1
|
Mitrano DM, Bigalke M, Booth AM, Carteny CC, Coffin S, Egger M, Gondikas A, Hüffer T, Koelmans AA, Lahive E, Mattsson K, Reynaud S, Wagner S. Training the next generation of plastics pollution researchers: tools, skills and career perspectives in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary field. Microplast nanoplast 2023; 3:24. [PMID: 37920865 PMCID: PMC10618369 DOI: 10.1186/s43591-023-00072-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Plastics pollution research attracts scientists from diverse disciplines. Many Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are drawn to this field to investigate and subsequently mitigate the negative impacts of plastics. Solving the multi-faceted plastic problem will always require breakthroughs across all levels of science disciplinarity, which supports interdisciplinary discoveries and underpins transdisciplinary solutions. In this context, ECRs have the opportunity to work across scientific discipline boundaries and connect with different stakeholders, including industry, policymakers and the public. To fully realize their potential, ECRs need to develop strong communication and project management skills to be able to effectively interface with academic peers and non-academic stakeholders. At the end of their formal education, many ECRs will choose to leave academia and pursue a career in private industry, government, research institutes or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Here we give perspectives on how ECRs can develop the skills to tackle the challenges and opportunities of this transdisciplinary research field and how these skills can be transferred to different working sectors. We also explore how advisors can support an ECRs' growth through inclusive leadership and coaching. We further consider the roles each party may play in developing ECRs into mature scientists by helping them build a strong foundation, while also critically assessing problems in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary context. We hope these concepts can be useful in fostering the development of the next generation of plastics pollution researchers so they can address this global challenge more effectively. Graphical Abstract
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denise M. Mitrano
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Bigalke
- Institute of Applied Geoscience, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 9, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andy M. Booth
- SINTEF Ocean, Brattørkaia 17C, 7010 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Scott Coffin
- California State Water Resources Control Board, 1001 I St., Sacramento, CA 95605 USA
| | - Matthias Egger
- The Ocean Cleanup, Coolsingel 6, Rotterdam, 3011 AD The Netherlands
- Egger Research and Consulting, Ullmannstrasse 13a, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Gondikas
- Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Thorsten Hüffer
- Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Albert A. Koelmans
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 DD the Netherlands
| | - Elma Lahive
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8BB UK
| | - Karin Mattsson
- Department of Marine Science, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | - Stephanie Reynaud
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, UMR 5254 Pau, France
| | - Stephan Wagner
- Institute for Analytical Research, Hochschule Fresenius, Limburgerstrasse 2, 65510 Idstein, Germany
| |
Collapse
|