Are you an Early Career Researcher (ECR) working in regulatory ecotoxicology? Do you find yourself navigating the complex intersections of academia and regulatory decision-making? If so, we want to hear from you in our survey!
Over the past three years, ECRs at the University of Sheffield have been actively engaging in an ecotoxicology journal club, where we discuss key and emerging research in the field. Through these discussions, we’ve noticed some recurring themes and challenges that many of us face, such as:
- Terminology Barriers: Bridging the gaps between different research silos that limit cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration.
- Communication and Expectations: Navigating the often complex relationships between academic and regulatory bodies.
- Funding and Career Opportunities: Finding and securing the resources and positions needed to advance our work.
- Institutional Challenges: Overcoming barriers within our own organisations.
Given the interdisciplinary nature of environmental chemical assessment and toxicology, it’s crucial to explore these challenges further. Nearly a decade ago, the SETAC Pellston Workshop® on “Improving the Usability of Ecotoxicology in Regulatory Decision-Making” addressed similar issues. The resulting publication by Harris et al. (2017) emphasised the importance of making academic research relevant and reliable for regulatory purposes.
What We’re Aiming to Achieve
Now, almost ten years later, we believe it’s time to revisit these challenges—this time from the perspective of ECRs like you.
Our goal is to assess the effectiveness of current training programs and provide recommendations to improve the training of ECRs in this field.
We’re conducting an online survey to gather your perspectives on the training and skills necessary for success in our field. Your responses will help us:
- Reevaluate Existing Challenges: From the ECR perspective, we want to revisit the challenges identified by Harris et al. (2017) in applying academic research to regulatory decision-making.
- Identify New Challenges: Uncover any new or emerging issues that have not been previously highlighted.
- Assess the Uptake of Proposed Training and Skills: Determine how well ECRs have adopted the training and skills recommended by Harris et al. (2017), including interdisciplinary training, collaboration with industry and government experts, and understanding regulatory requirements.
How You Can Contribute
Do you consider yourself an ECR (PhD student, post-doc, or within 5 years post-PhD) working in regulatory ecotoxicology? We need your insights to help shape the future of ecotoxicology training and research and its application in regulatory decision-making. The survey includes a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions, focusing on areas such as:
- Regulatory relevance of academic research
- Research reliability
- Interdisciplinary training
Your feedback will be invaluable in helping us understand the current landscape and in proposing actionable solutions for the next generation of ecotoxicologists.
Take the Survey
Ready to make your voice heard? Take the survey today and share your experiences and insights. It will only take a few minutes of your time, but your contributions could have a lasting impact on the field.
Let’s work together to bridge the gap between academic research and regulatory decision-making, and ensure our work has the impact it deserves!