Early- and mid-career researchers face a real challenge: how to keep pace with this shifting and complex ecosystem while balancing teaching, mentoring, and community engagement?
That’s the question OVPRI leaders Martine Lagacé, Derrick Gibbings and Muralee Murugesu explored; they shared insights drawn from their roles in administration and their own careers as researchers in a candid conversation with early career professors at uOttawa.
Finding focus
At the start of their careers, researchers may be tempted to say yes to everything — every project, every committee, every collaboration. But the panelists warned researchers not to spread themselves too thin. Clarity and prioritization are key to building a strong research profile.
Lagacé shared her own experience as an interdisciplinary scholar. Early in her career, she said yes to too many projects outside her core research area, which diluted her focus. She told early-career researchers that yes, collaboration is key, absolutely — but to make sure those collaborations aligned with their long-term goals.
Gibbings reminded researchers that quality matters more than quantity. Publishing fewer but high-impact papers can be better than chasing numbers. It’s a risk, and this strategy may vary depending on your research field, but it can pay off in credibility and influence.
In general, the panelists advised not to try to do everything at once. Instead, early-career researchers should focus on what matters most, build their network, and take things step by step. The research landscape may be evolving, but with persistence and adaptability, they can carve out a successful and fulfilling career.
Building a network
Murugesu admitted that early on, he was so focused on publishing that he skipped conferences and networking opportunities. Now he encourages young researchers to do the opposite — to get together with their peers, attend events, go for coffee and have informal chats. These connections will help them meet future reviewers, mentors and collaborators.
Lagacé emphasized mentorship, especially for those working across disciplines. A good mentor can help a researcher prioritize and craft strong grant applications. She also told researchers not to underestimate the value of diverse perspectives — sometimes feedback from outside a field can transform a researcher's work.
Audience member Alexandre Poulain, vice-dean of research and infrastructure at uOttawa’s Faculty of Science, revealed that the most impactful feedback he once received on a microbiology grant proposal came from someone outside his field — a mathematician.
The panelists also highlighted the importance of networking as the groundwork for knowledge mobilization: as researchers build relationships, they gradually create a community that will amplify their research.
Building blocks to breakthroughs
The panelists empathized with young researchers, who may be overwhelmed by the responsibilities of teaching and supervising, and struggle to find time to conduct research and write grant applications.
Gibbings and Lagacé both stressed learning by doing and by asking questions. They shared stories of initial funding rejections and emphasized perseverance, with each attempt teaching them something new.
The panelists encouraged researchers to explore a variety of different funding sources, including industry partnerships, smaller grants like MITACS, and internal funding opportunities, such as the ones offered through our Research Management Services. These opportunities build experience, expand a researcher's network, and open doors to bigger projects, allowing early-career researchers to thrive in today's rapidly evolving and highly competitive research landscape.
Murugesu closed by stressing the importance of building and maintaining a support system: colleagues and mentors who understand what an early-career researcher is going through and can help them keep everything in perspective.
New to uOttawa research? Explore the services offered by the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, which range from funding support to partnership development. Learn more about their teams and what they do.