Print This PostI recently carried out a collaborative research visit to a lab in the US to do some experiments. This was a fantastic experience for me, both in terms of conducting my own research, and seeing a new research environment. In this blog, I will share my experience of organising this trip, giving advice on how to navigate establishing an international collaboration, and what I found most enjoyable about the process.
Getting to travel is one of the huge advantages to working in academia, and something I really love about this job. However, travel beyond conferences can be rare. If it’s something you are interested in, good justification is usually needed – both for your supervisor if you’ll be taking time away from your core project, and for funders, who want to know why this trip is necessary. During my PhD, I got some interesting results which I wanted to explore further. However, using existing samples that we had in my lab would not be possible, and the sample type I required was a very rare resource in the UK. This was my justification. At an international conference, I met with members of lab who had access to the samples I needed, and over the course of several months through emailing back and forth, the lab kindly invited me to come do some validation experiments on these samples.
With the collaboration initiated, I was keen to get some funding which would allow me to carry out a research visit. After looking at different sources of funding, including small grants offered through various research societies and my university, I applied and was awarded the UCL Bogue Fellowship. Although grants such as this can be for small pots of money, the applications still require a lot of detail, including a scientific plan, costing of the trip (travel, accommodation, visa fees, consumables, subsistence etc), and various letters of support. Applying for funding early was so important here, as many calls for this type of grant only happen once or twice a year. Plus, it can take several months after the application date to hear back. Certain grants will also come with requirements that limit your timeframe. For example, my grant required me to return from the research visit with at least 6-months remaining on my contract. This really kick-started a busy planning period.
After securing the funding, the next step was to work out when I intended to travel, and which visa I needed. Before this trip, I was not aware of all the resources that are in place at universities to facilitate these types of visits. Both here at UCL, and at my host university, there are international centres which hold all the crucial information specifically for these types of visits. It’s important to open communication with these centres early so that they can help you in plenty of time. They helped me to understand my visa requirements, and all the many documents I needed to ensure a successful application.
All while applying for and waiting on the visa outcome, it was time to start planning experiments. As this had already been sketched out for the writing of the grant, I had a good head start. But getting to the nitty gritty of choosing exact samples, creating a list of consumables required (and how much of each thing needed to be ordered), as well as a timetable of how long the experiments will take needs took time and communication with my host lab. As I was working with human post-mortem brain samples, the tissue requests needed to get to the repository team as early as possible to ensure the samples would be ready on my arrival.
After about 6-months of planning and coordination, I arrived in California in a September heat wave. As with any first day, I was nervous showing up at the lab. However, my nerves were soon soothed as I met with the postdoc who was acting as my main host, and the wider lab. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, showing me the lab, going through the reagents I needed, and making sure I had everything to get started. As with any new position, I needed to do some mandatory trainings, as well as check in with the international centre to confirm my visa status. Make sure to include these in your plan as days can quickly be eaten up.
I spent three-weeks in the lab, and it really was one of the best experiences in my career to date.
Working in a new environment was really exciting. Seeing how research works in a new lab, and on a new continent, was eye opening and gave me some new perspectives on research culture and collaboration. I got to have daily conversations with scientists of all levels, collect new data which is contributing to an upcoming paper, and genuinely make new friends. All in the setting of sunny California – a big change to the grey late-autumn London! Of course, taking advantage of time outside of the lab was key, and I got to spend plenty of time outdoors, exploring national parks and the beaches of the Pacific. I would highly recommend planning for longer than you think you’ll need – between inductions, experiments not working the first time, and just to give yourself more opportunities to shadow new techniques, you can quickly run out of time.
I would really recommend this type of collaborative research visit to any student or postdoc. Remember that you can initiate collaborations and apply for funding outside of your core project too!
Overall, my top tips for planning an overseas research visit are:
- Network at every opportunity to find a suitable host.
- Start planning as early as possible – the application processes can take longer than you think.
- Discuss the planned outcomes from the visit in advance with your host – is this to produce new preliminary data for a grant, to collect data to support existing research and enhance a paper, or to learn a new skill?
- Visit for longer than you think you need to ensure you get all the data you need.
- On your visit, meet as many people as possible – even reach out to other labs to set up meetings for potential future collaboration.
Clíona Farrell
Author
Dr Clíona Farrell is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London. Her work focuses on understanding neuroinflammation in Down syndrome, both prior to, and in response to, Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Clíona completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience in Trinity College, and then worked as a research assistant in the Royal College of Surgeons studying ALS and Parkinson’s disease. She also knows the secret behind scopping the perfect 99 ice-cream cone.
Dementia Researcher
