Dr Joanna Smallwood - Life as a SeNSS Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
After the excitement of winning an ESRC/SENSS PDF award I eagerly awaited my official start date of 1/10/19. In the mean time i decided that I would make some headway and started work on the proposed activities for the PDF year including drafting a monograph proposal and journal articles.
On my first official day I moved from my trusty PhD seat that I had occupied for 3 years into a proper office shared with two other research fellows. This move was quite symbolic and it did indeed feel that I was moving forward from being a student to becoming a member of staff. I set up a meeting with my new mentor which again was a big shift away from my two PhD supervisors who I had got to know so well during my PhD. It was a bittersweet moment, leaving behind what I was so familiar with onto a new exciting era.
I have already completed over 2 months of my PDF year. On a daily basis my life has not changed enormously. I still come into university every day and work from my office. I have attended some conferences/meetings and presented at some which has been very rewarding. Next year I have some trips to overseas meetings to attend and take part in so my usual routine will be broken up by these events.
My life is not hugely different from being a PhD in terms of my work schedule but it does feel different in that I have the luxury of some time to begin to carve out my niche as a scholar and work on my monograph, journal articles, a book chapter and blogposts. Alongside my writing, I will present the findings form my thesis to policy makers and other stakeholders in the realm of biodiversity law, with the aim of achieving real impact. This is what I have enjoyed most about the PDF so far, the fact that I can disseminate my research findings and that they will hopefully have a really positive influence on the implementation of international biodiversity law in the UK and governance processes.
The most challenging aspect is the amount of work I have to do in the year and the uncertainty of knowing what will happen when the funding is finished. I feel that whilst I am in a very fortunate position it is also a precarious one with the clock ticking! So far, the PDF has been largely what I expected because in my application I laid out a clear timetable of work and I am following this schedule. There are a few adjustments that have occurred to my planned work but mainly it is what I expected. I am am extremely grateful to SeNSS and the ESRC for providing me with this amazing opportunity.