ECR Career Development Network

VALIDATE recognises the challenges faced by post-doctoral and early PI researchers trying to progress their careers. As part of VALIDATE’s aim to encourage and support career progression amongst members, especially Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and to help address inequality in scientific career progression, we created a two-year long ECR Career Development Network (ECDN) programme for members identifying as female.This call closed on 12 December 2021, with the ECDN kick off meeting held on 21 February 2022.

This programme brings together 13 VALIDATE scientists into an engaged sub-group of VALIDATE, and provides:

• An engaged, connected network of Early Career Researchers, all wanting to develop their careers
• Extra support to accelerate their research career including:
  • Opportunities to network and form new collaborations with each other
  • Peer-support via accountability groups and programme events
  • Monthly talks and workshops on topics helpful to their career progression
  • Individual career coaching by a qualified coach
  • Group mentoring by a senior scientist
  • Attendance at the 2022 Global Forum on TB Vaccines 2022 (with registration funded by VALIDATE)

Huge congratulations to the following VALIDATE members for joining this ECDN:

• Dr Luciana Balboa, IMEX-CONICET, Argentina
• Dr Naomi Daniels, University of Otago, New Zealand
• Dr Fatoumatta Darboe, MRC Unit at The Gambia at LSHTM, The Gambia (now at UCSF, USA)
• Dr Lahari Das, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, USA
• Dr Chelsea Davis, Aberystwyth University, UK
• Dr Chyntia Diaz Acosta, National University of Asuncion, Paraguay
• Dr Nancy Hilda, National Institute for Research in TB, India
• Dr Nargis Khan, University of Calgary, Canada
• Dr Nastassja Kriel, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Dr Zaynab Mousavian, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
• Dr Paula Niewold, LUMC, The Netherlands
• Dr Margaret Nolan, Stellenbosch University, South Africa (now at Deltamune, South Africa)
• Dr Laura Sibley, UK Health Security Agency, UK (now at MRC, UK)