Interested in all things defence? Take a peek inside our
Monthly Members' Newsletter
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For new friends, welcome! We are an interdisciplinary network of Masters, PhD and Early Career Researchers focused on defence, security and military topics concerning policy, strategy, history, culture and society. We hope you find our network interesting, exciting, informative, and supportive.
For old friends, thanks for your continued involvement. It is always worth remembering that we would be nothing without you! For our April newsletter we are showcasing the research and wider work of individuals, research groups and organisations on our theme 'researching with minoritised groups in military contexts'. We have lots to share this month on this theme alongside our usual features!
Scroll down to get up to date with the news, opinions, events and opportunities from our members...
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Welcome to the Defence Research Network Newsletter!
Hello everyone! I am going to keep it quick this month as we have a bumper edition for you and I don't want to hold you up getting to it. A massive thank you to Lucy Robinson for coordinating this one single handedly and to all the amazing contributors. It has been fantastic to read about such a cross section of research in this field - we hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
I just have one thing I wanted to share and that is our priorities for the network for the next year, as agreed at our recent AGM:
(1) Well-being and support. We want to continue to be here for our community and provide opportunities to connect with others, to share worries and to find support and guidance.
(2) New focus on increasing links between policy, practice and academia. We are going to be rebooting our work on collaboration across these boundaries.
(3) Secure funding. We plan to reinvigorate our push for some funding to help us to sustain what we can offer our community and have exciting ideas for what we would like to do.
(4) Conference Opportunities. We would like to do more to bring together early career researchers to put together roundtable and panel submissions for major conferences in our field as we know it can be daunting and conferences are more fun if you know some people going!)
We'd love to hear from you if you are interested in getting involved in any of the above or have something you'd like to share for a future newsletter.
Take care,
Hannah West
Chair of the Defence Research Network
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Military Afterlives & The Defence Research Network
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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For this month's theme, we've been chatting to the research team behind the Military Afterlives project (@MltryAfterlives on Twitter). The project aimed to understand how British veterans and their families have experienced the transition out of the military and back into civilian life. It used a narrative methodology which means that the research team were able to hear the stories of veterans and their families, told in their own words. Below, we share the reflections of three of the researchers.
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Dr Sarah Bulmer
How easy was it to reach and access the veteran community for this project?
It was a lot easier than I initially expected. One of the reasons for this, I suspect, is the sense of camaraderie amongst the veteran community. Indeed, a lot of veterans I spoke to were more than willing to help, as they felt that if their contribution would help other veterans then they had a moral obligation to do so. Having a civilian-veteran research team was valuable in this regard, as it made us more approachable, and showed that we are taking veterans voices seriously. David and I went on BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall, as well as advertising on social media and using personal networks. Word of mouth played a key role in our recruitment as veterans we had interviewed told other veterans about us. We were even approached by people outside of the southwest – my sense is that there is a desire to tell these stories within the veteran community.
What do you think can be gained by understanding veterans’ transition to civilian life as a series of transitional experiences?
Looking at the transition of veterans to civilian life as a series of transitional experiences, as opposed to a one-time event with ‘outcomes’, provides a more holistic understanding of the challenges faced by veterans. It moves away from the current policy and public rhetoric that frame the transition as a binary success or failure. This approach acknowledges that people's experiences are diverse and complex, and that their transition journey can extend for decades after leaving military service.
Adopting a transitional experiences framework has significant implications for the provision of support services for veterans. It suggests that support should be available throughout their lives, rather than being limited to a specific timeframe after they leave the military. For more information on the implications of this framework, please visit the Military Afterlives website at https://militaryafterlives.co.uk/.
What is the methodological significance of having a mixed civilian and veteran team on the research project?
Having a mixed civilian and veteran team has advantages. Caroline and David worked with me on all aspects of the research process, from deciding what to research and how to do it, to interpreting the data, networking, and driving engagement and dissemination of the findings. This ensured that veterans’ perspectives were embedded within the project from the start, and that the project benefitted from the ‘insider’ knowledge from their lived experience and the social legitimacy their involvement conferred. The critical dialogue between insiders and outsiders (me) was especially valuable when interpreting and analysing the data (see also West and Antrobus 2022 on this).
In addition to the practical benefits, for me, there is political and ethical importance to having community members of the research focus meaningfully involved in the research process. This is particularly true for such an ‘over-researched’ population who are frequently objects of research rather than active agents in the process (Bulmer and Jackson 2016).
Who are you hoping to reach with the findings of this research project?
Our research is relevant to everyone as we all encounter veterans at some point in our lives. However, we are developing impact activities that target distinct audiences, including the general public, policymakers, service providers and the wider military community. You can follow our activities on our blog.
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Dr Caroline Micklewright
Why do you think veterans are reluctant to share their stories?
There are several reasons why veterans may be hesitant to share their stories. In a recent conversation with a group of female veterans, I was reminded of the conflicts many veterans face in discussing their backgrounds and experiences. One issue is the reluctance to identify as a veteran, as the term is still associated with older men, which excludes younger men and women by default. Even some who qualify as veterans feel they do not "deserve" to be recognized as such if they have not been involved in operations or conflicts. This creates a problem when considering the number of veterans who may feel this way.
Another factor that contributes to this reluctance is a fear of being judged as "military" with all the cultural associations such a link would bring. Leaving the Armed Forces opens up a world of possibilities, and many veterans want to avoid being judged by their old rank, service, or military associations as these could potentially restrict and limit their future opportunities. Additionally, there is a lack of understanding of military cultures in civil society, which often leads to stereotypical perspectives.
Furthermore, lacking medals or only having a "chocolate medal" (Jubilee medal) can also cause consternation when identifying as a veteran, as it may feel as though one is making a claim of valour or bravery that was unearned or undeserved. On the other hand, those who have earned operational medals may feel reluctant to re-live the emotions surrounding them as they may be complex and contradictory. Despite some research having been done on this topic, I believe it is still worth exploring further, particularly with regards to the cultural associations linked with being a veteran and the lack of understanding of military cultures in civil society.
We found a lot of evidence of these challenges in the Military Afterlives data.
What were the differences in the stories you heard from military family members rather than the veterans themselves?
Many of the participants in the study had multiple roles or identities as they were service personnel, spouses, or parents of serving individuals. The stories from family members were mostly about domestic life rather than professional life, focusing on the challenges of living in military accommodation as a military spouse or being a parent to military children. The veterans recognized the strains military life had put on their families, and although they accepted the sacrifices required, they reflected on the impact it had on their children, spouses, parents, and even their younger selves.
The spouses were generally supportive of their partners' military roles and responsibilities, but they also expressed concerns about the demands of service life and the military's shortcomings in supporting the transition to civilian life, especially for individuals suffering from PTSD. One father shared a story about recognizing his own PTSD only after seeing it in his son, who had followed in his footsteps into service.
The life story approach that we used, as well as the age range of the participants, allowed for rich and diverse stories, enabling exploration of how military culture, norms, and behaviours have changed over the decades and what has remained the same. The stories also helped to identify areas where support could be improved.
What are some of the main assumptions made by those outside of the military community about veterans?
This is a difficult question, as all our participants were from within the military community, but their experiences have helped us shape our understanding of cultural and behavioural differences between military and civilian worlds. The moments of navigation between these worlds are what we describe as ‘transitional experiences’. These are moments of disjuncture between military and civilian worlds when behaviours and expectations are thrown into contrast.
Our main finding was probably the lack of general awareness of military culture/behaviours, and over-reliance on outdated or false stereotypes based on TV, films, and media. Sometimes these stereotypes can be positive, but this can also be detrimental and while many of our participants transitioned into successful jobs and settled into happy family lives, others struggled to understand their own motivations and deeply held values with negative results.
I would argue that until military personnel understand themselves better, it is difficult to expect civilians with no military experience to understand us. In saying that, however, as a veteran and a researcher, I would also argue that civilians have a responsibility to better understand their own military and the people who serve in it by questioning stereotypes and assumptions.
How did working with a civilian research lead, in Sarah, challenge you as a veteran researcher in the context of this project?
Working with Sarah and David has been an amazing experience. As a veteran researcher, it is always a challenge to avoid assumptions based on your own experiences, but in hand with that comes a depth of insight and understanding that may be difficult for researchers who lack military experience to appreciate. However, undertaking research about veterans can be like walking a tightrope through cloud, sometimes you can see the rope and other times you can’t see it, you can only feel it. Working with David, who has very different military experiences and background to myself, meant we were able to compare and contrast our understanding of military life and culture, and Sarah was able to facilitate this by probing and questioning our assumptions and reasoning (many of which were temporal or service specific).
As a result, we were able to demonstrate that the military is not a homogenous mass coloured green. Thankfully through the course of the project we were able to share our vulnerabilities as veterans and as researchers, recognising the toll such work can take and the emotional labour involved in a supportive and collegial atmosphere. David’s support and Sarah’s insight and experience as a critical military researcher has developed my understanding of civil/military relations which in turn has enabled me to regard the military from another different perspective. This has been a welcome challenge for which I am very grateful.
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Dr David Jackson
What is it about the ordinary day-to day experiences of veterans that it is important that we hear?
I believe that it's important to listen to the everyday experiences of veterans and their families, and recognize that even in the mundane, there are transitional moments that can have a big impact. By understanding these moments, we can work on improving support interventions for veterans and their families in different sectors of society. Instead of just reacting to problems, we need to take a proactive approach to support. We should also acknowledge that despite their military experiences, the majority of veterans are doing okay. However, I think the problem is very complex and it starts with the question of ‘what is okay?’ Being okay is not measured through scores in questionnaires that then are applied to some measurement of ‘being okay’. People are more complex than that. The subjectiveness of individual experiences is so important to help us understand who we are. Undoubtedly there are common threads within the Military Afterlives data that can be applied across veterans generally, but these commonalities are framed within their individual life narratives.
How did you use creativity in this research project?
I think the question we need to ask first is what are we comparing our research with? It is well documented that the majority of research into the narrative of the veteran’s community are defined with the answers to questionnaires and surveys. What is lacking is narratives told in the veteran’s and family’s own words, known as the ‘life story’ approach. It is a method that is used across many other sections of society but not often within our community. Hence, the Military Afterlives project is unique in the sense that we give complete creative control to the veterans and families involved, enabling them to tell us their life story in their own way. We managed to involve 49 participants in this process. The use of life narrative methods was thus one of our primary creative tools to engage with this community. From this, I think the starting point I used in interviews was especially important. I always began with: ‘Tell me about your life in Civvie street’ and straight away, we were bridging a gap between researcher and participant through the use of service speak.
As we go into the next stage of our project, I think that using creativity becomes even more important. To engage in a dialogue about transition and the findings of the project with the veteran community, stakeholders, and policymakers, we have to present our research in an engaging and evocative way. The simple fact of the matter is our community does not read academic texts or attend conferences to see what going on in the veteran research world. Thus, I feel that using community-based creative methods, for example, workshops or knowledge exchange events would be worth exploring. It is about forging a better understanding between veterans/civilians and civilians/veterans, rather than a one-way street. Creative methods can give voice to both communities.
What change are you hoping to see as a result of this research?
I would like a redefining of what transition is so that it better reflects the lived experiences veterans have. I have no expectation for the MOD to change how they define transition or the way they frame it. My only suggestion for them is that they create a way for veterans to offer a ‘reality check’ to the service personnel who are leaving the military, about the realities of the civilian world they are just about to enter. Once you leave, you have no connection with the MOD as an organisation. You are now a veteran and you sit in the veteran community. This is where the transition starts, but not where it finishes. The individual experience of this is unique to the individual and their families.
The question for me is how do we, as a society, support a transitional process that can span a lifetime or might appear when some transitional experience brings the house of cards falling down. I strongly believe that the use of peer-to-peer support within local communities is the way forward. The employment of Armed Forces Covenant representatives who are veterans within local authorities would be able to bridge the gap between the local community, what support is available, and veterans and families within that community. It is not about privileging veterans because most of us ‘get on with it’. It is about bypassing all the barriers that we, veterans, experience.
Being a veteran researcher, what do you think are the challenges of conveying the research findings to an audience outside of the military community?
In my experience, as a researcher who uses creative, narrative and autoethnographic methods, there is always going to be a tension between the use of these methods to understand the veteran community and the ‘preferred’ methods that make up the current landscape of veteran research. To foreground different knowledge produced from creative research, there has to be a continuation of creative methods in any form of knowledge exchange. What the approaches that I utilise offer are different voices, evocative interactions, and an encouragement to engage with this knowledge differently.
That being said, my researcher’s journey has been fraught with difficulties over the last ten years. I often describe my presentation of research I am involved in as ‘standing on my soap box’. I do not think I am any different to other academics, and I have experienced the difficulties of finding one's place in a new profession including imposter syndrome - those continual self-doubting conversations in your head as you find your niche. However, if I could give you five tips on how to be a creative researcher within the veterans research discourse I would say; have a passion and belief in what you are doing; continually rehearse answers to those difficult questions you might get asked for example in conferences; remember creative methods are not better or worse, they offer different knowledge; learn, reflect on and rehearse the answer to the ‘So What?’ question; ignore the doubters and embrace imposter syndrome and self-doubt as it is part of the journey towards realising ‘I know my stuff’.
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Research Features
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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Linked with this month's theme, below is a selection of fantastic organisations, charities and research groups and centres which all support minoritised groups in the military. These include women in the military and the veteran community, service children, military spouses and members of the non-UK Armed Forces community. We hope you enjoy reading about their recent and ongoing research and work.
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Who are we and what do we do?
The Centre for Military Women's Research (CMWR) is a group of researchers at Anglia Ruskin University who are looking at the experience and impact of military life on women. Our core mission is to inform and improve the well-being of women in the military and veteran community through world-leading collaborative research and co-production. We are carrying out several different research projects that you can find out more about below!
We have also created a website that we hope will act as a place for those who want to find out more about research on women in the military and veteran community and opportunities to get involved. We are continuing to develop the CMWR website to showcase other UK research that is ongoing with military women. We have included a page with UK-published research in this area. If you would like to add any published research we have missed, or if you are undertaking a research project that you would like linked to the website please contact female.veterans@aru.ac.uk.
What research do we have on the go?
We are excited to have several projects underway at the moment. The current projects mainly focus on the needs and experiences of women veterans. A variety of projects are looking at mental health support needs, experiences with government and charities, and physical healthcare needs and support preferences. Another research project is examining the service justice system experiences of women who are victim-survivors of military sexual violence. Additionally, a doctoral project underway explores the lived experience of female veterans in the criminal justice & prison systems. We are also in the process of recruiting to another doctoral studentship to explore the experiences of men who are victim-survivors of military sexual violence. You can find out more about all the projects here.
What do we mean by collaborative, and how can you get involved?
There has been considerable momentum in progressing the UK agenda in research and support for military women in recent years. We see collaboration across the sector as key to achieving our core mission and avoiding duplication of effort.
We would like to work with researchers, policymakers, support services, and military women to ensure our work is collaborative and grounded in the experiences of the community. If you would like to speak to us about a potential project, please get in touch.
The CMWR also recognises the value and importance of the co-production of research, ensuring that research is undertaken with military women instead of for them. Find out more about our commitment to co-production.
We are about to recruit participants for an important study examining the physical health of women post service. Other projects are in their analysis or write-up phases. We will advertise recruitment information for projects, and other relevant information on the site, so watch this space!
Upcoming Conference
The inaugural CMWR conference will be held on the 13th and 14th of December in Cambridge. We have a number of key international speakers and workshops looking at sexual violence in the military. Details will be available very shortly on the CMWR website.
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Forces Children’s Education (FCE) provides clear, accurate and authoritative information for educators and Armed Forces families, with the latest information and resources being added regularly. This website was created by the Association of Directors of Education (ADES) & National Education Officer, in conjunction with the Scottish Government, Local Authorities across Scotland, and the Ministry of Defence.
FCE has always extended its reach to include resources and authoritative information in support of the learning journey of children and young people of armed forces families (Regular, Reserve and Veteran/ex Service). FCE is a first point of contact for information around transitions in education and learning, for armed forces families. Resources and links to local authorities and partnership groups are readily available.
For families
This information has been brought together to give you an introduction to the Scottish education system; provide you with an understanding of the geography and education resources available to join up the MoD (SFA and posting assignments) with local authority and schools information.
For professional educators
This website will help you and your schools appropriately support Armed Forces children and young people. Forces children are in schools in every local authority across Scotland and we hope to assist you in understanding some of their life experiences and various education/learning journeys. Having an appreciation for the issues around mobility and additional support needs (especially, interrupted learning, separation, and loss) will enable you to provide assistance if, and when, needed.
Contact info@forceschildrenseducation.org.uk
Recent research study
In 2021, The Centre for Military Research, Education, and Public Engagement – Edinburgh Napier University, and ADES (The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland) collaborated to research the challenges that the children of Service, ex-Service, and Reservist personnel can face as a result of their parents’ work. The final report goes along way to establishing a better knowledge base from which educationalists and policy makers can consider how they can better support this group of children and young people in future.
MacLeod, C., Short, G., & Matthews-Smith, G. (2022). Rallying to the Flag – “A Consolidated Picture of Armed Forces Children’s Education in Scotland in 2021: Laying Foundations & Promoting Development. Edinburgh: Association of Directors of Education in Scotland”
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The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) Research Centre is a trusted and accessible resource of evidence about transition into civilian life from military service and is focused on informing policy and practice impacting ex-Service personnel and their families in the UK. The Centre is run by a consortium of RAND Europe and the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), King’s College London, funded by the Forces in Mind Trust under a five year grant agreement. Our website houses a comprehensive repository of research evidence and policy and practice documents concerning veterans and their families that are free and easily accessible. In due course, we will produce research and policy summaries, providing detailed overviews of current evidence across nine overarching transition themes which can be used to inform future policy and practice decision making concerning the ex-Service personnel community.
In addition to our repository, the FiMT Research Centre serves as a vibrant community hub. Connecting policy makers, researchers, and service providers and forging pathways to evidence-informed decisions and positive impact for the ex-Service personnel community. Visit our website to access our 'Research Community' and 'Ongoing Research' pages, providing a comprehensive directory of UK Armed Forces researchers and research centres, and active research projects. These pages will increase visibility of researchers' work and promote transparency and collaboration across the Armed Forces sector. We encourage researchers and research centres to submit their profiles and projects to our pages to help map the current research landscape. For more information on getting involved and submitting your profile and projects, please contact us at team@fimt-rc.org.
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The Naval Children’s Charity have been supporting children with parents who serve, or have served, in the Royal Navy for nearly 200 years. We provide financial and holistic support to children aged up to the age of 25 in five areas: Health, Wellbeing, Security, Education and Life Chances. Support ranges from grants to families in crisis to cover everything from financial hardship and grants for groceries and utilities, to specialist equipment for disability or illness, to educational grants for laptops, assessments for special educational needs or to help young people going to further or higher education or into apprenticeships. We also provide resources to support them with their mental health, or issues such as separation or bereavement. Our Life Chances programme looks at ways to support children and young people who are not in crisis but who have been impacted by the service of their parents.
Over the years the support offered has evolved and changed as we understand and respond to the needs of our children and young people. To this end we work in partnership with other organisations, collaborate across the whole Armed Forces sector and ensure we are keeping up to date on any research that strengthens our understanding. We also commission our own research into their needs. In 2009 we brought out The Overlooked Casualties of Conflict Report. This was ground-breaking as one of the first pieces of research to look at children’s needs as distinct and leading on from that Ofsted rewrote their guidelines to schools and the Service Pupil Premium was developed. The report identified 10 key challenges faced by Armed Forces children over and above those of their peers.
10 years on from that we felt it was important to find out what we had learned about children’s needs in the intervening years and whether the key challenges remained or, indeed, there were any other challenges identified. In May 2021 our research, The Impact of Service Life on the Military Child: The Overlooked Casualties of Conflict – Update and Review Report by the Veterans & Families Institute for Military Social Research at Anglia Ruskin University, came out. They found that ongoing research in the intervening years had confirmed the challenges experienced by Military children and, with the rise in Social Media and virtual communication, thrown up a few more. With Anglia Ruskin, we therefore brought out a further piece of research, Dropping In and Out: Social media and internet-based communication amongst Naval families during separation, in 2022.
We also carried out a research project with Child Bereavement UK and some of our young people, exploring their bereavement and how to support others. They produced two booklets, one for parents/carers and one for the young people themselves. The research is all available online on our website https://www.navalchildrenscharity.org.uk/research-2/ and you can find out more about how we help and find our resources on the website too. If you think you would like to talk to us about anything ranging from further information to seeking support please contact us, either through the website or by emailing caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk
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We are excited to announce that the 'Rethinking Military Spouses: Critical Research Group' led by Dr Emma Long and Dr Alice Cree has become a sub-group of the Defence Research Network with Lucy Robinson as the link to our committee. We are looking forward to working together and aim to host an annual online symposium to share our research as well as updating the DRN community with the activities and work of our group.
The Rethinking Military Spouses: Critical Research Group is a group of early career academics focused on developing and sharing novel theoretical, empirical, and methodological insights pertaining to non-serving military spouses.
Broadly, our research interests include the critical analysis of:
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Military spouses' lived experiences of, for example, deployments, communities, welfare provision, and divorce.
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The ways military spouses are represented and understood across different social, cultural, and political contexts.
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How military spouses' practical and emotional labour relates to military objectives.
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The relationship between military spouses, the military, and the wider state.
We are interested in exploring questions including:
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What is means to be critical and related implications.
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Our encounters with the military community.
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Rethinking homogenous framings of military spouses.
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Creative opportunities to create impact and related implications.
Check out our website here where you can read about group members including their research interests and projects, information about upcoming events including webinars and discussions, as well as relevant news and publications relating to military spouses.
You can follow us on Twitter @criticalspouse. If you are interested in joining us or hearing more about upcoming events please contact critmilspouse@gmail.com.
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If you'd like to read more about the work of the Rethinking Military Spouses: Critical Research Group, you can check out our post-webinar report showcasing recent and ongoing scholarly work relating to military spouses and partners by clicking here.
A link to read the report 'Bringing the Homefront to the Forefront' can be found here.
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The SCiP Alliance brings together practitioners, researchers, policymakers and funders to build a stronger evidence-base, better policy, and enhanced support for Service children’s education and progression, placing their voices at the heart of everything they do.
The Thriving Lives Toolkit is underpinned by rigorous research and thoroughly tested in schools. The International Centre for Guidance Studies at the University of Derby undertook research in England in 2019, which led to the development of the Thriving Lives Toolkit.
An enhancement project followed which saw research being undertaken to understand the context of the Armed Forces and Service children across the rest of the UK.
The toolkit provides schools with a framework of 7 principles through which to reflect on their practice and a 3-tier set of CPD resources. The resources in this toolkit have been developed in collaboration with a range of partners across the UK, and consist of:
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an introductory animation;
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a detailed resource introducing the evidence base, what schools can do to support their Service children and who can help and;
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school case studies.
The Toolkit is now available in an interactive online format and the Alliance continues to develop the support, most recently securing funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, in partnership with the Naval Children’s Charity to expand the toolkit across the student life course, from early years through into higher education.
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Diversity meets complexity: supporting Armed Forces young people to thrive in post-16 education
Commissioned by the Service Children’s Progression Alliance, with funding from a group of Uni Connect partnerships and the University of Winchester, this research, led by The Centre for Education and Youth, examined the educational experiences of Armed Forces young people aged 16-19 across England, Scotland and Wales and how the post-16 education sector can best support these young people to achieve their potential. It bought together extensive consultation with leaders, practitioners, academics, and most importantly, young people themselves and poses important questions for the sector.
The research explored the key factors that organisations supporting them need to consider in these young people’s lives at this critical time in their education:
Mobility: Frequent moves throughout an Armed Forces young person’s journey in education may result in disrupted learning, a higher likelihood of unidentified or unmet needs, and struggles regarding their ability to build and sustain long-standing relationships.
Deployment: Young people identify parental deployment as a significant emotional stressor affecting their performance in education and their wellbeing. During deployments some young people also deal with increased responsibilities in the home, which can sit in tension with meeting the demands of independent learning in post-16 education.
Independence and stress: Experiences related to Service life appear to lead some Armed Forces young people to have a heightened sense of independence and responsibility. While there are some positive effects of these attributes, this may also increase their stress levels, impacting negatively on their educational experiences and their likelihood to request support.
Aspirations and decision-making: When making decisions about their post-16 and post-18 choices Armed Forces young people are likely to consider family preferences, geographical location, continuity with staff, parental support and future family mobility. Though they may not be disadvantaged in this regard, settings may need to take account of the additional factors they may consider in other to support them.
The report went on to explore barriers to settings implementing effective support for young people in Armed Forces families, such as identification, financial pressures, gaps in professionals’ understanding and resources. It then identified seven principles of effective support, stressing the student engagement should underpin all practice and recommending both universal and tailored support:
- Data and Identification: we know our Armed Forces young people and their families.
- Culture: our culture recognises and celebrates the experiences of Armed Forces families.
- Transition: we provide specialist support for young people form Armed Forces families as they join and leave our setting.
- Staff Awareness: our staff are well informed about the experiences and needs of Armed Forces young people.
- Wellbeing: the wellbeing of Armed Forces young people is prioritised and supported.
- Achievement: the achievement of Armed Forces young people is maximised.
- Parental Engagement: we work with and involve parents from our Armed Forces community.
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A recording of the November 2022 launch event for this report can be accessed above.
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Anticipated release of the “Understanding and improving Non-UK Service and transition in the British Armed Forces” report
PI – Dr Nick Caddick ARU – VFI
Co-Is: Dr Nicola Gillin, Professor Matt Fossey, Dr Chantal Radley, Dr David Smith.
Academics from the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research are expecting to publish the report of their FiMT funded, qualitative study: “Understanding and improving Non-UK Service and transition in the British Armed Forces” in June 2023. This study was co-designed with representatives of organisations who support the Non-UK Armed Forces Community in the British Armed Forces and is one of the first of its kind to explore the lived experience of serving personnel, veterans and their family members from the 54 countries whose citizens are permitted to serve in the UK Armed Forces.
108 participants: serving personnel (n=81), veterans (n=14) and family members (n=13) contributed their voices to this study through interviews and focus groups. Despite wide demographic variety across the sample terms of their ethnicity, country of origin, service branch and length of residence in the UK, commonalities and shared experiences were identified across three themes: 1) visas and citizenship; 2) career barriers, and 3) culture and belonging.
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Map of the 26 countries of origin represented in this research
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The Non-UK Armed Forces Community was found to be experiencing unique challenges that UK serving personnel, veterans and their families do not need to contend with. These included visa and citizenship complexities and costs, involuntary return migration on transition, a lack of access to healthcare for service-connected conditions amongst veterans in their countries of origin, and unique obstacles in their careers which arose due to their nationality. The recruitment, promotion and transition processes all came with higher stakes for non-UK personnel and their families due to these being interconnected with their citizenship or right to reside in the UK. Overall, the service experience of Non-UK personnel was characterised by a degree of additional risk and precarity unique to their situation as foreign-born service members. Recommendations for policy and practice around visas and citizenships, within-service careers and cultural transformation efforts are currently being developed in collaboration with the COBSEO non-UK cluster group.
Please contact Dr Nicola Gillin nicola.gillin@aru.ac.uk for more information about the study and its anticipated release date.
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News from our community
Edited by Tamiris Santos
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Alex Neads, Theo Farrell & David J. Galbreath, ‘Evolving towards military innovation: AI and the Australian Army’,Journal of Strategic Studies, Online First (2023), pp. 1-30:
Abstract: Established theory views military innovation as extraordinarily difficult, resulting in painful if infrequent revolutionary transformations. This article presents a divergent view, in which military innovation occurs progressively in an evolutionary fashion. Drawing on New Institutionalism and the Sociology of Science and Technology, we explore processes of professional debate and consensus-building among military officers, which can lead to evolutionary innovation. Examining the future application of artificial intelligence to command-and-control in the Australian Army, we find that officer attitudes to automation are rooted in shared experience of existing digitisation programmes, creating an emergent consensus over the evolutionary trajectory of future military innovation.
The complete article is available at this link.
BA Friedman & Henrik Paulsson, ‘Tactical Tenets’, in Mikael Weissmann & Niklas Nilsson (eds.), Advanced Land Warfare: Tactics and Operations (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023), pp. 105-124
Alex Neads & David J. Galbreath, ‘Tactics and Trade-Offs: The Evolution of Manoeuvre in the British Army’, in Mikael Weissmann & Niklas Nilsson (eds.), Advanced Land Warfare: Tactics and Operations (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023), pp. 321-52.
Book abstract: Advanced Land Warfare explores the evolving role of land forces, paying particular attention to the changes that have taken place in the art of commanding and executing combat, as well as the role of rapid technological innovation and information dissemination in shaping warfare. The book provides insights into key contemporary developments in land warfare and presents case studies on land tactics and operations in different national contexts, drawing on the best of theory, practice, and professional experience and featuring chapters written by leading international scholars and practitioners. Relating to the realities of the modern battlefield, the book addresses a number of critical questions about land tactics and operations, combining a conceptual basis with empirical examples of tactical thinking and practice and emphasising the importance of understanding the perspectives of various national armies, in order to provide a current understanding of the central issues of land warfare.
The book is available for download for free or purchase as a physical copy at this link.
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What we have been listening to
Edited by Tegan Harrison
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The War Studies Podcast
Monthly episodes exploring research from the School of Security Studies at King’s College London on all aspects of security, defence and international relations.
The March and April episodes cover:
- Making Sense of Trauma
- Where are the Women? Exploring the Experiences of Women in Conflict
The complete list of episodes is available here.
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Do get in touch if you have heard a fascinating podcast or you have been involved in one, we'd love to include it in a future newsletter.
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Researcher Spotlights
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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In the section below, we are putting the spotlight on doctoral and early career researchers whose current, or recent, research aligns with this month's theme on 'researching with minoritised groups in military contexts'.
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Abigail (Abbie) Wood
Abbie Wood is a research fellow at the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research (VFI). At the moment, she's researching across two populations, sometimes overlapping; women veterans and service families.
Following on from initial research looking at the lives of UK Service children, and the use of modern communication methods by Naval Families, she is delighted to be leading her first project continuing this research around modern communication methods with Royal Air Forces families.
She is also involved in two projects considering the experiences and needs of women veterans. One led by Dr Lauren Godier-McBard exploring the mental health needs and experiences of this community. And another is led by Dr Charlotte Herriot, which examines the experience of female veterans, who are victim-survivors of sexual offenses, navigating the service justice system.
Although her PhD is not at all defence related, she hopes to learn useful skills and that some of the knowledge gained might be transferable to sexual violence prevention work in a range of other communities. She is exploring how sexual violence awareness raising and information campaigns are designed within the university context; the challenges those responsible may face and also what they’ve found works well. As well as interviewing students to explore how they understand these campaigns. Sexual violence is a significant issue in the university sector, and whilst there is lots of excellent scholarship and efforts to tackle this challenge. She hopes that the project will contribute to this important work and fill a current gap in our understanding.
@abigail_wood97 (Twitter); Abigail.wood@Aru.ac.uk.
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Laura Grover
Laura is undertaking a mixed-methods PhD as part of the Armed Services Trauma Rehabilitation Outcome (ADVANCE) study based at King’s College London. Her research project is centred around social support in the ADVANCE cohort; a longitudinal study investigating psychosocial health outcomes of military personnel who obtained a physical injury during the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts. She is interested in exploring the prevalence of social support among those with and without a physical combat injury, the role of different sources of support (family, friends) and the relationship between social support and mental health outcomes.
Laura graduated from the University of Exeter with a BSc in Psychology in 2017. This led to completion of an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences at UCL, where she graduated with a distinction. She published her MSc dissertation in the Schizophrenia Research journal, investigating the association between symptoms of schizophrenia and suicidality. Following her MSc, Laura went on to work as a Clinical Research Assistant at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, on a range of COVID-19 research studies. She then returned to UCL in October 2020, working as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Neurology, investigating the psychiatric aspects of Parkinson’s disease.
@lauragrover_64 (Twitter)
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Lucy Robinson
Lucy is a third-year doctoral researcher at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, funded by an ESRC Grand Union DTP studentship. Her DPhil research aims to engage in a meaningful and creative way with service children to explore how military life has shaped their experiences of education and sense of self. By choosing this focus, the research seeks to widen and nuance current understanding of service children’s educational experiences in addition to furthering knowledge into how service children see themselves. As a result of this, it is hoped that the research will support in developing the professional body of knowledge and understanding of this group of children in schools and help inform the Service Pupil Premium (SPP) funding choices in addition to wider school practice.
Before embarking on her DPhil at Oxford, Lucy completed her PGCE and MEd in Primary Education at the University of Cambridge. In addition to her DPhil work and role as Twitter Manager for the DRN, Lucy is a Trustee for the Armed Forces Education Trust (AFET) – a grant-giving charity for service children.
@LucyGBRobinson (Twitter); lucy.robinson@education.ox.ac.uk
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Mariam Khokar
Mariam Khokar is a PhD student at Brunel University specialising in Maths education research. Her case-based research focuses on Service children’s response to mastery Mathematics teaching and learning, concentrating on strategies and approaches to mitigate against the impact of high mobility. Mariam is also a fulltime Headteacher at a primary school located on a military estate in Windsor serving the Welsh and Coldstream Guards. At Alexander First School, Mariam has used her research findings to optimise Service children’s academic ability through a bespoke curriculum design and teaching approaches. Her research interests include, social justice and the impact if education policies on educational practice and outcomes.
m.khokar@alexanderfirst.co.uk
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Mary Moreland
Mary is a PhD Candidate at Northumbria University exploring the long-tern psychological impact of sudden military death of a parent on children who are now adults. Before commencing her PhD journey in October 2022 Mary had previously worked as a Peer Researcher and then as a Research Assistant with the Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research (the ‘Hub’) based at Northumbria University contributing to the Knock on the Door, War Widows in Touch and Social Isolation and Loneliness studies.
From her personal experience as a Veteran and War Widow and also during her time as a Trustee and then Chairman of the War Widows' Association she identified a dearth of research in the area of military bereaved and was instrumental in connecting with the ‘Hub’. Mary is therefore delighted, through her PhD, to be able to contribute to ‘Hub’s’ current bereaved families programme as well as enhancing and promoting knowledge about military bereaved children. Mary continues to maintain her links with the veteran and military bereaved communities as a Trustee of the Forces Pension Society Charitable Fund and member of the RFCA NI Veterans Subcommittee.
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April Twitter Hour: 'Researching with minoritised groups in military contexts'
Edited by Lucy Robinson
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April's #TwitterHour on the theme of 'researching with minoritised groups in military contexts' happened on Wednesday 19th April. It was a collaborative endeavor with Forces in Mind Trust Research Centre (@FiMT_RC on Twitter)! Thank you very much to all who took part. Below, we share the highlights to the four questions. #DefResChat
Q1: What research or work have you done, or are you doing, with minoritised groups in military contexts?
- I'm researching with service children (aged between 9-16) who are currently being educated in English state schools. To coincide with the #MonthOfTheMilitaryChild, I've been sharing an overview of my ongoing doctoral research on Twitter.
- I'm a part of the Rethinking Military Spouses Critical Research Group @CriticalSpouse which brings together many researchers doing fascinating research with military partners. You can check out their research projects/profiles on the website https://sites.google.com/view/critmilspouse/home?authuser=0…
- Here at the #FiMTRC we are a resource for research evidence via our extensive repository, including research with minoritized military groups and we recently produced a news article highlighting current evidence and research involving the LGBTQ+ veteran community. One of our key functions is also understanding the research landscape and who is currently undertaking research. Currently, there are several researchers working with minoritized groups across a wide range of research centres.
- An interesting project with a minoritized group currently underway is from @LauraMPalm & team at @KCMHR, exploring the mental health and experiences of Gurkha and Fijian soldiers, including discrimination they may have faced.
- There is also exciting work around non-UK Ex-Service and Serving personnel, with @NickCaddick1 & team working with this under-researched group at @ARU_VFi and work also underway at @RANDEurope with @slapakovalin & Dr Ed Bryant exploring experiences of Non-UK Veterans.
- Also, work involving women Service and Ex-service personnel is underway. The Centre for Military Women Research (@ARU_VFi) have a range of much-needed studies involving this population, and specific groups such as female veteran offenders within the justice system.
- Additionally, also working with women ex-Service personnel, The SUSTAIN study led by Dr Sharon Stevelink at @KCMHR is doing brilliant work in identifying potential barriers to women veterans successful transition to civilian life.
- Middle-class Germans who came naturalised British during WW- I helped by a benevolent and humane Home Office.
- We have been undertaking research with ‘grown up children’ from military families including university students since 2019. Our research: http://tinyurl.com/nhzpez2f;http://tinyurl.com/4dj8xt3w; http://tinyurl.com/2m5atfaf @EllenKMcHugh Chris Ince @EducationBrunel @CBASS_Research @Bruneluni
Q2: What recent publication have you read that you’ve found particularly interesting or insightful?
Q3: What has been your biggest challenge when researching with minoritised groups in military contexts and how have you overcome this?
- My biggest challenge has been in gaining access to service children in their school settings. My advice for future researchers would be to use your contacts, start early, expect the unexpected & make contingency plans!
- Being ex-military I find incorrect assumptions can be made about the aims of my research. Conveying the critical nature of it to gatekeepers can be a challenging line to navigate, especially without a common understanding of the term 'critical'.
- Overall recruiting participants for military studies can be challenging. With minoritized groups the challenge is greater. Finding representative samples can be difficult but Co-production and public involvement are important and can help overcome these challenges.
Q4: How have you, or how do you, plan to disseminate your research or work related to this theme?
- Any future work that the #FiMTRC produces will always be disseminated through our social media platforms, news articles and newsletters, with accessibility and equity considered always in what we publish. #armedforcesresearch #veteransresearch.
- Going forward, the #FiMTRC will utilise our position as a community hub and platforms such as our Ongoing Research page and repository to assist Armed Forces researchers to disseminate and raise the profile of work spotlighting minoritized military groups' experiences.
- The concept of 'voice and choice' is really important in my doctoral research so for my research dissemination, I'm looking at ways to creatively share and amplify the voices of the service children involved in the research.
- Alongside articles/reports, I have found creative methods not only offer innovative ways of looking at the research topic in new ways but also brilliant for engaging new audiences. I'm currently working on a short documentary film based on my research.
Thank you to all who took part! #DefResChat
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What we're reading
Edited by Veronika Poniscjakova
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The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and Iran
Simon Mabon
Although Saudi Arabia and Iran re-established ties last week, they arguably remain rivals. This new book explains the rivalry between these two countries, outlining its history and demonstrating its impact across the Middle East. The book goes beyond the traditional explanations of the rivalry, such as sectarian differences or proxy wars. Instead, the book points out the importance of local groups and shows how regional politics have shaped, and been shaped by the rivalry.
You can get a copy here.
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Iraq: Power, Institutions, and Identities
Andrew J. Flibbert
As the last week marked the 20th anniversary of the outbreak of the Iraq war, this new book is quite topical. It looks at Iraq's history from the formation of the state until 2022. Using an analytical approach of three concepts: the pursuit of power, the impact of state institutions, and the transformation of social identities, it outlines Iraq’s unique political, economic, and social dimensions. Moreover, the book examines Iraq’s international relations, for instance, its relation with the United States, China, and Russia.
You can buy a copy here.
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Events...
Edited by Andre Carvalho
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Spykman Center Hybrid Summer School
The Spykman Center was born around a specific mission: to teach how to do geopolitical analysis. The Spykman Center’s first annual hybrid Summer School follows this path and aims to teach students how to build a geopolitical analysis and is divided into two sections concluding with an assessment.
Section I will consist of a series of lectures on methodological points (geopolitical analysis as research of the factors conditioning political action), on the stylistic construction of an article addressed to the general public (explained by a journalist from The Economist), and on the possible destinations of the article or essay to an increasingly saturated market but at the same time increasingly in need of serious, accurate and understandable analyses.
Section II will involve interactive workshops between students and experienced Spykman Center’s analysts who have already published their work with the Center. It will be a way to move from theory to practice, in a horizontal exchange among students.
Assessment: The participating students will be involved in writing a short geopolitical analysis on a topic of their choice.
For more information and how to apply, check this link.
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Postgraduate and Early-Career Development Day
(Date 20th June 2023)
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A one-day mini conference for postgraduate and early-career colleagues. The event will focus on career planning, research and publication, and beginning to teach, amongst other topics.
BISA members pay a reduced fee of £12.50pp to help cover some of the costs. Non-members are welcome to attend for a fee of £48pp. All places include refreshments and lunch.
For more information and to register, click this link.
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Develop an Armed Forces Suicide Bereavement Pack
(Date 28th September 2023)
A study in collaboration with SSAFA, The Armed Forces Charity
Dr Sharon McDonnell is the Founder and Managing Director of Suicide Bereavement UK and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester. She has specialised in suicide bereavement research and support for over 20 years and is a recognised international leader in this field. She has been commissioned to Develop an Armed Forces Suicide Bereavement Pack, funded by NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Armed Forces Commissioning team. The study has MoD Ethical Approval which has been obtained from MoD Research Ethics Committee (MODREC).
For more information about the project, click here.
Dr McDonnell will also be talking about the study (Suicide bereavement in the UK Armed Forces Community) at the Suicide Bereavement UK’s 12th International Conference. See below for more details.
Suicide Bereavement UK’s 12th International Conference
(Date 28th September 2023)
This is a hybrid conference with over 400 people expected to attend from over 14 different countries. The conference is happening in Manchester (UK) on September 28th 2023. The conference has previously been over-subscribed so early registration is recommended.
For more information and to register, click here.
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Opportunities...
If you would like to advertise any upcoming opportunities, please let us know via email.
Edited by Andre Carvalho
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Do you have any Second World War-related stories or objects passed down to you by your family members? Would you like to preserve these stories and objects before they are lost to history?
Their Finest Hour, a University of Oxford project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to digitally preserve the stories and objects of the wartime generation and make them available via a free-to-access online archive.
We are looking for all stories and objects, from the extraordinary to the seemingly 'ordinary'. We want our archive to reflect the diverse experiences of all those affected by the war - men, women and children across the British Empire and Commonwealth who worked in various roles, experienced evacuation, ran households, or served in the armed forces.
To share your stories and objects with us, you can:
- Upload stories and photos of objects directly via our website.
- Attend a Digital Collection Day, where volunteers will record the stories and digitise the objects for you (c. 100 events will take place in 2023).
- Organise a Digital Collection Day in your community (free training and support provided).
For further information, please visit theirfinesthour.org or click the icons below.
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House of Lords' Committee on International Relations and Defence: The Arctic Inquiry
(Deadline: 14th May 2023)
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The UK Parliament House of Lords’ Committee on International Relations and Defence has recently launched a six month inquiry on the Arctic, focusing on the evolving security environment, economic opportunities and risks, Arctic governance, and UK strategy.
They are soliciting written evidence from experts until 14 May. Submissions are encouraged to focus on a small number of the listed questions. Of particular interest to this community may be the questions related to Russia’s strategy in the Arctic, China’s strategy in the Arctic, how Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO may change the UK’s role in the Arctic, and the UK’s strategy and capabilities vis-à-vis the arctic.
Please see the call for evidence here.
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Call for Papers: Centre for Port and Maritime History Annual Conference 2023
(Deadline: 6th June 2023)
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The 2023 Centre for Port and Maritime History (CPMH) Conference is calling for papers on its theme “Security & the Sea” to explore how maritime risks have been navigated in the past and how they continue to be navigated in the present (and with a view to understanding future challenges).
The conference looks to explore the full range and scope of port and maritime risks (not limited to a single disciplinary boundary). As a result, papers are encouraged that speak to a variety of themes and research fields.
For more information click here.
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Select Committee Area of Research Interest: Artificial Intelligence in Weapon Systems
(Deadline: 31st July 2023)
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UK Parliament Call for Research Evidence: An ‘Area of Research Interest’ has been launched by the House of Lords select committee on Artificial Intelligence in Weapon Systems alongside the Call for Evidence. Academics, research institutions and experts with technical and other expertise concerning AI in Weapon Systems are invited to complete a short survey about their research.
Areas of interest include definitions of autonomous weapon systems (AWS), human involvement in the use of AWS, the technical capabilities and limitations of the AI models underpinning AWS, the impact might AWS have on warfare, and the role of international humanitarian law in governing the use of AWS.
Researchers at all career stages are invited to share their research and insights, highlight any evidence gaps and how these could be addressed, and suggest scrutiny questions for the Committee. Those who respond to the ARI survey will be entered onto a database of experts who may be contacted by parliamentary staff in order to help them scrutinise this area of interest.
Click this link to access the survey.
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Departmental Lecturer in History of War (part-time)
Deadline: Monday, 1 May
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The University of Oxford is hiring a part-time lecturer in History of War to substitute Professor Peter Wilson whilst he is in research leave. Although this is primarily a teaching role, you will also engage in advanced study and conduct independent research. The post is intended to cover teaching and administrative duties.
You will have research interests in Early Modern European History with particular interest in the history of war, and will be able to demonstrate an ability and willingness to teach and supervise across the range of papers listed in the job description. You will hold a completed doctorate in a relevant field, or evidence that a doctorate is close to completion and possess experience of contributing to courses on the methodology and historiography of Early Modern European History. Some knowledge or interest in the history of war, broadly defined in social, political, military, cultural or gender terms, is desirable. You will also have sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge in Early Modern European History to develop course materials and research proposals.
For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Professor Peter Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War: peter.wilson@history.ox.ac.uk. All practical and procedural queries should be sent to our recruitments team: recruitments@history.ox.ac.uk. All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence; they will not form part of the selection decision.
For more details about the position, click here.
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Call for Papers – RAF Museum Conference 2023
Progress, Regress, and Change: Air forces since the early 20th Century
5-6 September 2023. RAF Museum, London
Deadline for proposals: 1 May 2023
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The Royal Air Force Museum announces a call for papers for this year’s annual conference which will be on the theme of Progress, Regress, and Change. This two-day conference will explore the complex ways in which air forces have been transformed since the early 20th Century. The conference will be interdisciplinary and invites scholars working on topics which relate to air forces, their personnel and technologies, the economies and societies with which they interact, the conflicts in which they have engaged, and the global and international context with which they are connected.
The Museum is keen to encourage submissions of proposals for 20 minute papers from a wide range of academic fields. Proposals should demonstrate awareness of the current state of the historical and other literature on the themes to be addressed, and should indicate how the research to be presented advances our understanding of the changing role, nature and significance of air power in the context of our existing knowledge.
For more details about the conference and to submit the proposal, click here or contact Samuel Hollins (samuel.hollins@rafmuseum.org) by 1 May, 2023.
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Call for Papers: Centre for Port and Maritime History Annual Conference 2023
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A hybrid event with physical hosting in central Liverpool (precise venue TBC), Thursday & Friday, 7 & 8 September 2023.
The idea is to explore the full range and scope of port and maritime risks (not limited to a single disciplinary boundary). As a result, it is encouraged the submission of papers which may speak to the following themes:
• Material cultures, stories, and biographical studies exploring the navigation of risk at sea from merchant and/or military naval perspectives.
• Unpacking the significance of maritime security artefacts (vessel design, maps, practices, and tools) past and present. • Governing port and maritime security; the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), International Ship Management (ISM) Code, Best Management Practice (BMP) Series, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Theorising the navigation of maritime risks in port and at sea (past and present).
• Studies of modern and historical maritime risks, including naval operations, piracy, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, privateers, armed robbery, theft, migration, securing infrastructure, drones, and water-borne incendiary devices (WBIEDs).
• Investigations of food trade patterns and disruption to the global supply chain past and present (studies on the maritime impact of the Russian War in Ukraine are particularly welcome).
• The intersection of navigating human/ecological risks at sea.
• The role of private maritime security companies (PMSCs) past, present and future.
• Learning from the past and creating future solutions; solving maritime (in)security.
Registration is £10 for waged and free for unwaged.
The best abstract and presentation by a postgraduate student will receive the Mike Stammers Memorial Prize, entitling them to a small monetary award courtesy of Liverpool University Press. The best abstract and presentation by an Early-Career Researcher will receive a prize courtesy of LJMU’s Department of International Relations & Politics. Please indicate if you are PGR or ECR in your abstract submission.
Maritime industry who wish to engage with the conference to maximise the richness of perspectives and opportunities that may emerge is also encouraged to participate.
To submit an abstract for this year’s conference, or to enquire about industry participation, please email a 250-word abstract to Dr Jess Simonds, Visiting Research Fellow LJMU/CPMH (j.k.simonds@ljmu.ac.uk) by Tuesday 6 June 2023.
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As always, keep an eye on our Twitter for new events and opportunities posted/retweeted every day!
Planning a future event?
If you are planning a defence-related event and you would like to reach an audience of like-minded researchers, we'd love to come along! Drop us an email and we can include it in our next newsletter.
If you are interested in any of our events but don't want to go alone, or simply want to expand your network, please reach out on Twitter or drop us an email and we can connect you with fellow DRN members who may be planning to attend.
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May theme: Academic publishing
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We hope you've enjoyed our news, tips and recommendations so far. In case you missed our previous newsletter editions, check out our archive section here!
As usual, we will be looking to showcase some early-career researchers in research spotlights in the newsletter so don't be shy! And we welcome any suggestions for 'in conversation with' pieces with more established academics. And let us know about any relevant events, from book launches to webinars. We'll keep an eye on our Twitter account to keep you posted!
Keep an eye on @DefenceResNet for more information and check out the website for a preview of the questions for the next #DefResChat. You can also find all our previous #DefResChats on the Archive section of our website. Make sure to tag @DefenceResNet and hashtag #DefResChat to join the conversation.
See you soon and many thanks for being part of our network!
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Do you have a blog or publication you would like to promote? Don't hesitate to share it with us via email and we can add it to our newlsetter.
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Thank you so much for joining our network.
Have you recently won an award, had your paper published, launched a book or are you organising an event? We want to hear from you! We are always looking for new content for our newsletter and would love to showcase the great work of our members.
For queries, more information, or just to tell us about yourself, don't hesitate to contact us on Twitter @DefenceResNet or at defenceresearchnetwork@gmail.com
The DRN team
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