Seeing Climate Adaptation through the Eyes of Young Researchers

17 Feb Seeing Climate Adaptation through the Eyes of Young Researchers

Posted at 05:39h in Research by Midhun Mohan

Edited by: Sofia Juliet Rajan
Design & Layout: Midhun Mohan, Satybrat Sukla

The journey of an early career researcher (ECR) is full of discovery, challenges and growth. At the Tyndall Centre Conference and the ECR Seasonal School, 11 ECRs from India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh came together to learn, share and collaborate. These gatherings created spaces for reflection, skill-building, and connections across disciplines, with researchers sharing insights that shaped ideas, confidence, and meaningful impact.

In Their Own Words

The space the Seasonal School created for ECRs to work collaboratively was deeply inspiring. It showed me how creative energy emerges when people come together with openness and trust.

Meeting people from diverse backgrounds reminded me how rich our field becomes when multiple perspectives come together. I left feeling re-energised about collaboration across disciplines.

I experienced a shift in my understanding of impact; it is not an individual achievement but something collective and evolving. It grows through relationships and shared purpose.

Knowing that there is a cohort of ECRs who are committed to climate action gave me courage and motivation. I felt part of a larger community working toward something meaningful.

The privilege of working in a research institution that values interdisciplinary collaboration struck me strongly during the conference. It reminded me that good research thrives in open, inclusive spaces.

What inspired me most was the generosity of spirit, people sharing knowledge openly and encouraging one another. That generosity felt like a quiet but powerful form of leadership.

What inspired you?

The space the Seasonal School created for ECRs to work collaboratively was deeply inspiring. I felt a sense of belonging and purpose in our shared discussions.

Knowing there is a cohort of ECRs who are committed to climate action gave me courage and motivation. It reminded me that our work has meaning beyond publications.

What challenged you?

The in-person, hands-on writing sessions were intense, but they stretched me in productive ways. I learned how to give and receive feedback constructively.

Reflecting on the distinction between research for impact and academic research was a challenge I am still processing. It made me think differently about who benefits from our work.

The challenge I faced was not feeling confident enough to voice ideas in front of senior researchers. But by the end, I realised those ideas had value.

What will you take forward?

Spending long days working together on a shared piece of writing showed me what collective scholarship can achieve. It was a reminder that collaboration multiplies creativity.

I plan to keep the ‘Recipe for a Good Paper’ shared with us as a guide in my future writing and mentoring.

The idea that we need to keep talking to each other, across teams and geographies, is something I want to practice. Communication is the heart of impact.

How has your view of impact changed after the ECR training? Would you do anything differently now?

One of the major strengths of CLAPs was that ECRs were involved throughout the process, not just at the end. This changed how I see impact — it starts from day one.

The ECR training reinforced my belief in the importance of networks and collaborations as key to generating impact. It made me more intentional in planning for it.

There remains a possibility that in the process of scaling up research, the significance of local impact gets diluted — that is something I want to pay attention to.

Learning Out Loud

The podcast episodes were recorded during the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Seasonal School, held at the University of East Anglia from September 13–15. Organised through the SUCCESS and CLAPS research projects with support from CLARE, the episodes capture reflections from ECRs on their experiences of working in large international teams. Discussions focus on the opportunities and challenges of being an early-career researcher, lessons from collaborating across countries and disciplines, and what it means to pursue research that creates real-world impact.

Challenges, Collaboration and What Research Impact Really Means

Reetika, Kinley, Swati & Lata

Sarah, Sabarnee, Rocky, Alex

Simran, Rashed, Sheethal, Divyanshi

These reflections show how the Seasonal School and Tyndall Conference became spaces for learning and collaboration. For CLAPs, they show the value of supporting young researchers and partners to create fair and effective climate adaptation. The stories remind us that impact is a shared journey, built through connection, curiosity and care.