How do you become a successful researcher?

When we think back to our first years as researchers, we all remember the feeling of both excitement and uncertainty that came with this journey.

One needs to be filled with ambition, but also with questions:

How to best navigate this complex world of research? What to focus on to succeed? And how to learn from the best in the field?

These are questions you can't just Google or get ChatGPT to answer.

That is why some of us from the young academies across the Nordic and Baltic countries teamed up to provide ten tips for those who might be dreaming of becoming a successful researcher in the North.

How we assembled our best tips

The project started when all the young academies from the Nordic and Baltic countries met up in April 2024 for our joint meeting to discuss various aspects of academic life for young researchers.

We gathered 60 members across these academies to jointly come up with ten tips that we all believe are worth following to be a successful young researcher in our region of the world.

Some of these tips are likely relevant worldwide, but others are very specific for our small part of the world.

In the box above you will find the ten tips in short form. If you want to know what each tip covers, you can scroll down to the next section.

1. Your reputation will spread quickly

The first tip is to be kind and build a good reputation

In the Nordic and Baltic academic environments, the small number of universities and tight-knit communities can make a reputation spread quickly – and it may be long-lasting as well.

Behave respectfully, honourably, and generously towards colleagues, as both positive and negative behaviour is remembered and may impact your career.

Building a good reputation can lead to fruitful research collaborations and positive career opportunities.

You will likely also experience that people reach out to you to collaborate if you have a good reputation and vice versa.

2. Don’t be late!

The second tip is to prioritise punctuality and reliability

In the Nordic and Baltic countries, punctuality and reliability are highly valued traits. Always be on time for meetings and respect deadlines.

Deliver what you promise in a timely manner and be diligent in your tasks.

There is a strong culture of working with each other and timely actions and/or reply to emails are expected (at all levels, see point six).

Being trustworthy and dependable will earn you respect and build strong professional relationships.

Colleagues and collaborators should feel confident that they can count on you, which will enhance your reputation and provide more opportunities for collaboration and career advancement.

Be aware that national cultures and expectations vary. In Norway, for example, the ‘academic quarter’ dictates that classes typically start fifteen minutes past the hour.

In comparison, the use of the academic quarter depends on the customs of the specific institution in countries like Denmark.

3. Skip the email (sometimes)

The third tip is to understand the informal work culture

The Nordic and Baltic countries often have an informal work culture, where crucial information might not be shared through official written channels.

Face-to-face meetings and phone calls can be more effective than written communication – especially for sensitive or urgent topics.

Establishing personal connections can provide you with more detailed and accurate information than formal channels and may help you understand the nuances of the local work culture, ultimately leading to more successful collaboration.

4. Show commitment and collegiality

Fourth tip is to contribute beyond research. Excelling in research alone might not be sufficient to succeed in the long run – especially at smaller institutions.

Engaging in activities related to outreach, teaching, supervision, mentoring, students, administration, and committee work, shows your commitment and collegiality.

Identifying gaps in your local environment and addressing them (which might take substantial time and effort) will get you recognition.

Your visible contribution to the department’s or university’s needs – such as committee work – will often be highly valued, and also equip you with vital skills.

In the Baltics, working across multiple research institutions is very common and can provide diverse experiences and opportunities for collaboration, further enhancing your professional development.

5. Build a strong network early

The fifth tip is about why a strong network is important and how to build it.

Securing funding and building a research group can be challenging for early-career academics in the Nordics and Baltics.

Establishing a robust network of internal and external collaborators early on in your career is crucial.

This network can provide support and opportunities, compensating for the limited funding and other resources available to junior faculty.

A good way to establish or expand one’s local network is to join national academic or research societies or attend local/national conferences within one’s field.

Such networks in the Nordics have potential to coalesce into formal, funded ‘Centers’ (i.e., organized entities that brings together a small number of research groups focused on a specific area of science, for example the Danish National Research Foundation).

The centers focus on a particular research topic, with broad, basic funding, and that is invaluable for early-career academics.

6. Collaboration is not only centered around individual professors

Sixth tip is to embrace flat hierarchies.

The Nordic and Baltic academic cultures often feature relatively flat hierarchies, where collaboration is topic-focused rather than centered around individual professors.

To attract and retain talent, avoid enforcing strict hierarchies.

Instead, seek to foster a collaborative environment where students and postdocs can work with various professors and seek transdisciplinary engagement beyond traditional academic silos as well.

This aspect of the Nordic and Baltic culture also provides unique opportunities to approach leaders in the university, industry, or even politics (see points 5 and 8).

7. No research without funding

The seventh tip is about how to finance your work

In countries like Denmark and Finland, private foundations play a significant role in research funding.

Familiarise yourself with the local funding landscape and foundations, such as the Villum Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Lundbeck Foundation (Denmark); and the Kone Foundation and the Finnish Cultural Foundation (Finland).

In Sweden, there is an ecosystem of multiple research councils, with diverse funding profiles and instruments.

Often the universities have funding offices that advise on grant opportunities and provide feedback on applications.

Apply for small research/travel grants early in your career to gain valuable experience in grant writing and to demonstrate your ability to manage smaller grants.

In turn, this may increase your chances of securing larger grants later on.

Understanding and leveraging diverse funding opportunities is essential for establishing and sustaining your research group.

8. Look beyond national borders (also for funding)

Our eighth tip is to engage in multidisciplinary collaboration

The small size of the academic communities in the Baltic and Nordic countries makes it necessary for nearly everyone to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration.

Initiate collaborations beyond your immediate field to broaden your research scope and funding opportunities.

Such collaborations can enhance your research impact and open new avenues for grant applications both nationally and internationally.

Collaborations can be a valuable way to gain experience and access to funding opportunities beyond one’s own national research councils, including cross-country academic mobility programs, such as Nordplus and Nordforsk (Nordics) and the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (Baltics).

To further promote such collaborations, it can be beneficial to establish your own unique research direction, so that it is clear to other scientists what you can contribute with.

9. Strengthen your integration

Ninth tip is to learn the local language

While English is widely used in Nordic and Baltic academia, learning the local language can significantly enhance your integration and networking.

Many informal interactions and undergraduate courses will typically be conducted in the local language.

This effort may set you apart and open doors both within and outside the academic community.

It can also make you more valuable as a member of the university’s faculty, given how you will better be able to interact with and understand the (political) trends in society.

While this is particularly important for tenured employees, a PhD or postdoc position offers an excellent opportunity to acquire language skills early on - often with employer-sponsored language courses.

This can greatly benefit early-career faculty during the demanding initial years of a tenured academic role in a new country.

10. Remember to pack lunch!

And last but not least: Adapt to local working customs

Be aware of local working customs, such as the Norwegian ‘inneklemt dag’ (squeezed day between a holiday and a weekend, which people most often take off).

Furthermore, many Nordic and Baltic countries commonly have vacation in July with institutions being virtually closed during this period.

It can be inconvenient for many Nordic and Baltic researchers to host guest students, researchers, and interns during summer, as vacation time is often spent on (family) vacation.

Avoid scheduling mandatory meetings that easily conflict with family plans, such as in the late afternoons.

In some regions of the Nordics, such as Norway, formal meetings on Friday should be avoided, as there is a tradition of ‘hyttekontor’ (working from a cabin).

In many institutions, there is also a strong lunch culture, where bringing a packed lunch is common.

Sources

• Andreas Hougaard Laustsen's  profile (DTU)