Research Adjacent

Sarah McLusky
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Stories and strategies to help you thrive in a research-adjacent career. Hosted by Sarah McLusky.

  1. 16 DEC

    2025 in Research Adjacent Land (Episode 83)

    As the Research Adjacent podcast approaches its 3rd birthday, Sarah looks back on the past year and looks forward to 2026 Sarah talks about What she does when she isn’t making the podcastTop episodes and notable moments from 2025Things she said she would do in 2025 vs what she actually didComing in 2026 – including live events and sponsorship opportunities All the links Sarah mentions Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn or sign up for her events newsletter, Gathering with PurposeListen to Sarah’s personal playlist of new music in 2025Check out the Challenges mini-seriesTop episodes of the year – Policy Director Rosalind Gill and Influencing Others with Orla Kelly and Joanna RoyleHear Sarah’s story on the Papa PhD collaboration episodeLive event episodes – at the IRCC25 Conference, Festival of Hidden REF and the Academic Adventures podcastWorking with freelancers episode and the Research Adjacent DirectoryComplete this form to suggest a podcast guestBrowse the podcast back catalogue and take the quiz for personalised suggestionsa href="mailto:hello@researchadjacent.com" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    25 min

  2. 2 DEC

    Making space for awe and wonder with Katherine Mathieson (Episode 82)

    Katherine is championing science communication for its own sake as Director of the historic Royal Institution Katherine is the Director of The Royal Institution in London. The Royal Institution is the birthplace of science communication, having been founded in 1799 to 'introduce new technologies and teach science to the general public through lectures and demonstrations'. It is home to the iconic Christmas Lectures which celebrate their 200th year in 2025. Sarah and Katherine talk about Why The Royal Institution means different things to different peopleThe iconic Christmas LecturesHow a phone-in science hotline kick-started her career in science communicationMaking space for awe and wonder, and why that might help tackle the anti-science narrative Find out more Read the show notes on the Research Adjacent websiteConnect with Kathrine on LinkedIn or BlueSkyFind out more about The Royal Institution and its historyCheck if you can watch the Christmas Lectures recording livestream near you About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSkyFill out the research-adjacent careers quizSign up to the Research Adjacent newsletterEmail a comment, question or suggestionLeave Sarah a voice message

    36 min

  3. 18 NOV

    One university thinking with Laura Breen (Episode 81)

    Laura is prioritising collaboration over competition to help develop impactful research projects. Laura Breen is Research Development and Impact Manager at the University of Manchester where she helps bring together diverse, multi-partner research teams to tackle big challenges. Sarah and Laura talk about Prioritising collaboration over competition and convening creative relational spacesHer journey from museums and ceramics to universities and impactHow the impact agenda and REF are shaping research culture and even artistic practiceThe importance of empathy and intuition in how she works Find out more Connect with Laura on LinkedInLaura is leading on Engaged Research at the University of Manchester - you can see what this looks like via some case studies and videos on participatory research. The University of Manchester has also just released their strategy for 2025-35 which includes research impact as one of it's 5 main themes.Find out more about the Impact Ignite Conference that Laura is speaking at in late November 2025 About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSkyFill out the research-adjacent careers quizSign up to the Research Adjacent newsletterEmail a comment, question or suggestionLeave Sarah a voice message

    30 min

  4. 4 NOV

    Recognising hidden roles in research with Hidden REF (Episode 80)

    Sarah reports from the Festival of Hidden REF held in Birmingham on 8 October 2025. This episode features contributions from organisers, speakers and participants including Hidden REF committee members Simon Hettrick and James Baker sharing the story behind the eventPrevious Hidden REF competition winners Laura Henderson and Lorraine van Blerk highlighting hidden roles in researchSpeaker Elisa Collado and participants Emily Ennis, Jo Williams and Alix Brodie-Wray and Nick Sheppard sharing their takeaways and what still might be missing from the conversation Find out more Read the full show notes and transcript on the podcast websiteConnect with guests Simon Hettrick, James Baker, Laura Henderson, Lorraine van Blerk, Elisa Collado, Emily Ennis, Jo Williams and Alix Brodie-Wray or Nick SheppardFind out more about Hidden REF on their website or follow them on LinkedIn. You can find the list of hidden roles that Simon mentions here.Listen to the What the REF?! podcast About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSkyFill out the research-adjacent careers quizSign up to the...

    28 min

  5. 21 OCT

    A more fun and kind academia with Johanna Stadlbauer (Episode 79)

    Johanna is a researcher developer on a mission. Johanna Stadlbauer is Head of the Research Careers Campus at the University of Graz in Austria, offering development and support for early to mid-career researchers. Sarah and Johanna talk about Why she wants to make academia kinder and more fun, and what that looks like in practiceHow being proactive helped her progress from a maternity cover contract to essentially creating her own jobThe anthropology research and activism that underpins her approachThe importance of helping people feel seen, and free pizza! Find out more Read the full show notes and transcript on the podcast websiteConnect with Johanna on LinkedInFind out more about the Research Careers Campus and Post-Doc Office including the Communities of Curiosity Festival in April 2026 About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSkyFill out the research-adjacent careers quizSign up to the Research Adjacent newsletterEmail a comment, question or suggestionLeave Sarah a voice message

    36 min

  6. 7 OCT

    Working with research-adjacent freelancers (Episode 78)

    This episode is a must listen for anyone who hires freelancers to support research projects or who is a freelancer themselves. It is packed with advice for making things run more smoothly – from contracts to cold-hard cash. We are also launching the Research Adjacent Directory listing service. Sarah is joined by fellow freelancers from the Research Adjacent Community including Limor Zwi-Dantsis, Russell Arnott, Sophie Morris, Naomi Tyrrell and Vittoria Danino, to talk about… Why hiring a freelancer can be a great decision Tips for working effectively with research-adjacent freelancers How much excellent specialists actually cost Where to find quality contractors Find out more Read the show notes and transcript on the podcast website Check out the Research Adjacent Directory Find out if the Research Adjacent Community is right for you Read Top 5 reasons to hire an independent research-adjacent professional Read Working effectively with research-adjacent freelancers Read How much do research-adjacent freelancers cost? Connect with Limor Zwi-Dantsis, Russell Arnott, Sophie Morris, Naomi Tyrrell and Vittoria Danino on LinkedIn About Research Adjacent What do you think of this episode? Share a screenshot with your thoughts and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSky Fill out the research-adjacent careers quiz Sign up to the Research Adjacent newsletter Email a comment, question or suggestion Leave Sarah a voice message

    34 min

  7. 23 SEPT

    Hidden labour and research culture: IRCC25 (Episode 77)

    Sarah reports from the International Research Culture Conference #IRCC25 which was held at the University of Warwick on 17 September 2025. It features contributions from Rika Nair, Alys Kay and Dolly Coates, as well as excerpts from Sarah's talk on professional development for research enablers. Sarah and her guests talk about Why the recognising the contributions of research-adjacent roles is a key research culture issue Challenges research-adjacent professionals can face when trying to make progress in their careers The System Shuffle game which aims to make the hidden labour in research teams more visible How the language used to describe research-adjacent roles influences how they are perceived Find out more Read the show notes and transcript on the podcast website Connect with Rika Nair, Alys Kay or Dolly Coates on LinkedIn Read Alys's LinkedIn post about the System Shuffle game Find out more about Research Culture Knowledge Exchange, IRCC25 and the work of the National Centre for Research Culture Read the Wellcome report 'What researcher's think about the culture they work in' About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSky Fill out the research-adjacent careers quiz Sign up to the Research Adjacent newsletter Email a comment, question or suggestion Leave Sarah a voice message

    22 min

  8. 9 SEPT

    Storytelling for research engagement with Esther Lisk-Carew (Episode 76)

    Esther Lisk-Carew is engagement coordinator for a programme called AHEAD (Arts and Humanities Engagement and Dialogue) at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is also a freelance consultant, trustee of Manchester's Portico Library and founder of the Black and Global Majority Cultural Creative Network. Sarah and Esther talk about How she combines a love of storytelling and the arts with a talent for managing events and operationsWhy engagement is often baked into the methods and outputs of arts and humanitiesBuilding a career in the cultural sector (despite a detour into French law)Why academia needs more diverse voices, and high-profile cultural icons Find out more Read the show notes and transcript on the podcast websiteFind out about everything Esther is working on via her LinktreeFind AHEAD at MMU on the web, Linktree, LinkedIn and Instagram About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSkyFill out the research-adjacent careers quizSign up to the Research Adjacent newsletterEmail a comment, question or suggestionLeave Sarah a voice message

    32 min
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About

Stories and strategies to help you thrive in a research-adjacent career. Hosted by Sarah McLusky.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah McLusky
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023-25
  • Show Website
    Research Adjacent

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