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Researcher Development Programme (RDP)

Researcher Development Programme (RDP) course timetable

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Mon 28 Oct 2019 – Thu 7 Nov 2019

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Monday 28 October 2019

09:30
Postdocs: Communication & Personal Impact (1:1 Coaching) Finished 09:30 - 10:30 Student Services Centre, Atrium Consultation Room AG018

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations. Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

The Engaged Researcher: Finding Your Research Story new Finished 09:30 - 13:30 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

We all love a good story- whether it’s the latest bestselling fiction book or a cheesy soap. And science is full of stories- stories of discovery, of persistence, of hope. Finding these stories can help take your public engagement to the next level, whatever medium you use to communicate.

10:00
MBTI: Understanding Personality in a Research Environment Finished 10:00 - 16:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03c

Ever wonder why you seem to ‘click’ with one person and not another? Ever wonder why you might find some things easier to do than others? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) might shed some light on these questions.

Why this course might make a difference

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator presents a framework to help you understand yourself and others, by exploring differences and preferences in four areas of your personality. As a result of this exploration you may work more effectively and be more understanding in your relationships with others.

Led by a qualified MBTI practitioner, the workshop comprises working through the MBTI questionnaire and self-assessment exercises, so that participants can:

  • Understand the concept and theories behind the MBTI types and process to obtain a personal profile
  • Explore the differences and preferences within personalities in research-related scenarios

Course feedback:

“I had known about the Myers-Briggs, but I hadn't understood the different dimensions fully, or their interactions at a deeper level. Between explanations and activities, the course really helped me to understand the Myers-Briggs perspective, and to be aware of personal and professional differences between my friends and colleagues.”

“The contents of this training and the design of the teaching were very attractive and interesting. I think this training is very useful and helpful, and will recommend it to my friends and other students in my department in the future.”

Postdocs: Solving Research Problems Creatively new Finished 10:00 - 13:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

While we might assume that creativity is a fixed innate ability – stereotypically leading to the creation of poems and paintings – in the context of our research, the creative thinking process that underpins creativity can be seen as a skill to be developed to solve problems large and small. Indeed, with this creative thinking process at the heart of research, research itself can be viewed as an inherently creative act.


Why this course might make a difference
The overall purpose of this intensive, practical workshop is to help you develop your creative thinking skills to help you solve research problems.


Outcomes:
With this aim in mind, the course outcomes are:

  • To give you a systematic creative-thinking process for solving problems
  • The opportunity to apply and develop a creative thinking process to a challenge in your current research
  • To explore your assumptions about your own creativity
10:30
Postdocs: Communication & Personal Impact (1:1 Coaching) Finished 10:30 - 11:30 Student Services Centre, Atrium Consultation Room AG018

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations. Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

11:30
Postdocs: Communication & Personal Impact (1:1 Coaching) Finished 11:30 - 12:30 Student Services Centre, Atrium Consultation Room AG018

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations. Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

13:30
Postdocs: Communication & Personal Impact (1:1 Coaching) Finished 13:30 - 14:30 Student Services Centre, Atrium Consultation Room AG018

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations. Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

14:30
Postdocs: Communication & Personal Impact (1:1 Coaching) Finished 14:30 - 15:30 Student Services Centre, Atrium Consultation Room AG018

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations. Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

Tuesday 29 October 2019

09:30
Facilitation Skills new Finished 09:30 - 12:30 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

How do you support people to do their best thinking? This is at the heart of what facilitators aim to do. Whether in meetings, while running workshops or when bringing groups or stakeholders together, facilitators seek to promote mutual understanding, encourage full participation, and cultivate shared responsibility as they guide others through problem exploration, problem-solving or decision-making. This workshop is designed to help you develop the insight, skills, and strategies to facilitate groups effectively.


Outcomes:

  • Acquire a deeper understanding of facilitation and of the responsibilities of a facilitator
  • Explore and experiment with different facilitation skills
  • Consider how to apply the learning to your specific context
15:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Keeping Calm Finished 15:30 - 17:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Productive Decisions Finished 17:30 - 19:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep

Wednesday 30 October 2019

14:00
Mindfulness Workshop: Improving Attention Finished 14:00 - 15:30 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

16:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Keeping Calm Finished 16:30 - 18:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

Thursday 31 October 2019

10:00

This short course covers the what, why and how of public engagement and communication. The course is for research staff and PhD students who want to gain the skills and confidence required to plan and deliver an impactful public engagement project.

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Improving Attention Finished 17:30 - 19:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

Friday 1 November 2019

10:00
Intercultural Communication new Finished 10:00 - 13:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

Research in the 21st century is global, and research teams are intercultural. 35% of Cambridge research students are from outside the EU; and postdocs are the most diverse group by nationality, representing almost 100 countries. This diversity is one of the University’s biggest strengths. Yet intercultural communication is not without its pitfalls and misunderstandings. It takes conscious discipline to think about one’s own cultural assumptions and to try to make sense of others'.

This half-day workshop will give you some tools to help identify where national culture might be having an influence on your professional and social interactions, where common misunderstandings can occur, and how to address potential challenges. The content of the session is informed by research form intercultural studies and refers to culture as a framework of shared values, attitudes and behaviours. It explores the nature of generalisations and the relationship between culture and personal values.

Monday 4 November 2019

10:00
Postdocs: Introduction to Coaching and Mentoring new Finished 10:00 - 12:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

Do the terms ‘coaching’ and ‘mentoring’ intrigue you? Do you want to understand how they can be part of your future progression? There are many opportunities and programmes across this university for postdocs to get involved in coaching and mentoring in different ways. The overall purpose of this workshop is to help postdocs understand the importance of being coached and mentored, and/or being a coach or a mentor. This workshop introduces these two methods to explore what they are and how they can be part of a professional profile for postdocs.


Outcomes:

  • Be able to differentiate between the the terms ‘coaching’ and ‘mentoring’ and identify situations for each that are specifically relevant to postdocs.
  • Understand how make use of coaching and mentoring as part of your personal, professional and career progression.


Feedback:

“Great trainer - very professional, supportive and helpful.”

“This was a great coaching and mentoring session. I liked the interaction with other people.”

“I like the approach to the topics covered. [There was] useful information that I would like to explore more to enhance my coaching and mentoring.”

Tuesday 5 November 2019

10:00
Preparing to Write Your Thesis (STEMM) new Finished 10:00 - 12:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

The time has come to start writing your thesis, but you may still be in the lab finishing experiments and/or writing papers for publication. How are you going to start writing your thesis and submit on time? This half day workshop is designed to get you thinking and planning your thesis writing, as well as discuss other important factors, which need to be considered when writing up.

15:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Better Sleep Finished 15:30 - 17:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.

View complete timetable: https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/AD/CCTL_RDP/EYJcHMg6NslFq2huR8CfpwMB0Nrlcht5sPphj8xsmxJqSA?e=oWnvBc

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Improving Attention Finished 17:30 - 19:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

Wednesday 6 November 2019

09:30
The Engaged Researcher: Telling Your Research Story new Finished 09:30 - 13:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Seminar Room

Whether at a conference, a science festival or in the pub, all scientists need to be able to talk about their work in an engaging and understandable way. This practical, hands-on session will help scientists develop their communication skills, so they are confident talking to diverse audiences in a range of environments.

14:00
Mindfulness Workshop: Productive Decisions Finished 14:00 - 15:30 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep

16:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Better Sleep Finished 16:30 - 18:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A329

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.

View complete timetable: https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/AD/CCTL_RDP/EYJcHMg6NslFq2huR8CfpwMB0Nrlcht5sPphj8xsmxJqSA?e=oWnvBc

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

Thursday 7 November 2019

10:00
Postdocs: Strategies for Being Resilient new Finished 10:00 - 12:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

The life of a postdoc can be inherently stressful, with making applications for research grants, publishing and maintaining a work life balance, as well as coping with the precariousness of temporary contracts or visa regulations. Postdocs need an ample supply of resilience to deal with the ups and downs of being a professional researcher.

The aim of this workshop is to help you build emotional resilience by further developing coping strategies to overcome challenges. We will focus on what constitutes resilience, identifying your current coping strategies, and using theories of resilience to strengthen your ability to deal with whatever life and work throws at you, whilst maintaining a good level of wellbeing.


Outcomes

  • Recognise that you already have emotional resilience and use strategies on an ongoing basis.
  • Cultivate further effective coping strategies for various contexts.
  • Discover how to use a range of tools and techniques to increase your resilience.


Feedback:

“I would like more courses like this! Thank you!”

“Really good framework for applying it personally.”

“Interacting in groups worked well while exploring real-life examples.”

15:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Keeping Calm Finished 15:30 - 17:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A330

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Productive Decisions Finished 17:30 - 19:00 UCS - University Counselling Service, Room A330

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep