Saska Petrova, Leading Researchers Programme
The Leading Researchers Programme is a collaborative interdisciplinary leadership programme for senior academics.
Unlike our other development programmes, this one is aimed at supporting academics already operating at a high-level in terms of their research quality and is designed to help them develop ideas and reflect on the next steps in their career. Traditionally academics working at this level have sometimes not been offered structured training for several years, since they were an Early Career Researcher (ECR). They can feel there is an assumption and expectation that they know how to do everything and have it all figured out.
The programme consists of five workshops covering topics such as purpose and vision, idea development, engaging people with your research, and communicating ideas. It also includes the opportunity for one-to-one coaching and group action learning sets. The programme culminates in an Ideas Summit celebration event where participants share their next big research idea with senior leaders from across the University and potential collaborators, colleagues and funders.
Professor Saska Petrova - turning her big idea into a £1.7m ERC grant
Saska Petrova was part of our first cohort here at Manchester in 2023, when she was a Reader in Human Geography and Research Director of the Geography Department. Saska’s work focuses on how environmental injustices are (re)produced and resisted across different geographies and includes working in under-represented communities across the UK, Europe, South Africa and China.
Saska found the programme’s focus on developing the time and conditions to develop ideas invaluable and welcomed the opportunity for structured and supportive space away from regular activities to pause, think, reflect and plan. Indeed, developing and crystalising her next big idea of an Energy and Gender Research Centre, which she presented at the Programme’s Ideas Summit in November 2023, was directly linked to a subsequently successful £1.7 million European Research Council (ERC) consolidator grant.
“The Leading Researchers Programme was really instrumental for the success of the grant, especially for the preparation of the interview that was organised as part of the process,” Saska said.
Saska also found the opportunity have one-to-one conversations with an external coach invaluable. GENERATE (Gender and Precarity at the Energy Frontier) will assess global challenges around inequitable access to energy.
Since the course concluded, Saska has been promoted to Professor in Human Geography.