By Silvia Renon Intern for PGR Events and 3rd year PGR in Biomedical Engineering
Two different ways of working
Over the past few months, I have reflected on my skills, aspirations, and the work environment that helps me thrive/grow. I started my journey as an intern in the Research Culture and Researcher Development (RC&RD) Team at the University of Glasgow in November 2024 taking the role of PGR Events Intern which translates into organising events for PGRs such as 3-Minute Thesis, and This PhD Life as well as helping the RC&RD Team to deliver other events and activities across the University.
When I started my Internship, I was eager to learn more about the Team whose activities I had heard so much about from the weekly ‘PGR Round-up’ emails. I also wanted to gain insight into how academia operates beyond the lens of a researcher and enhance my project management and organisational skills. I was particularly drawn to the chance to collaborate with colleagues from different disciplines, Schools, and backgrounds as a way to expand my network outside of my engineering discipline.
The transition from being a PhD researcher in academia to an Intern in RC&RD has been an eye-opening experience. It has made me rethink my approach to work and the impact of different environments on my professional growth. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the difference between teamwork and collaboration. While I thought I had plenty of experience in teamwork—through university group projects, my Master’s thesis, and even my PhD work—I have come to understand that these experiences were more about collaboration than true teamwork.
Understanding teamwork vs. collaboration
Teamwork: working together towards a shared goal
To me teamwork is about synergy, it is a give-and-take dynamic where the members of a team share responsibilities, support each other, and work towards a common objective. A good team celebrates wins together and helps each other through challenges. Everyone contributes, and the success of one person is a success for the whole team. When I first took on the responsibility of organizing the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, I expected it to be a largely independent task where I would be responsible for managing all the details, problems and issues, and ensuring the event’s success. I saw it as an opportunity to test my organizational skills. However, as I progressed, I realized that successful event planning is not just about individual effort but about effective teamwork. I also realized that teamwork isn’t always about working on the same task or goal at the same time. Sometimes, it means helping someone else with their work, knowing that they’ll support you when you need it in the future. This kind of give-and-take builds trust and strengthens the team over time.
While collaboration usually means using your own skills and expertise, teamwork often means jumping in to help with whatever needs to be done — even if it’s not part of your usual role. That could be co-hosting an event, handling last-minute changes, or just giving someone encouragement. This kind of flexibility is what makes a team strong, and this is exactly how my team supported me during the organization and planning of 3MT.
Working with the RC&RD Team has shown me the power of positive encouragement. I’ve learned that support, consistency, and reliability create an environment where people can thrive. When you feel valued and supported, you’re more confident, motivated, and open to new challenges.
Imagine if PhD researchers had the same kind of team support—where we could celebrate small wins, share setbacks, and encourage each other. This could make the PhD journey not only more enjoyable but also more productive and fulfilling
Collaboration: a shared goal, but unequal effort
Collaboration means working with others, but it doesn’t always necessarily mean you’re working as a team, with equally balanced workloads, or with a model of true reciprocity. In research, collaboration is essential for innovation. As PGRs we frequently collaborate with colleagues. For example, we might co-author a paper with an international expert or contribute data to a larger research project. Each contributor brings their unique expertise to the table to create a final outcome. These individual efforts are like puzzle pieces coming together to form a coherent and impactful research piece. The shared goal is the final image of a puzzle, but the contributions are rarely equal and very often depend on different expertise and capabilities.
In my experience collaboration often requires an unbalanced effort. The one-directionality of collaboration became evident to me in a large-scale research project. During my master’s thesis, I was involved in a major European project that brought together numerous international universities. Although such initiatives foster interaction and collective progress, they often rely heavily on one person to take the lead—contacting research groups, organizing meetings, and keeping lines of communication active.
Collaboration is essential in research because it allows knowledge to be shared, ideas to be expanded, and new discoveries to be made. Discussions with colleagues can lead to new ideas or a different approach. However, it doesn’t always provide the same sense of shared responsibility or mutual support that teamwork does. I’ve come to realise that this difference is a big reason why working in research can feel different from working in a research professional team.
The PhD experience: independent but lonely
A PhD is mostly a solo journey. I often hear people say, “By the end of your PhD, you’ll be the expert in your field.” That’s exciting and sometimes empowering, but it can also feel isolating. While successful teams work toward common goals, PGRs often work on personal projects, with little daily interaction with others .
Even though PGRs collaborate, I believe we could benefit from more teamwork. If research groups and the wider PGR community focused more on teamwork, where responsibilities, challenges, and successes are shared, it could help researchers and researchers feel less isolated and more supported. I think a good way to express the need to build a PGR community can be summarized in the sentence “It takes a village to raise a PhD”
Bridging the gap: bringing teamwork into the PGR experience
PhD research is designed for independent work. But I believe that small changes could help bring more teamwork into academia. For example, by building research groups where students support each other beyond academic discussions. Expanding or developing peer mentorship programs so that PhD researchers can encourage and guide one another. Holding regular team meetings with fellow PGRs or organising cohorts of PhD researchers working on related topics could create spaces for peer support and a more general connection and a sense of community.
For example, UofG’s School of Engineering’s ‘buddy’ program pairs first-year PGRs with second- or third-year PGRs, providing valuable support during the initial weeks. Expanding and enhancing similar initiatives across the institution could have a profound impact. Sometimes this gap can be filled by celebrating shared success and recognising achievements—big or small—as a team.
These changes could make the PGR experience less lonely and more engaging, leading to better research outcomes and a more positive journey for researchers.
Rethinking my future
My internship has changed the way I think about my future. It has made me question not just what I want to do, but where and how I want to work. I now know I thrive in an environment that values teamwork, support, and shared growth. As I continue on my journey, I hope to help bridge the gap between these two worlds—bringing a little more teamwork into academic life.
*Assisted by ChatGPT OpenAI
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