Program Overview

Introduction to the Global Early-Career Accelerator for Representation (GEAR) Programme

The GEAR programme aims to improve the representation of researchers from low-and-middle income (LMI) countries in the field of business and society.

Background

The field of research which focuses on societal wellbeing is dominated by researchers from high-income economies. The Centre for Business, Organisations and Society (CBOS) at the University of Bath has a long history of supporting the development of early career researchers in the field of business and society.

The Programme

The GEAR programme is virtual and will focus on developing knowledge and capabilities in writing a high-quality research article for a top journal. Participants will be required to read assigned readings prior to sessions and be prepared to discuss them in the group, as well as committing to completing a writing task each week.

Duration

The GEAR programme will run for seven weeks every year in Spring, with one 150 minutes session per week delivered by members of CBOS.

Structure of the Programme

The GEAR programme runs for seven weeks, with the following schedule:

• Date: 28 April 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 1
  • Title: Introduction to the programme
• Date: 5 May 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 2
  • Title: Writing the title, abstract, and introduction
• Date: 12 May 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 3
  • Title: Writing the literature review
• Date: 19 May 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 4
  • Title: Writing the methods
• Date: 2 June 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 5
  • Title: Writing the findings
• Date: 9 June 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 6
  • Title: Writing the discussion and conclusion, and making the submission
• Date: 16 June 2026
  • Time: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm (UK time)
  • Week: 7
  • Title: Conclusion to the programme and moving forward

Selection Criteria

This programme is for early-career researchers. The selection criteria are:

• Early-career researchers (advanced PhD students and within three years post-PhD)
• Located in an academic establishment in a low-and-middle-income country
• Research on business and society topics (broadly defined)
• Motivation to conduct and publish high-quality research
• Data collection completed, or a first draft of a conceptual paper ready

Application Requirements

The required application documents are:

• Curriculum vitae: 2 pages
• Outline of a paper that you want to develop through this programme: 1,000 words The outline should clearly state the research question or objectives with a robust rationale and an overview of the methods, findings, and contributions.

GEAR Fellowship

Upon completion, the candidates will be invited to apply for the GEAR fellowships. Up to two candidates will be selected from the cohort. The selected candidates will be invited to visit the school for a term (11-12 weeks), attend courses they wish to attend, and work with a mentor to develop their papers. The value of each GEAR fellowship is Ł6,000 to cover costs of travel, accommodation, and sustenance.

Advisory Board

The GEAR programme is coordinated by the following academics:

• Dr Tahiru Liedong (University of Bath School of Management)
• Dr Leonardo Marques (Audiencia Business School, France)
• Professor Judy Muruthi (Mona School of Business and Management, University of West Indies, Jamaica)
• Professor Alberto Willi (IAE Business School, Argentine Austral University, Argentina)
• Dr Chenjian Zhang (University of Bath School of Management)