Laura Rich - The Struggles of Balancing Work and Family Life in Academia

The Struggles of Balancing Work and Family Life continues with Laura Rich, a teaching-focused academic at the University of Nottingham. In this interview, Laura reflects on her journey - from being the first in her family to attend university to building a fulfilling career in neuroscience education - and on how stability, teaching, and passion for her subject have shaped her path.

While Laura does not have children, she brings an important perspective on family planning, job security, and the structural challenges many face when trying to align personal life with academic careers. Her story underscores the value of permanent roles, supportive environments, and creating space to talk about life beyond work - well before parenthood enters the picture.

Before we get into the more specific questions, please can you share your academic journey? 

I completed my BSc in Neuroscience at the University of Nottingham. At the time, I had no intention of pursuing an academic career - I was actually planning to go into teaching. I was the first in my family to attend university, so it was more about studying something I found interesting than setting out on a defined career path. During my final year, I became genuinely fascinated by the subject and began to explore options beyond teaching. I spoke with various people and was introduced to the idea of a Master of Research (MRes), which I pursued and found to be a great stepping stone. It helped build my confidence and gave me valuable hands-on experience.

While doing my MRes, I started teaching as a demonstrator, partly for financial support, but I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed it. I went on to do my PhD at Nottingham, during which time I took on even more teaching opportunities. I also did a placement with IntoUniversity and some public engagement work with the British Science Association, both of which helped me grow in confidence. Towards the end of my PhD, I was lucky to be given the chance to deliver lectures and practical sessions - thanks especially to supportive colleagues like Tracy Farr. These experiences were invaluable in shaping my career direction.

After finishing my PhD, I knew I didn’t want to go into a postdoc, particularly because I hadn’t enjoyed the animal work and felt quite isolated in the lab environment. I took up a teaching technician role, first in BDI and then at Derby Medical School, where I was again given opportunities to lead practical sessions.

Eventually, a teaching-focused academic position opened up at Nottingham. The timing was perfect, and I was fortunate to secure the role. I feel incredibly lucky to be teaching something I’m passionate about in a supportive environment.

What motivated you to pursue an academic career, and has that changed over time?  

Initially, I didn’t plan on an academic career at all. I loved learning, but the idea of a PhD felt completely out of reach. That changed as I progressed through my degree and realised how much I enjoyed both the subject matter and the teaching side of things.

Over time, my motivation evolved from just wanting to teach to wanting to be part of the higher education environment, where I could combine teaching with developing my subject knowledge. I feel very lucky that I get to teach neuroscience in a way that genuinely excites me.

Even though you haven’t had children yet, have you thought about how family planning might fit into your academic career? 

Yes, I have. While I’m not in a traditional heterosexual relationship - so the timing and planning look a bit different for me - it’s definitely something I’ve considered. I’m aware that for many people, especially women, the timeline of academia can create real challenges when it comes to starting a family.

I was fortunate to move into a permanent role fairly early, which gave me more stability, but I know that’s not the norm. Short-term contracts, long PhD and postdoc timelines, and the pressure to build a research profile can make family planning really difficult. Academia does offer some flexibility, which helps, but there’s still a lot to navigate emotionally and practically, especially when thinking about maternity leave, physical recovery, and coming back to work with the same level of preparation and confidence.

Have you observed any particular challenges your colleagues or mentors have faced in balancing academic work with family responsibilities? 

Definitely. It can vary depending on local support structures and institutional flexibility. At Nottingham, there are some really supportive practices - for instance, staff can request adjustments to their teaching schedules to accommodate childcare.

Flexible working is also encouraged. For example, there are part-time roles available, and staff can sometimes compress hours or work around school holidays. These options aren’t always available elsewhere. That said, there are still challenges, especially for PIs or those in research-heavy roles where the work isn’t as easily scheduled around family life.

Do you think issues like maternity leave, childcare availability, or flexible working arrangements impact women in academia?

Absolutely. While there are support systems in place, the nature of academic work (particularly in research) can be inflexible. For example, animal work or time-sensitive experiments can’t be shifted to accommodate childcare.

Maternity leave policies are generally strong, but they can be difficult to navigate in research environments, especially for those managing teams or grant timelines. There’s also a broader question around how well non-traditional family routes, such as adoption or fostering, are supported.

Since speaking to Laura, we’ve learned that institutions are taking steps to address this. At the University of Nottingham, for example, adoption leave can extend to 52 weeks with enhanced pay and Shared Parental Leave options, alongside provisions like paid time off for pre-adoption appointments and “Keeping in Touch” days . However, policies don’t always translate seamlessly into practice - there are still constraints, such as defining a single “main carer” for adoption leave. So while progress is clear, there’s still work to do to make academia fully accessible for parents in all circumstances.

Do you feel there are assumptions or biases in academia around the idea of becoming a parent, especially for women? 

There can be. I sometimes feel like there's still an underlying assumption that serious academics won’t (or are less likely to) have children, especially not early in their careers. It's unspoken, but it’s there. At the same time, things are improving. The existence of parental leave, flexible work options, and open conversations are all helping, but I still think there’s hesitation around discussing family planning openly.

What kind of support or changes would you like to see in academia to better accommodate people who are thinking about starting a family?

The biggest issue is the instability of short-term contracts, which makes it difficult to plan anything, from starting a family to buying a house. Changing that is a massive challenge because it’s tied to how research funding works, but it's something that would make a real difference.

In the meantime, institutions need to keep building supportive environments by being flexible with timetabling, offering part-time roles, and ensuring people can return to work in a manageable way. It’s about making space for real life alongside academic life.

What advice would you give to others at a similar career stage who are thinking about both academic progression and starting a family in the future?

Plan a little, but don’t over plan. Things rarely work out exactly the way you expect, so flexibility is key. If starting a family is important to you, you’ll need to consider timing, especially as a woman, but you also need to accept that perfect timing might never come.

Try not to compare your journey to others. Academia isn’t a linear or standardised path, and everyone’s circumstances are different. Opportunities often come from being in the right place at the right time, and sometimes it’s okay to take a leap even if everything isn’t perfectly in place.

Thank you to Laura for sharing her thoughtful reflections on academic life, stability, and long-term planning. Her perspective offers a valuable reminder that work-life balance is an important consideration at every stage of an academic career.

Keep an eye out for the next edition of the series, coming out at the start of next month.

---

This interview was conducted by Neave Smith and edited by Rebecca Pope, with graphics produced by Shauna Angell. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.