An initiative here at the CfCWR is to give people an insight in to what different members of our team do on a day-to-day basis. It is our hope that with this people can feel that bit closer to the research process and understand how so many different people fit in to make a successful research programme! Today’s person is Prof Liam Grover.
4.00 AM: I get up and start my day with freshly brewed coffee. I take my daughter to swimming practice which starts around 5 AM. She’s REALLY promising.
5.00 AM: After arriving back home I immediately start my work for the day. Usually I review grants for organisations such as NIHR. I do this very thoroughly and like to read all the applications in great depth to decide which should be awarded funding.
7.00 AM: Before I leave for work, I put something in the slow cooker for dinner that night; preparation is key when you’re extremely busy!
8.00 AM: When I start work in the mornings I like to spend a few hours catching up on emails. This helps me to manage my workload for the busy day of reviews and meetings.
10:00 AM: I have a mid-morning open door policy and encourage students and staff to drop in to talk about science, projects, or for a general supervision catch up.
11.00 AM: At this time I might have something like an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) visit. Before these I take my time and read up about all the necessary people and policies.
12.00 PM: Around midday I have a departmental meeting with senior management. Here we discuss things like staffing issues, the delivery of the chemical engineering course to students and the direction of the three main research areas; Healthcare Technologies, Energy and Formulation Engineering.
1.00 PM: In the afternoon I meet with research clinicians about some clinical trials I’m involved with. It’s important to touch base with these to help flag any issues and monitor progression.
3.00 PM: Later in the afternoon I go back to reading grant applications. Right now I’m looking at some Invention for Innovation (i4i) applications. The aim of the i4i programme is to de-risk early stage projects that have a strong potential for commercialisation and acceptance for use in the NHS.
6.00 PM: I cycle back home for the evening (I really like to cycle, especially at weekends), I then take my son to his swimming practice and the day comes full circle when I take whatever it was in the slow cooker in the morning back out again!
7.30PM: After dinner, my family and I wind down for the evening by watching a film – Star Wars is a family favourite.
11 PM: Finally, after a very long day I get to bed! Before it all starts over!