For early career researchers in particular, attending an international conference can be a daunting yet transformative experience. Surrounded by experts, crowds of people from all over the globe, and a forest of colorful posters, signs and sponsor booths – overwhelm can be a common emotion. But there is good news as conferences can be an excellent opportunity to broaden (not just your own) horizons but make connections and feel a sense of achievement.
In this blog, we reflect on the ISPAH Paris Congress, share our most memorable moments and key takeaways from the perspective of early career researchers working with ISPAH.
For most of us, the Paris Congress did not start with the first day in the Palais de Congrès, but rather months before. Perhaps, preparing abstracts, booking travel and accommodation, researching the local culture and landmarks to visit and reviewing delegate lists. Often, experienced congress goers emphasize the importance of preparing for conferences to make the few in-person days as productive and enjoyable as possible.
Within the ISPAH ECN, it was invaluable to consider who would be attending and what the focus of our attendance would be. For example:
- finding the most relevant presentations to attend
- making a list of who to try to speak to
- exploring the social activities
- focusing on preparing for our own poster or oral presentations.
Thankfully, the interactive, personalized ISPAH Congress programme via the online dashboard presented plenty of opportunities to plan each day and find social events (like the urban hikes or ECN social at a local restaurant).
Early Career Network Workshop
We hosted a workshop in the beautiful (but slightly maze-like) grounds of the Hôpital Pitié Saplêtrière, which facilitated time for our members to connect prior to the Congress. The afternoon featured discussions on the peer review process from the Journal of Physical Activity and Health (access article here) and networking with peers and well-respected physical activity experts from across the globe. Some attendees had met before, but it was particularly encouraging to see many put themselves out there and start conversations with someone new.
Our members engaged in conversations about their work and proposed questions about their journeys through physical activity research with Professor Melody Ding, Professor Jasper Schipperijn, Associate Professor (and ISPAH President-elect) Deborah Salvo, Professor Bjørge Herman Hansen, Distinguished Professor Jo Salmon, Distinguished Professor Anthony Okely and Dr. Matthew Ahmadi. The workshop settled some pre-Congress nerves and helped commit some friendly faces to memory ready for day 1. It was also comforting to be able to connect with fellow ECN members and speak with the big names of the physical activity field in a more informal setting.
Congress Highlights
Soon after arriving at the Day 1 of Congress, it became clear that the scientific committee once again managed to accumulate an incredibly diverse scientific program with an abundance of symposiums, orals and poster presentations – many of which featured excellent early career researchers. Presentations ranged from advocacy-focused work to whole-systems research and explorations of youth physical activity, conducted across the globe from Australia to Chile, and, with slightly shorter travel times, strong contingencies from Belgium, the Netherlands and of course, France.
Not only our early career prize winners (Elisabeth Straume Haugland – Best ECR Oral Presentation, Kar Hau Chong – Best ECR Short Oral Presentation and Olivia De-Jongh Gonzalez – Best ECR Poster Presentation) demonstrated a high level of expertise in research and presentation skills. Apart from insightful presentations of current research, it was also clear that congress attendees managed to find novel ways to present findings and facilitate Q&As. From a practice and policy perspective, this renders us hope for the ability of physical activity researchers to effectively connect and engage with important interest groups in the communities we all work with.
As the Congress progressed, it either felt like mere minutes or perhaps weeks had passed (often already after day 1!). In any case, we often heard that reflecting on the congress during and after can be valuable to digest and plan. On Day 2, the ISPAH boat party was an excellent opportunity to unwind, show off some dance moves, meet fellow congress attendees and perhaps keep an eye on the bigger picture outside of the very consuming congress venue.
With the guidance of Dr. Fiona Bull, A. Prof. Karen Milton and A. Prof Sjaan Gomersall, the closing ceremony on Day 3 summarized the Congress with a helpful view towards the next few years in physical activity research – including the next ISPAH Congress in Mexico in 2026.
Attending the ISPAH Congress was a career-defining experience filled with learning, connection, and inspiration. We encourage fellow early career researchers to seek similar opportunities to expand their horizons and grow both professionally and personally.
To hear more about opportunities for early-career researchers and practitioners, make sure to join our network!
Co-Authored by:
Kim Straun, Claudia Maddren & Julissa Ortiz Brunel
on behalf of the ISPAH Early Career Network Committee 2023-2024
