Episode overview
Saying no is rarely just about confidence or time management. In research and higher education, it’s shaped by career stage, job security, power dynamics, working patterns, caring responsibilities, and the cultures we work within.
In this episode, Heledd slows the conversation down and listens to reflections from a postgraduate researcher, academic colleagues at different career stages, and professional services colleagues working in learning and development and digital practice.
Together, these voices show that “no” isn’t equally available to everyone — and that healthier research cultures depend on more than individual resilience. They depend on clear expectations, healthy role modelling, psychological safety, and respect for boundaries.
Featured contributors
Eima Karim — Postgraduate Researcher
Final-year PhD student based in the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM).
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eima-karim-a69276172/
Keith Livingstone — Academic / Fixed-term contract perspective
Organic chemistry researcher whose career has taken him from Glasgow to Hertfordshire, Germany, and Leeds. Former Teaching and Research Fellow in Chemistry; now Assistant Learning Technologist in Digital Education Enhancement.
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-livingstone/
James Poulter — Academic leadership perspective
Associate Professor of Genomic Medicine, combining genomics and organoid models to understand brain development. UKRI Future Leaders Fellow (2020).
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-poulter-118093a8/
🦋 Bluesky: @japoulter.bsky.social
Kate Noll — Learning Development Advisor
Lead on G2–G5 Development at the University of Leeds. Specialist in personal development and career progression, passionate about empowering individuals to recognise their strengths and potential.
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-noll-a95314213/
Sarah Budello — Digital Practice Advisor
Coach, facilitator, and creative communicator working across staff development, community building, and personal support. Host of Developing People!
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbudello
🎧 Podcast: https://uoldevelopingpeople.podbean.com/
Key themes explored
- Power and permission: why saying no can feel risky — particularly for PGRs and early career staff
- Fixed-term contracts and shifting motivations across a contract lifecycle
- Leadership responsibility and the impact of over-commitment on teams
- Working patterns and caring responsibilities
- Culture and role modelling in psychologically safe environments
- Practising “no” safely through low-stakes experimentation
Memorable ideas
- Saying yes can feel like survival, not choice
- Boundaries aren’t just personal skills — they’re enabled (or blocked) by systems and culture
- “No” can be an act of clarity and care — for yourself and others
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Follow us on Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social; @openresleeds.bsky.social; @researchcultureuol.bsky.social
Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (new episodes are announced here)
Want to contribute to a future episode?
We’d love to hear from you — especially if you have reflections on research culture from any career stage or role.
📩 [email protected]