Unorgodox

Supported by the DisCouRSE flexible fund round 1, Kat Phillips and I are hosting (/taking part in!) training on unorthodox event organisation, taking place on the following dates: 16th June (afternoon), 18th June (afternoon), 18th-19th September.

Raison d’être

Innovation Research Associate (InRA) is a new and expanding type of digital Research Technical Professional (dRTP) role aimed at producing impactful mathematical sciences research. In contrast to the traditional academic pathway, the InRA roles centre interdisciplinarity and cross-sector collaboration, meaning communicating effectively with both mathematicians and non-mathematicians is non-negotiable. Navigating the landscape of complementary skillsets and contrasting expertise is a difficult task. Experience in organising novel, effective, events to facilitate knowledge transfer and collaboration will be key for InRA leaders in the future. There is a current gap in the training offered to InRAs, and dRTPs more generally, which is often focussed on technical skills, or event organisation limited to narrow expertise audiences (standard conference format for example). There is now an appetite for more encouragement to explore the true range of possibilities when it comes to format, facilitation, activities, seating, venue, etc. These variables all play a part in contributing to an atmosphere and, if harnessed, can help to curate effective collaborative environments for dRTPs.

(Forgive the formal tone, it was taken verbatim from the application…)

So, what is it?

The training will consist of three parts.

1. Two online sessions, one in the afternoon of 16th June and one in the afternoon of 18th June, taken by Heidi Seibold of the Digital Research Academy. This will give participants the chance to learn about different formats as well as choices one can make as an organiser to curate a productive atmosphere. It will address both practicalities and more philosophical considerations.
2. The summer conference season will then provide participants an opportunity to lend a curious and critical eye to the academic events they attend, thinking about them in the context of the online training sessions.
3. Finally, on 18th-19th September we will gather at the University of Warwick for a 2-day workshop where participants will have the chance to share their reflections as well as put some ideas into action through some experimentation.

Sounds great, where do I sign up??

The application for unorgodox can be found here. Accommodation and travel for all participants has been budgeted, and there is also some funding for caring costs should it be required. The number of participants will be at most 20 to ensure everyone is heard. Due to the collaborative nature, it is important that each person arrives with curiosity and enthusiasm, as well as commits to both the online and in-person sessions. For this reason, we require a statement of intent (max 250 words, but this is not a guide, a sufficient one could be significantly shorter). Applicants will not be chosen based on their experience in organising events, but rather their willingness to engage with the training and how useful it might be for them moving forward. The deadline for applying is 5pm 15th April, and all applicants will be notified within a week.

Outputs

The outputs of this training will be published openly after the fact. This will include material produced by Heidi, as well as some co-created by the participants throughout the training so that we capture our learnings. Our intention is for this type of training to be offered more widely in the future, so get in touch if you would be interested in this for a slightly different context.

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As always I am very happy to receive emails with questions or discussions.