If I were to deliver one live training next month, I want it to be something that actually moves the needle for you. Not just “another webinar”. From my conversations with academics and researchers, I keep hearing three big challenges come up again and again: 1. Publishing academic papers in good journals without getting stuck in endless revise-and-resubmit cycles 2. Doing robust, defensible techno‑economic assessments that funders, reviewers and industry actually trust 3. Using LinkedIn strategically as a researcher to build visibility, attract collaborators and create real‑world impact beyond publications Instead of guessing which one to tackle next, I’d love your input. I’ve set up a quick poll with these three options – it will take you 3 seconds to vote, and your answer will directly shape the next training I run. 👇 AFTER YOU VOTE Drop a comment telling me: – What feels hardest for you right now (publishing, TEA, or LinkedIn)? – What would make a 60–90 minute session on that topic unmissable for you? The more context you share, the more practical, specific and valuable I can make this session for you and the wider research community.

Regardless of happening in your life, whether that’s personal or professional matters, it’s important to take care of yourself. Industries & sectors change, some people are promoted, some lose their jobs. Those willing to enter the sector may find it hard at first. But remember, jobs don’t define who you are. You define yourself.

I've been a researcher for over a decade. I still have weeks where I genuinely don't know if the direction I'm taking makes sense. Where I wonder if I missed something obvious. Where the gap between what I want to contribute and what I'm actually producing feels embarrassingly wide. I used to think that feeling went away with experience. It doesn't. What changes is your relationship with it. You stop treating uncertainty as a sign something's wrong, and start recognising it as the default condition of doing work that hasn't been done before. That's just what research is. You're not lost. You're just in the part that doesn't have a clear path yet. If you're in that place right now — juggling a project that's stalling, a paper that won't come together, a career decision that feels genuinely unclear. I'd rather this community be the place you actually talk about it, not just the place you share your wins. What's actually going on with your work right now? Drop it below. No need to dress it up.

If last week felt messy, slow or “not enough”, you’re not alone. Research is supposed to feel like that most of the time. Progress in our world is rarely a big breakthrough; it is “a series of small things brought together.” So this week, measure success differently. Did you show up for that one focused writing block? Did you move an analysis one step forward? Did you send that email you’ve been avoiding? Each small action is a seed, not the harvest. Your future self will not remember how “behind” you felt on a Monday. But they will benefit from the quiet, imperfect, consistent work you choose to do today. You are capable of more than you think; start this week believing it, and let your actions do the talking. Let’s make this a week of small, deliberate moves that compound. I’m cheering you on. 🙌

Most breakthroughs in your thinking happen when you’re not “doing research” at all — they show up when you’re painting a wall or scrubbing the kitchen. When you stop actively focusing on a problem and switch to something simple and physical, your brain shifts from focused work into what neuroscientists call the default mode network. This network kicks in when you’re doing low-demand tasks: showering, walking, gardening… or painting a room. In that state, your mind quietly replays ideas, makes unexpected connections, and spots patterns you missed at your desk. What looks like “not working” is actually your brain running a background computation on your research questions. For researchers, this is gold. You spend hours reading, coding, analysing data, writing — that’s loading your mental “buffer” with information. But consolidation and genuine insight often require off-line processing, where the system is free from the pressure to perform. If you never step away, you’re constantly stuffing more in without giving your mind time to organise it, which leads to the familiar feeling of staring at a problem and going nowhere. In my own work on carbon capture and process engineering, many of the cleanest model tweaks or paper angles have come to me while doing something completely unrelated, like DIY, walking, or tidying the house after a long day at the office. Most researchers respond to feeling stuck by forcing more screen time. But the real career impact often comes from trusting these “non‑academic” moments enough to step away and let your subconscious do its job. How about you? When you step away from your desk, what’s the one activity (like your painting) where good ideas quietly show up? Drop your answer below 👇