Global publisher Springer Nature has opened applications for a new Researcher in Residence programme. The scheme is part of a number of initiatives undertaken by the publisher to improve representation across the communities they work with and will involve two active researchers working in the London or Berlin office for 10 working days per month for a three month period.
For the initial pilot, one of the two programme slots available will be reserved for researchers who are from Ukraine, but currently research-active in the UK or Germany. Applications will be open until 23 July 2023.
The programme aims to provide support and resources to early career researchers who are either from communities that are under-represented in the industry or unable to continue their work due to risk in circumstances such as conflict. In turn, Springer Nature teams will have the opportunity to gain better insights into the experience of active researchers. The ambition is to bridge the gap between authors and publishers, ultimately resulting in a better understanding of the publishing ecosystem for all.
Each Researcher in Residence will have an engagement mentor and a bespoke engagement programme that will both support their research and provide insights into research publishing. They will gain unique insights into the publishing environment, contribute to a researcher diary blog and have access to tools and systems to undertake bibliometric, scientometric or other research to enhance their own work.
Henning Schoenenberger, VP on Content Innovation at Springer Nature, said: “Springer Nature has made a commitment to champion diversity, equity and inclusion across the research publishing landscape. The residency programme offers a unique opportunity for researchers to become part of our scholarly publishing community over three months, helping us to gain a better understanding of authors, and especially those voices usually underrepresented within our sector.”
