Who to contact in the Building Research and Innovation Capacity (BRIC) Team

As Head of the BRIC team, Megan is responsible for the strategic oversight of researcher development and research culture.

She is a co-I on the Valuing Voices for Equitable and Responsible Research project, funded by the Wellcome Trust, leading on the training and communications elements of the project. 

Megan has a background in facilitation and grant writing in the cultural and Higher Education sectors.

Francina leads the development and implementation of activities outlined in the Research Culture Action Plan and Researcher Development Concordat, with the aim of fostering a vibrant, supportive and inclusive environment for researchers at all career stages.

Francina oversees members of the team responsible for supporting Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs), Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and Fellows, and is currently developing a new programme to address the unique needs of mid-career and established researchers.

Before joining the team, Francina was a postdoctoral researcher in Psychology, during which time she became a Research Staff Liaison Officer to advocate and champion issues affecting researchers.

Dominika is a researcher developer with responsibility for the design, delivery and evaluation of training interventions for postgraduate researchers. Dominika has a PhD in cancer biology and brings her own experience as a PGR and as a Postdoctoral Researcher to her enthusiastic approach to supporting academic researchers’ development.

Sarah Penny
Researcher Developer (Fellowships)

Sarah supports our current early career fellows to make the most of their fellowships and develop their skills and career paths, as well as helping to build a strong fellowship community at York. She also works in partnership with Departments, Schools and Faculties to support prospective fellows to develop their ideas into fellowship grant applications, and is Secretary to the Fellowships Coordination Committee. Sarah has a PhD in Theatre and over ten years' experience working with fellows and early career researchers.

VACANCY
Researcher Developer (ECRS)

Victoria is the Research Capacity Officer, with responsibility for conducting a needs gap analysis of all research training and provision across the University, in Doctoral Training Centres and Doctoral Training Programmes.

Alongside her role in the BRIC team, Victoria is a PhD researcher in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science, and so has a relevant experience of interacting with research provision at the University of York.

She brings to the role a passion for supporting her fellow researchers in their continuing career development.

Stewart provides operational and communications support to the BRIC team's activities and is responsible for the team's joint email and Twitter/X account.

Stewart serves as the first port of call for all enquiries from researchers and research support staff, and supports the Fellowship Coordination Committee and Research Culture Working Group.

Stewart holds a BSc in Biology and is passionate about Research Comms - running and supporting training in this area.

Fleur has managed a variety of research projects at the University of York for over ten years, supporting research in social policy, chemistry and telecommunications. In recent years, she has also been an active member of the growing PRISM community (Professional Research Investment Strategy Managers), which supports those in similar research project management roles and advocates for recognition from funders and institutions. Alongside the Valuing Voices project, Fleur will be the PRISMs Manager for the Faculty of Sciences from June 2024.

Roisin Blackburn is the Project Officer for the Valuing Voices project, with particular responsibility for communications and administration within the project. Roisin joined the University of York in 2023 working as Alcuin College Life Coordinator while finalising her Master of Research (MRes) Psychology degree. Roisin has previously worked in alumni events at the University of Leeds, and as Research Assistant, Administrator and Student Volunteers Coordinator in the Converge Evaluation and Research Team (CERT) at York St. John, working with a group of individuals with lived experience of mental ill health to utilise co-productive techniques to conduct bespoke research and evaluations of mental health services and community projects.

Dr Zaynab Seedat is the Training and Resource Development Officer for the Valuing Voices project. Zaynab joined the University of York in 2018 as a PhD student, graduating in 2023 from the Department of English and Related Literature. Her research investigated Islamic terrorism within contemporary literature using an interdisciplinary postcolonial approach. During her time at the University, Zaynab worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, researcher developer for the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities, and project coordinator for York Graduate Research School, through which she has developed her knowledge of and interest in research culture and practises.