SMuRF: Multidisciplinary Research Conference for Early Career Researchers (ECRs)

The first annual Southampton Multidisciplinary Research Forum (SMuRF) seeks to develop the skill sets of those interested in multidisciplinary research while expanding the network of researchers in other fields. Members of sotonDH will be speaking at this SMuRF event and we encourage DH ECRs to attend.

Multidisciplinary research is an area of great growth for the University both internally, through the introduction of a new structure specifically designed to enhance collaboration, and externally, through funding opportunities from Research Councils and the success of projects crossing traditional borders.

While this is recognised as an area of growing importance it is felt that this can be more difficult for Early Career Researchers (ECRs). It is clear that the planning and execution of multidisciplinary research projects present particular challenges associated with the collaboration of individuals with widely varying backgrounds and interests.

The conference therefore aims to develop these skills while providing an atmosphere in which ECRs interested in multidisciplinary research can develop new contacts and new ideas for future research projects.

The programme includes workshops, speed networking, keynote speaker, case studies, and other activities.

Keynote: What to do with 500,000 researchers?

The keynote speaker will be Dr Chris Lintott from the University of Oxford. Chris Lintott is best known as co-presenter of the BBC’s long-running Sky at Night program alongside Sir Patrick Moore and as co-author of Bang! with Patrick Moore and Dr Brian May. He is a researcher at the University of Oxford, where he runs Zooniverse.org, the world’s most successful collection of citizen science websites. Zooniverse projects have allowed volunteers to discover planets, classify galaxies, investigate the accents of whales, rescue historical climate data and transcribe ancient papyri. He also has a regular column (on observing the night sky) in The Times.