Date: February 12, 2026
Time: 3 PM – 5 PM
Location: ONLINE via Zoom
Key Takeaways:
- Defining Independence: Understanding what “independence” looks like to funders and hiring committees.
- Strategically Prioritizing: Practical methods to fit research, grant writing, publishing, and teaching into a 24-hour day.
- Project Management for One: How to manage immediate and pressing demands while pursuing your own long-term research agenda and professional development.
- Career Ownership: Practical advice for taking charge of your personal and professional life rather than waiting to be recognized and rewarded.
- Avoiding Strategic Pitfalls: How to avoid overlooking essential “musts” that academia expects of career researchers.
The transition from being a supervised researcher to an independent researcher is one of the most challenging phases of a scholarly career. It requires a shift from “doing the work” to “steering the ship.” This session is designed to help PhD students and early-career postdocs navigate this transition by providing a strategic framework for professional autonomy.
Overview
This talk provides an “outside-inside” perspective on academia by building on the years of experience that Marc Abernathy has working with researchers to publish their papers and secure competitive funding and positions. Moving beyond general survival in an academic environment, this talk will focus on actively managing your academic trajectory, from building a publication portfolio to preparing competitive grant and professorship applications. We will address the often unarticulated requirements of career advancement in academia so that you can prioritize career-impactful tasks while maintaining personal well-being in the face of everyday demands.
What to Expect
This highly structured talk will cover foundational strategies, with a focus on concrete guidance and building transferable skills that apply whether you choose to pursue a career in academia or leverage your PhD in other sectors. In this interactive session, you are encouraged to bring your specific career questions and reflections to the discussion.
The Expert
Marc Abernathy brings a unique blend of professional expertise and personal insights to the challenges and rewards of an academic career. For over 15 years, he has worked individually and in small groups with researchers to develop high-stakes journal manuscripts and successful grant applications. In addition to working as a professional coach and research communication expert, he also knows the sometimes grueling behind-the-scenes reality of academia as the husband of a researcher. This unique “outsider-insider” perspective combines broad experience with researchers from many disciplines with an honest and critical view of research life. The focus of his work is on helping researchers articulate their value to editors, peer reviewers, funders, and hiring committees. With an empathetic yet distanced understanding of the immense effort required for a research career, including the personal sacrifices and rewards, Marc designs training programs that help researchers balance passion with resilience so that they can continually transition and thrive in the hypercompetitive academic world.
Language
English
Key Takeaways:
- Defining Independence: Understanding what “independence” looks like to funders and hiring committees.
- Strategically Prioritizing: Practical methods to fit research, grant writing, publishing, and teaching into a 24-hour day.
- Project Management for One: How to manage immediate and pressing demands while pursuing your own long-term research agenda and professional development.
- Career Ownership: Practical advice for taking charge of your personal and professional life rather than waiting to be recognized and rewarded.
- Avoiding Strategic Pitfalls: How to avoid overlooking essential “musts” that academia expects of career researchers.
This Expert Talk is open & free of charge for everyone.
Date: February 12, 2026
Time: 3 PM – 5 PM
Location: ONLINE via Zoom
Key Takeaways:
- Defining Independence: Understanding what “independence” looks like to funders and hiring committees.
- Strategically Prioritizing: Practical methods to fit research, grant writing, publishing, and teaching into a 24-hour day.
- Project Management for One: How to manage immediate and pressing demands while pursuing your own long-term research agenda and professional development.
- Career Ownership: Practical advice for taking charge of your personal and professional life rather than waiting to be recognized and rewarded.
- Avoiding Strategic Pitfalls: How to avoid overlooking essential “musts” that academia expects of career researchers.