Dr Sung Kyu Kim - Life as a SeNSS Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

What do you actually do on a daily basis?

My typical day as a postdoctoral research fellow at Science & Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU) consists of preparing manuscripts for publication, scoping for upcoming grants and funding application, and participating in departmental seminars and discussion groups. For the publication work, I am actively engaging with two mentors with whom I discuss how to improve the draft. Their involvement and feedback are crucial and hugely beneficial because they offer fresh perspectives and help me see my work beyond the boundaries of the PhD thesis. Because I have been framing and thinking about my PhD research in a particular way for many years, I realise that I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. My mentors help me to think more broadly and critically in a wider policy context.

How does this differ from being a PhD student (if, indeed, it does)?

Although the postdoctoral fellowship is a continuation of the PhD work, it has an entirely different feeling to it because I am also transitioning and growing as a researcher. The relationship with the mentors is a good indication of this difference. Our relationship is very much collegial and not hierarchical – I feel comfortable to approach them with career-related questions and to hear their journeys and experiences helps me relate to what I am going through.

What do you most enjoy, and why?

Attending seminars and research meeting groups allow me to connect with other research fellows working on similar but also completely different topics, which is the surest way to being involved with the research community at the university. By participating in these public events and debates, I am gaining valuable exposure to introduce my work but also to learn about ongoing research projects and to increase the chances of research collaboration with people that I may not usually encounter. Networking is, indeed, an essential part of my everyday work.

What is most challenging, and why?

While I immensely enjoy these activities, the looming question of “what’s next after the postdoctoral fellowship” grounds me to practicality. Working on the manuscript requires meeting (self-imposed) short-term deadlines. Self-discipline is necessary to ensure that the draft is ready, reviewed (by two busy mentors) and edited before it can be submitted. With three papers in the pipeline, a yearlong fellowship can quickly feel like a tight race. Besides these short-term deliverables, I must also keep an eye for upcoming opportunities that would ensure a smooth transition and continuation of life-after-fellowship. Hence, attending seminars and meeting with a variety of faculty members keep me in tune with what is happening and where I may find potential collaboration.

Has being a PDF been what you expected it would be?

I was well informed from the beginning of joining the SeNSS ESRC fellowship that we must manage both the immediate research tasks and our preparation for post-fellowship transition all within the year. It is a mighty task, and I acknowledge the immense uncertainty of it. On the other hand, however, I am equally thrilled about turning my proposed research plan into fruition. What makes me get up and come to work with delight every day is the fact that I can concentrate and devote full-time working on research publication and building new research connections.