International Early Career Researcher Networking Sprint
What is a C-DICE ECR Networking Sprint?
A networking sprint is an interactive workshop, creating teams of researchers to develop a collaborative network proposal – with an opportunity to win up to £5k in funding.
A sprint is a short, focused event where people work together to solve problems and achieve specific goals. Unlike regular workshops or conferences, sprints emphasise teamwork and action over a couple of days, leading to meaningful results. For researchers, sprints are a great way to collaborate with others from different fields, develop innovative ideas, and build professional networks. C-DICE has created the networking sprint to help postdocs and early career researchers start to develop cross-disciplinary networks to build teams that can drive forward research ideas and proposals.
By the end of the sprint, participants will have crafted actionable plans for building networks that drive impactful solutions, tackle the unique challenges faced by developing nations, and contribute meaningfully to global net-zero targets.
Why you should participate.
The two-day international sprints will bring together postdoctoral researchers from a range of institutions to form diverse, interdisciplinary teams aimed at tackling critical challenges associated with achieving reducing global carbon emissions. The sprint will focus on fostering international collaboration, with participants identifying specific challenges and developing plans for creating networks that drive impactful solutions, addressing the unique challenges faced by developing nations while contributing to global net zero targets. The sprints will conclude with team pitches, with the best proposals awarded funding to support network development, future collaborations and funding applications.
Participants will gain the following skills:
• Enhanced Collaboration Skills: Improved ability to build interdisciplinary networks.
• Understanding Key Network Components: Insights into critical elements for successful research networks.
• Development of Research Network Ideas: Creation of innovative, actionable network proposals.
• Strengthened Budgeting Skills: Expertise in designing budget plans for network activities.
• Improved Pitching Abilities: Refined skills for presenting network proposals effectively.
• Excellence in Teamwork and Communication: Effective interdisciplinary teamwork and communication.
Current International Sprints
Two international sprints will be held in March 2025 at the following locations:
- Nepal
- Rwanda
The sprints aim to form diverse, interdisciplinary teams to tackle key challenges in achieving net zero carbon emissions. Each sprint will focus on a unique topic:
Nepal Sprint: Creating a network in planning tools and models for developing and using enhanced planning tools to incorporate eCooking, fuel stacking, and improved financial data.
Rwanda Sprint: Creating a network in energy storage and the use of different types of energy storage for time-shifting energy use for cooking and other applications (e.g. charging during the day and being able to use at night) for regions with limited, intermittent or unreliable energy supplies.
Eligibility Criteria
UK Participants
- Postdoctoral researchers affiliated with a C-DICE partner institution.
- Must confirm that they meet the entry requirement for the location of the sprint (Nepal or Rwanda).
- Entry requirements for applicants travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK to Nepal can be seen here.
- Entry requirement for UK-based applicants with non-British passports can be seen here.
- Entry requirements for applicants travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK to Rwanda can be seen here.
- Entry requirement for UK-based applicants with non-British passports can be seen here.
Host Country/Region Participants
- The following individuals are eligible to apply for the sprint:
- Early career researchers (including postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, and research associates) at a university or working in industry.
- Doctoral researchers currently working in an academic position (e.g., studying for a PhD, EngD, DBA, or EdD).
- Academics without prior principal investigator roles on a grant exceeding £100k, (including teaching fellows and lecturers).
How to Apply
- Application is via an online MS form here. The free text questions used to assess your application are:
- Briefly describe your primary research area (no more than 50 words)
- Describe why you are interested in participating in the C-DICE Sprint (no more than 100 words)
- Applications will be reviewed, scored and ranked by C-DICE team.
- Successful applicants (both host country/region and UK based) will be required to register on Inkpath, C-DICE’s researcher development platform, to confirm their place.
Application deadline for UK Applicants -7th February 2025.
Application deadline for the host countries- 20th February 2025.
UK applicants will be notified on the 14th of February if they have secured a place on the C-DICE Sprint. Please note the closing date is on the 7th of February 2025.
Host country / region applicants will be notified one week before the closing date if they have secured a place on the C-DICE Sprint.
Assessment Criteria
The assessment criteria for participant selection are:
- An interest in climate change, net zero, decarbonisation.
- The ability to communicate research to a wide audience.
- Demonstrate how attending the sprint will enable you develop collaborative networks.
- Commitment to taking an active role in all of the sessions.
Timeline
Activity | Timeline |
Application process opens | 22 January 2025 |
Information webinar | 4 February 2025 |
Application process closes | 20 February 2025 |
Nepal sprint (In Person) | 5 and 6 March 2025 |
Rwanda sprint (In Person) | 20 and 21 March 2025 |
In the event of this opportunity being substantially oversubscribed, C-DICE reserves the right to modify the assessment process.
Please note that we will not be able to give individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants, however we will provide some general points of feedback.
Support Available.
- C-DICE will arrange travel and accommodation for UK participants.
- C-DICE has established a fund to help host country/region participants attend the sprint where they may otherwise not have the funds to do so. C-DICE will contribute towards the cost of travel and/or an overnight stay. Details available on request.
- If you are accepted to join the sprint but your caring responsibilities could present a barrier to participation, you can apply for the Caring Support Fund to meet additional costs. Details available on request.