or speech pathology.
Despite coming from different disciplines and research backgrounds, ECRs share a lot of common interests – including:
- the need to source research funding
- juggling research and teaching responsibilities
- taking on increasing professional and service roles.
We organise various social, networking and professional development events, with a focus on shared experiences. For example, practicing pitching your research, or feedback on grants, oral/written work from someone not in your field.