IHS Case Studies for 2011 Silver Athena SWAN Award Application
Judith Rankin is Professor of Maternal and Perinatal Epidemiology in the Institute of Health & Society (IHS). Judith began her career at Newcastle University as a contract researcher funded by a series of short-term research contracts. After 11 years, she was supported by the IHS and Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University to apply for a highly prestigious National Institute of Health Research Career Scientist Award which she successfully gained in 2005. During the course of this personal award, she was promoted to Reader in 2007 and then to a personal Chair in 2010.
Since starting at Newcastle University, she has had three periods of maternity leave. As a part-time member of IHS staff until 2010, IHS working conditions including maternity leave arrangements and flexible working time have enabled Judith to balance work and family commitments. Judith has spoken on a number of occasions at Newcastle University and Faculty workshops/seminars about her career pathway, in particular highlighting that it is possible, although challenging, to progress a research career whilst having a young family.
Kirsty Laing took a full year maternity leave in 2010 / 2011 and was very anxious about her return and how she would manage to juggle motherhood and the demands of a career in research. However, Kirsty is very happy to say that her transition back to work has been very smooth because IHS were immediately supportive of her application for part time work. Also, Kirsty works largely flexible hours to suit her childcare needs and has been made aware of the fact that she is entitled to 2 days dependents care allowance per year. Being a working mother within IHS feels like the norm and Kirsty says she feel supported in trying to achieve the best balance between her working and personal life.
Emma Foster has worked at the university as a Nutrition Researcher since 1998. Although until recently she has always been on fixed term contracts Emma has been really well supported by both her immediate manager and IHS and has been lucky enough to be in continuous employment.
Emma Foster recently had 10 months maternity leave. On returning to work she was supported in her decision to come back part time and was able to choose the days and hours which she worked enabling her to balance work with family life. Shortly after returning to work Emma was successful in her application for a lectureship post and was delighted that she was able to take up this post whilst keeping her part time hours. In addition an open ended contract brings additional security which is invaluable with a young family.
The Human Nutrition Research Centre and Institute of Health and Society provides a relaxed, friendly and supportive working environment and is the reason that having moved home to Newcastle 14 years ago to save money to travel the world Emma is still here!
Naomi Woodward works as a PA in IHS and was looking for a postgraduate course to develop her administrative and management skills. Naomi was encouraged to apply for the Masters in Business Administration at Northumbria University. IHS contributed towards the course fees and supported her to have half a day a week to focus on her studies. Other staff in the clerical team helped out to give her time to attend the lectures. Naomi enjoyed the course and having carried out her own research, she has a much deeper insight into what is involved in a research project from the researchers perspective. Naomi graduated in 2011 thanks to the constant support and encouragement from her research team who she finds inspirational.
Terry Lisle joined the University in 2000 as a Project Secretary in what was then the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. In 2003 an opportunity arose and she became a Personal Assistant for the Environmental Team, in 2007 a Programme Administrator and she is now a Personal Assistant within the Public Health and Applied Health Interventions research theme.
In 2010 she embarked on the Senior Support Staff Development Programme, a City and Guilds Licentiateship programme, that runs for a year and involves attending workshops, completing a learning contract, a 3,000 word work based project, reflective statements, learning logs, gathering evidence and presenting both individually and as a group, to senior University members. For Terry this was a very daunting thought, applying herself to learning and report writing something that she hadn’t done since leaving College 23 years prior, but Terry was encouraged by her line manager and colleagues to apply. Terry’s line manager set up regular 1:1’s to help her through all the stages of the development, she was given regular feedback which enabled her to improve what she had already prepared. Terry was also able to gain feedback from the team around her as her project was work based and in parts quite technical; without this support Terry doubts she would have achieved the scores that she did. With the support of IHS and her colleagues, Terry was able to complete this programme of work and actually enjoy every step of the way so much so that she is now looking to study for further qualifications.
IHS has also supported Terry in achieving the Newcastle University Spotlight Award. This award was given to her, via nomination from IHS, in recognition of the work she carried out whilst in the transition of moving from her Research Administrator role to her new role of Personal Assistant.
Shahaduz Zaman joined IHS in 2009 on a multi-country EU FP7 funded project titled MEDCHAMPS (Mediterranean studies of Cardiovascular disease and Hyperglyceamia: Analytical Modelling of Population Socio-economic transitions) as a Senior Research Associate. Before joining IHS, I taught at, and coordinated the School of Public Health, BRAC University in Bangladesh. Being a Bangladeshi, although I have travelled to many countries and studied in Europe, this was my first overseas job. My wife and children also moved with me to Newcastle. Professionally and personally this was quite a big shift for me; I was therefore apprehensive about starting a new job in a completely new environment. However, I must say my transition was very smooth because of the support I received from IHS. My immediate line manager, director, and manger of the Institute, as well the secretarial staff, provided me with friendly support to settle into the job as well as the country. Once the MEDCHAMPS project was over in 2011, IHS was supportive to me in writing another proposal to the EU FP7 as a co-investigator. The proposal, ‘RESCAP-MED’ (NCD’s and their social determinants in Mediterranean countries: building sustainable research capacity for effective policy intervention), has been awarded and is currently ongoing. I also initiated a module on the ‘Introduction to Global Health’ for the MSc in Public Health and Health Services Research in IHS; the Institute administration and the coordinator of the MSc course provided me with wholehearted support to initiate such a module. The module was offered in 2011 for the first time in IHS and has been highly appreciated by the students. I believe IHS provides an environment which helps anyone to flourish in their career, whatever their nationality.