Title: BSG Emerging Researchers in Ageing Pre-conference
🔍 Theme: Discovering Your Unique Path - Directions for Early Career Researchers in Ageing
📅 Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
📍 Venue: Room G.003, Urban Sciences Building, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle University, NE4 5TF
Each year the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Emerging Researchers in Ageing association (ERA) holds a pre-conference session ahead of the BSG annual conference. The pre-conference is designed to provide a vibrant opportunity for early career researchers (ECRs) in gerontology to share their research milestones, practice presentation skills, learn from peers, and network with others.
Like in many other interdisciplinary research fields, ECRs in gerontology and ageing are facing many difficulties and challenges, including identifying their own position and direction in the ever-growing field of gerontological and ageing research, accessing to experienced mentors and effective peer networks to help them finding their feet in the field, job security and advancement, publication pressure, securing grants and fellowships, work-life balance, lack of resources and support, and so on. When it comes to envisioning a professional future beyond the PhD, there are so many areas of uncertainty which may disrupt the planning of more diverse career paths. Therefore, we are gathering again at this year's BSG ERA pre-conference to listen to each other's stories, celebrate each other's achievements, and explore different possibilities with peers and senior researchers. This will provide the opportunity to embark on the discovery of career trajectories and research directions in gerontology, and dive deep together into the challenges and opportunities that await you in gerontological research, tackle uncertainties and plan a diversified future.
Agenda of BSG ERA Pre-conference:
- 09:00-09:30 | Arrival + Networking
The pre-conference starts at 9am in the morning with a 30 mins opportunity for networking. Attendees can arrive at this time and get to know with each other informally ahead of the day’s activities.
- 09:30-09:40 | Opening
ERA chair Dr Junjie Huang will welcome all attendees. BSG President Prof Carol Holland and the Newcastle BSG Conference Chair Dr David Lain are invited to formally open the ERA pre-conference day.
- 9:40-10:00 | Ice Breaking
There is an ice breaking activity for attendees to introduce themselves more formally.
- 10:00-11:20 | Morning Research Presentation Session: Health
The morning presentation session starts at 10am, with a focus on the general theme of Health. Eight ECRs are invited to present their research studies in this session, covering topics from digital health intervention to lived experiences, from fall management exercise to autobiographical memories using song, from empirical studies to epistemological discussion.
- 11:20-11:30 | Break
A quick 10 mins break before the next session.
- 11:30-12:00 | Leadership Workshop
Emilie McSwiggan, Wanok Godfrey, and Elisa Cardamone, three 2nd year PhDs from the Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC) Academy at the University of Edinburgh, will run a leadership workshop with the attendees to explore what leadership means, and how their toolkit can be applied to people who work in ageing and care more widely, to support their interdisciplinary leadership learning and development.
- 12:00-13:00 | Lunch Break + Special Q&A with Journal Editors + Networking
At lunch break, we've invited the Editor in Chief Prof Martin Hyde from Journal of Global Ageing (JoGA) to join us for a Q&A session. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Editorial team directly and ask any questions they are interested in or concerns about in academic publication. Of course, this is also the time for all attendees to enjoy a networking with others, and for those who wish to practice their poster presentation skills.
- 13:00-14:30 | Afternoon Research Presentations Session: Social
The afternoon presentation session starts at 1pm, with a focus on the general theme of Social. Nine ECRs are invited to present their research studies in the afternoon session, covering topics from experience in hospice to ageing well in rural community, from influence of diverse cultural backgrounds and ethnicity to the study of dress and identity, from fall management exercise to autobiographical memories using song, from empirical studies to new tools for data collection.
- 14:30-15:00 | Tea Break + Networking
A 30 mins tea break and networking opportunity before the next session.
- 15:00-16:30 | Interactive Discussion on Directions for ECRs
In this interactive discussion about ECRs' career trajectories and directions, we've invited three guest speakers, including Prof Tine Buffel from University of Manchester, Prof Judith Philips OBE from University of Stirling, and Dr Matthew Lariviere from Northumbria University, to join the session. Each of our speakers is at a different stage in their careers, and each has their own vision, experience, and story in achieving an exceptional success in gerontology and ageing related study. Through their lenses, we hope the discussion can provide inspiration for the attendees to discover their own potentials and future career directions.
- 16:30-16:40 | Break
A quick 10 mins break before the next session.
- 16:40-17:00 | ERA Executive Committee Election and Announcement
Towards the end of the day, we will elect and announce our new ERA Executive Committee members. There are four vacancies open this year, including Incoming Chair, Treasurer, Publication Coordinator, and Social Media and Digital Content Officer.
- 17:00-17:30 | Closing + Networking
The new ERA Chair Dr Lisa Davison will formally close the pre-conference day. All Attendees are welcome to stay at the venue and continue their networking chats, or practicing their poster presentation if they wish.
- 19:00-21:00 | Social dinner + Networking
All ERA pre-conference attendees are invited to an informal social dinner nearby, venue to be confirmed (please note expenses will be the delegates own responsibility).
Poster Presentation at Pre-conference:
We welcome those attendees who have a poster presentation at the BSG main conference to bring their posters to the pre-conference event. There will be a few boards available to hang their poster and practice their presentation skills during the networking breaks.
Special Guest at Pre-conference:
The ERA committee are really excited to welcome a special attendee at this year's ERA pre-conference, Barfi, a lovely assistant dog who will be accompanying one of our presenters Bibhusha Karki. Barfi is the first assistance dog to attend an ERA pre-conference event. Please be mindful and respect her working by not trying to distract her.
Extra Time for ECR Networking:
⏰ Time: Wednesday 3rd July at 09:00-10:00am
📍 Venue: Room G.06 in Fredrick Douglass Centre
On the first day of the BSG main conference, before the Special Interest Groups (SIG) meetings, there is a one-hour session planned for all ECRs to enjoy some extra networking time in the Fredrick Douglass Centre Room G.06, the same room as the SIG market place.
Don’t miss the chance to share your innovative research, gain mentorship, and connect with peers and luminaries in the field of gerontology. Tickets for the ERA pre-conference event are available on our Eventbrite page: 2024 BSG Emerging Researchers in Ageing Pre-Conference Tickets, Tue 2 Jul 2024 please sign up before 14th June, 2024.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 Newcastle BSG ERA pre-conference.