Nesta addresses criticisms to deliver more focussed career development course.
Paul Wicks
Early-career scientists who want to broaden their skills and contacts list beyond the lab bench are being encouraged to apply by the end of this month for Crucible 2007.
The scheme, now in its fourth year, is organised by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), and runs over three residential weekends in July (London), September (Edinburgh), and December (Devon). Feedback from previous years sparked big changes for the 2007 programme and kickstarted researchers into forming their own, still embryonic, network.
Selection and connection
NESTA selects scientific applicants from academia and industry to stimulate information exchange. A panel of judges whittles hundreds of hopefuls down to 30. Candidates who demonstrate an interest in science and society ‘beyond their own research’ are most likely to get a place.
The workshops prompt them to think about science in society, the culture and infrastructure of research in the UK, and how to make research more innovative. Lectures are combined with in-depth discussions and speakers include representatives from government and the media.
Commenting on the programme, Helen Gresty, executive director of innovation programmes at NESTA, said: “We believe we can further improve our capacity for innovation if we bring researchers together to stimulate new and exciting collaborations across disciplines.”
The Crucible challenge
So what do attendees get out of it? The most valuable outcome for Dr Carla Molteni, a physicist from King’s College London who took part last year, was “meeting a group of very interesting and diverse personalities”. She describes the programme as “a sort of intense but relaxing mini-sabbatical… and an occasion to stop and think about the wider picture”. Another of the 2006 participants, Dr William Hanage, an epidemiologist from Imperial, was also enthusiastic about meeting other researchers: “Being from different disciplines there was no competitive edge to the interaction.” Hanage also cites useful after-effects, “it is a good thing to have emerged with that support network”.
The challenge for Crucible
Others have been more critical. One 2006 participant described the residential weekend as “like a focus group where no-one takes notes”. Used to dealing with well-defined topics, some scientists felt the concepts they were asked to discuss were slightly woolly, such as the difference between ‘translation’ and ‘technology transfer’. In some cases, participants felt ignored by the politicians and the media representatives with whom they were meant to be interacting, when they emailed them following the programme.
New-look Crucible
NESTA has listened to such feedback and redesigned Crucible 2007 accordingly. The scheme now places greater emphasis on developing participants’ skills in collaboration and interdisciplinary research — for the first time it includes social scientists to increase this interaction. Discussion topics are more relevant and focused. For example, ‘where the real power in science decision-making lies’ and ‘ways of getting the best out of your students or your team’ have obvious practical appeal. In addition, this year they will be running a ‘parliamentary question time’ which will take the form of a panel debate including MPs and a peer. Participants will have the opportunity to put science-related questions to the panel and raise the profile of scientists nationally.
Several of the participants from the 2006 programme took responsibility for convening their own ‘lab 4’ in York (funded to the tune of £15k by NESTA) with 35 invited participants from previous years. Planned outcomes include putting together a careers guide for postdocs and a guide on public engagement with science.
Further details about Crucible 2007 can be found on Nesta’s website
Applications must be received by 30 April 2007.