Te Kahui Houhare Rangahau Hauora
The Early and Mid-Career Researcher ( EMCR ) Group aims to support EMCR s to achieve research excellence by facilitating networking and promoting career development opportunities within the Division. We can be contacted here:
Email hsemcr@otago.ac.nz
Our Mission: Promote research excellence and sustainability within Aotearoa's unique research environment
Research careers are dynamic, exciting and hugely rewarding, but can also be daunting and precarious, particularly when starting out.
The Division of Health Sciences Early and Mid-Career Researcher ( EMCR ) Management Committee was set up by a group of passionate EMCR s in order to support colleagues across the division to develop research excellence at the University of Otago. As EMCR s ourselves, we understand the trials and tribulations that come with this ultimately rewarding career and want our researchers to achieve excellence while maintaining a holistic life balance.
Working with the Divisional Research Committee, we aim to strengthen our research community across all areas of health science and organise and promote career development opportunities for our EMCRs within the Division. To achieve this, we hold regular symposia, listen to, promote and advocate for EMCR s, and support EMCRs with funding, networking opportunities, and professional development workshops.
We also have a dedicated Blackboard page that includes a calendar of events and other useful information, from grant peer review support, funding opportunities, guides for research impact, Māori Health Advancement, and Vision Mātauranga, and much more. The link is in the Resources section of this page. If you have any problems gaining access to Blackboard, just email us at the address below.
We want to hear from you to know what you need to cultivate a satisfying research career. If you would like to know more, or have any ideas about how we can better support EMCRs , feel free to email us or catch us on Twitter:
Email hsemcr@otago.ac.nz
Upcoming events
Early and mid-career academic development
Early and mid career academic development planning guide (PDF)
Division support
Drop-in sessions
Drop-in sessions available for feedback on your Māori Health Advancement section of your grant application(s).
Weekly sessions available with Howard Maxwell, Scientific Officer for Māori Health Advancement on Tuesday and Wednesday 11.00am and 11.30am
Additional sessions are available close to HRC and MBIE deadlines.
Seminars
2024 seminars are available to watch on Echo360.
Rutherford Discovery Fellowships, Marsden Fast-Start, Hercus Fellowships, HRC Project Grants.
To access Echo360, check the HS EMCR Support group on Microsoft Teams or email: healthsciences.research@otago.ac.nz
Division of Health Sciences Accelerator Grants
- In 2024, we awarded 18 accelerator grants for a total of $32,000
Read more about one of our 2023 recipient and the list of 2024 recipients - In 2023, we awarded 15 accelerator grants for a total of $26,000
Read about one of our successful recipients - In 2022, we have awarded 17 researchers (12 early career; 5 mid-career) with grants that will be used to kickstart and support their awesome research ideas
Read more about the grants and the recipients - In 2021, in our inaugural EMCR Accelerator Grant round, we awarded approximately $53,000 to EMCRs
Read about successful projects - See the full list of Accelerator Grant recipients
EMCR Management Committee members
Each Management Committee member is involved in two areas of focus and strategic oversight is provided by the Chair.
The EMCR Management Committee currently comprises 8 members from across the three main campuses.
Joon Kim (Co-Chair)
Lecturer
Department of Physiology, Dunedin
Joon's lab page
Katharina Robichon (Co-Chair)
Lecturer
Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Wellington
Katharina's profile page
Alan Aitchison
Research Fellow
Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch
Alan's profile page
Sarah Bierre
Senior Research Fellow
Department of Public Health, Wellington
Sarah's profile page
Pauline Dawson
Senior Lecturer
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health (DSM), Dunedin
Pauline's profile page
Constanza Jackson
Research Fellow
Department of Public Health, Wellington
Constanza's profile page
Oliver Lyons
Senior Lecturer
Department of Surgery and Critical Care, Christchurch
Jerin Matthew
Lecturer
Department of Anatomy, Dunedin
Jerin's profile page
Zoe Tasma
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dunedin
Email zoe.tasma@otago.ac.nz
Contact
For more information, please contact:
Email hsemcr@otago.ac.nz
Links and resources
Internal Resources already available to EMCR s
- Funding opportunities
- Mentoring for female academics
- The Early Career Researchers Advancement Group (EAG)
- Mental health support
- HEDC
- HEDC – opportunities for academic staff with teaching responsibilities
- Māori at Health Sciences
- Pacific at Health Sciences
- Māori health research advancement
External links
- Royal Society Te Apārangi ECR Forum
- ECRs in Aotearoa after COVID-19 (RSNZECR Forum) (PDF)
- ECRcentral
- MBIE Narrative CV Webinar and slides (find under Narrative CV webinars)
- Narrative CV: Additional Resources (PDF)
Downloads
- Terms of Reference (PDF)
- Strategic Plan 2020–2025 (PDF)