Edwin is joining the dots between communications, engagement and impact.

Sarah's guest for this episode is Edwin Colyer, founder of the research communications and engagement agency, Scientia Scripta.

Edwin talks about

• Copyediting for David Attenborough, writing for New Scientist and painting pictures with words
• The joys of having colleagues and being able to create your own workplace culture
• Moving from just telling impact stories to helping create them
• Building a business that connects the dots between communication, engagement and impact

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Edwin on LinkedIn 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

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Jenny wants to give researchers permission to show up authentically.

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by researcher developer and business coach Jenny Brady.

Jenny talks about

• The joy and challenges of being research-adjacent when you were never a researcher
• The importance of playfulness and curiosity
• Why she wants researchers to show up authentically and connect to the value of their work

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Jenny on LinkedIn and Twitter

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

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Matthew Partridge, Cartoonist (Episode 15) | Matthew wants to help us see the funny side of science

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by Matthew Partridge, cartoonist and founder of ErrantScience.com.

Matthew talks about

• His journey from biochemistry to research-adjacent cartooning
• Why he is motivated to share the realities of life in the lab
• Why being 'terrible at art' is no barrier to creating cartoons
• What goes into live cartooning a 24h online chemistry poster session 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Visit the ErrantScience website or connect with Matthew on Discord, Mastadon or Instagram

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

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Boundaries (Episode 14) | Sarah is out of the office, and she means it this time!

This week’s episode is a holiday special all about boundaries and why it can be so hard for research-adjacent folks to really take time off.

Sarah addresses

• Why setting and holding boundaries can be particularly challenging in the research-adjacent world
• Setting boundaries and taking leave as a form of quiet activism
• Managing expectations and managing our own behaviour
• Why we are all, always, a work in progress

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

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Melissa Hobson, Science Writer (Episode 13) | Melissa just wants to write stories about cool fish

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by freelance science writer Melissa Hobson who specialises in marine science and conservation.

Melissa talks about

• How learning to scuba dive prompted a career change
• What it’s like to be a science writer without a science background
• Why she celebrates getting rejected
• Her top tips for success, which include reading and eating cake! 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Visit Melissa’s website or connect on LinkedIn 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

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Lorraine Coghill, Science Outreach Specialist (Episode 12) | Lorraine wants to give people permission to be curious

This week Sarah is talking to science outreach specialist Lorraine Coghill, currently Deputy Director of Science Outreach and Engagement at Durham University.

Lorraine talks about

• Why her work is really about people rather than science
• Encouraging curiosity, creativity and problem solving
• What can happen when you put young people in charge
• Tackling the invisibility of public engagement professionals

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Good Work, Precarity and Contracts (Episode 11) | Sarah explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of research-adjacent job contracts

This week's Research Adjacent podcast is another solo episode. Host Sarah McLusky explores some common issues around contracts in the research-adjacent sector.

Sarah explores

• What characterises ‘good work’
• Jargon busting - the difference between fixed term, open-ended and fractional contracts
• Why open-ended isn’t always better
• Toxic practice to watch out for
• When short contracts might be the right thing for you
• Making the most of a fixed term contract

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

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Abraham Mamela, Communications and Engagment Specialist (Episode 10) | Abraham explains why communication only works if you understand the context

What do you think of Research Adjacent so far? If you have any feedback or suggestions for guests or topics please contact Sarah via the podcast website www.researchadjacent.com via Twitter @ResAdjacent or connect on LinkedIn.

This week’s guest is Abraham Mamela. Based in Botswana, Abraham is a communications and engagement practitioner currently working at the Alliance for African Partnership.

We talk about

•   How Abraham learned the importance of connecting communication and engagement
• His time as an intern and engagement fellow at Wellcome
• Communicating genome research through comics
• Why the research ecosystem in Africa needs to focus more on engagement

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Abraham on LinkedIn and Twitter

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Orla Kelly, Knowledge Exchange Manager (Episode 9) | Orla talks about encouraging innovation and connecting people

This week’s guest is Orla Kelly, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation (KE&I) Collaboration Manager She is based at University of the West of Scotland but works across all 19 of Scotland’s higher education institutions.

We talk about

• What it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset
• How she moved from academia to industry and back
• Why it’s the small things that make the biggest difference
• Why KE&I isn’t all about the sciences
• And weighing pigs…honestly!

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Orla on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

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Faye Watson, Public Engagement Manager (Episode 8) | Faye talks about rising through the ranks and making engagement better for everyone

This week’s podcast guest is Faye Watson, a rising star in the engagement world. Faye has recently joined at the College of Medical and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh as their Public Engagement with Research Manager.

We talk about

• Her rapid rise through the public engagement ranks
• Why she quit her PhD to become research-adjacent
• Working in virus research engagement during COVID
• Improving career prospects, sharing power and encouraging creativity in public engagement

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Faye on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

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