What kind of Early Career Network activities can I get involved in?

The ECN receives a grant from the Political Studies Association each year. This grant, together with the voluntary work undertaken by committee members, enables the ECN to undertake various activities to fulfil its goals. Some of the benefits of ECN membership include:

Attending tailored events for early career researchers
 

  • PSA ECN Annual Conference: every year we organise a conference for early career researchers, as an opportunity to showcase your research, develop skills and network beyond your area of expertise.
  • We also organise a Welcome Event for new and old members in October every year, a 'Bridging the Gap' event discussing careers inside and outside higher education and a number of events during the PSA's Annual Conference.

 

Accessing funding
 

Travel Grants, Event Grant and ECN Access Fund

  • ECN members are eligible to apply to the PSA's travel grant scheme which enables young scholars and graduate students to present papers at overseas political studies/science conferences. For more information, click here.
  • ECN members are also eligible to apply for travel grants to attend the events organised by the ECN each year. Details are provided in relation to each event but you can download the application form here.
  • ECN members can also apply for a member-led event grant to help with the costs of an event that they are organising. These grants have two rounds of applications each year:
    1st January for events held January-May
    1st June for events held June-December 
  • ECN members are accepted to present papers at the PSA's annual international conference, they can apply for the ECN Access Fund to help with their expenses to attend. Please find more details about the ECN Access Fund here. 

 

Communication
 

  • Join the conversation with over 3,000 early career researchers on our Facebook group.

  • Get in touch via our Twitter account. Social networking provides a way for members to stay in contact with one another and to seek advice from members of the community as well as to advertise events/calls for papers that may be of interest to other members.

  • ECN Members receive a quarterly email newsletter edited by our Comms Officer outlining news, updates, events, and information specifically tailored to the PSA’s postgraduate and early career membership. 

  • To publicise relevant opportunities and events, via newsletter or social media, please contact Alexandra Bulat, the ECN's Communications Officer.