How to Refocus Your Research After COVID-19
Episode One Special Guest: Anne Coldiron One of FSU's eleven Krafft Professors, Anne Coldiron earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of Virginia; her undergraduate degrees are in French from Wake Forest University and the University of Paris. She was The Berry Chair in English Literature at St Andrews in Scotland in 2017-18. Coldiron is the author of three major books, one edited collection of essays, and more than eighty published essays. She has won, as of July 1, 2020, over one million dollars in research funding over the course of her academic career. But she is proudest of the accomplishments of her students: every dissertation she has directed has resulted in at least one major national grant or fellowship for the student, as well as numerous publications by them. Her former mentees now work in institutions as varied as small liberal arts colleges, research universities, the NEH, Cambridge University. SHOW NOTES 2:17-15:00 Segment 1: How to Refocus Your Research After COVID-19 Assess what has been lost or damaged within the research. Focus on changing the objects of study, methodology, and anything that can contribute to the research topic that was not planned before. Ask yourself: How can I meet the larger goal of contributing to human knowledge and improving human life through my the research? 15:00-24:10 Segment 2: How to re-establishing research and publisher connections after Covid-19 Come up with a series of long-term and short-term backup plans. Reach out to supporters and editors and explain what's going on. They are more understanding than you might expect. Speak to them about a backup plan to show the work is not being abandoned, just readjusted. Since the pandemic, there is a new flexibility from editors, presses, and grant organizations. For instance, The American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship program has turned their focus to untenured faculty. 24:11-29:22 Segment 3: How to communicate with existing collaborators and find new opportunities to collaborate after COVID-19 Establish relationships with as many people as you can. Ask for help when you need it. Do not be afraid to speak with someone to discuss your work. More likely than not, they will be honest with you. After the pandemic, researchers have a renewed opportunity to reach out to press editors and begin to form relationships with them. Communication is key, especially when working with collaborators. Contact collaborators to brainstorm ideas, plans, and solutions. Find out more about them; get to know their interests and their restraints. When presenting your research at your first conference, reach out to other members who have attended. Discover their interests and ask for their email regardless of whether your interests intersect. Research is always evolving. In the future, you may come across a research topic that needs collaborators. 29:23- 37:-01 Segment 4: Advice for today’s research faculty Find your own reason for doing the research you are doing, use your strengths to the fullest, and strengthen your weaknesses. Strengthen your weaknesses by exploring other fields of study. Always be ready to learn and learn more. Find research you can be passionate about. Refine what you know, make it better, then share it with others in hopes that it will help them in the future. Journeys in Research is a production of the Office of Research Development at Florida State University. We’d love to hear from you! Please send questions or suggestions for episodes to ord@fsu.edu with the word “Podcast” in the title. Special thanks to everyone who helped make our first episode possible: Beth Hodges, Cece Pierre, Mike Mitchell, Grace Adkison, Rachel Goff-Albritton, Walter Lee, and Neil Coker. Hosted by Evangeline Coker. Music for this episode by Ketsa. “Dusty Hills” by Ketsa is licensed under
