All Postdoc Academy courses

GSK, the science-led global healthcare company, is running a forum for networking and sharing information about what unique skills postdocs have, by virtue of their roles, and how these are mutually beneficial.

Please note this session is now running as a virtual/online session. Joining instructions will be emailed closer to the time.

People love stories. They entertain, they help us to remember. This short interactive session is aimed at researchers looking to improve the effectiveness of their communication. It will introduce the importance of working out who your audience is and what they want to know. It will also explore how storytelling is as relevant to research communication as it is to fairy tales. We all have to communicate our research and ideas, why not do it through stories?

The session will be delivered by the Academic Director for STEM, Institute of Continuing Education.

Please note that if you are not eligible for a University of Cambridge Raven account you will need to book by linking here.

We’ll be looking at the what, why and how of public engagement and introducing researchers to some of the ways to plan an effective public engagement project.

Please note that if you are not eligible for a University of Cambridge Raven account you will need to book by linking here.

Once you have booked a provisional place on this course, you will need to email the organiser Dr Rahuman Sheriff, sheriff AT ebi.ac.uk with your CV and cover-letter explaining why you would like to participate, with “MOL-workshop” in the subject line by 18th September 2019.

Computer models are increasingly used by researchers as well as pharmaceutical industry to investigate molecular mechanisms disease initiation, progression and therapy. Systems modelling of biochemical pathways deregulated in disease condition offers mechanistic insights into the pathology; helps to elucidate mechanisms behind dug action and predict dose required for treatment and thereby greatly facilitates fundamental research and drug discovery. Such modelling requires background in both molecular biology and mathematics.

This workshop will train postdocs from life science and mathematics to communicate and work together to learn to build and analyse computational models using user-friendly open source software. Participant will explore selected computational models from a recent publication, freely available in BioModels repository (www.ebi.ac.uk/biomodels/).

Speakers:

Lourdes Cucurull-Sanchez PhD Director, Quantitative Clinical Pharmacology GSK Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK

Prof. Jasmin Fisher PhD, FRSB Professor of Computational Biology UCL Cancer Institute Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O’Gorman Building 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD

Alfonso Martinez Arias PhD Professor of Developmental Mechanick Department of Genetics University of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 3EH

Tutors:

Rahuman Sheriff PhD, Thawfeek Varusai PhD and Krishna Tiwari EMBL-EBI, Cambridge, UK

Learn how to sell your research to the media. You will pick up some tips on best media practice and how to spark interest in your specialism.

This event is for postdocs at the approximate mid-point (1-2 years) of a typical postdoctoral tenure in Cambridge (up to 5 years*). It has been designed specifically for this key career stage to help you position yourself for the next step in your career, in academia or otherwise.

This interactive online session will cover:

• What next - reflecting on your professional development and identifying what you would like to achieve during the rest of your contract.
• How could you get there - sharing ideas for how to achieve your development goals, focus on key professional development topics, and where to find information and support across the University.
• Action planning - gain tools to ensure you know when and how to take the next steps during your remaining time as a postdoc.
• Q&A - informal discussion with the facilitators and other participants.

This booking is provisional and will be approved once you have submitted the full registration form. The form has been designed to help you think about your experiences in Cambridge so far in advance of the session. The data you provide will help us to better understand the challenges, needs, and aspirations of postdocs at this stage of their careers.

The deadline for registration and booking is 12pm on 26 February.

*If you have been a postdoc for more than 5 years and this session is of interest, please get in touch: development.pda@admin.cam.ac.uk

This event is for postdocs near the mid-point of their current contract at Cambridge.

The session has been designed specifically for this key career stage to help you position yourself for the next step in your career (in academia or otherwise).

You will have the opportunity to reflect on your professional development activities so far and get guidance to support you in working towards your future goals.

This interactive online session will cover:

• What next - reflecting on your professional development and identifying what you would like to achieve during the rest of your contract.
• How could you get there - sharing ideas for how to achieve your development goals, focus on key professional development topics, and where to find information and support across the University.
• Action planning - gain tools to ensure you know when and how to take the next steps during your remaining time as a postdoc.
• Q&A - informal discussion with the facilitators and other participants.

Please also complete this form when you make a booking so that we can tailor the session to suit the needs of participants. Your booking will be approved upon our receipt of this form.

The booking deadline is 22 March 2023.

“At Cambridge, we recognise that world-leading research depends on the connections researchers make to share ideas, pose new questions, challenge assumptions and form collaborations.”

Cambridge has a range of networks to promote interdisciplinary working and connect researchers across the university. These networks provide a range of opportunities for postdocs, from meeting new people and establishing collaborations, to developing and funding their own interdisciplinary projects. We have created this event to give postdocs a chance to find out about the importance of interdisciplinary research at Cambridge and the lively network of cross-School initiatives at the University.

For further information please see the short video: What impact will your next connection have?

Speakers: This event will be chaired by the Postdoc Academy Researcher Development team. There will be a general presentation introducing all of the SRNs/IRCs followed by individual presentations from Stephanie Norwood (Synthetic Biology IRC), Maria Bargues Ribera (Cambridge Infectious Diseases), Margarida Dias Rodrigues (Centre for Physical Biology), Francesca Re Manning (Global Food Security IRC ), and Sara Serradas O’Holleran (Global Challenges SRI). We will also be joined by postdocs who will talk about their experiences with these groups. Presentations will last for around 40 mins total with an opportunity for Q&A for the final 20 mins.

This seminar, facilitated by the Head of Research Information at the Research Strategy Office, outlines online tools that can be used to enhance networking and online presence. The software overview includes Symplectic Elements (a publication retrieval tool and Research Information Management System), Altmetrics (a social media analysis tool) and Research Professional (a funding information database).

Join the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs [OPdA] at their flagship Postdoc Centre @ Eddington for lunch with the Head of OPdA, Karina Prasad, and Assistant Head, Liz Simmonds. Over lunch, Karina and Liz will give a brief overview of the OPdA and how it can support you in your role. This will include the OPdA’s current initiatives, work on the Concordat, and other areas with a connection to HR and support for postdocs. There will also be an opportunity to have your questions answered.

Do you know what to look out for when choosing an Open Access publisher or a data repository?

It's important to get these decisions right to be at the forefront of the trend towards Open Research, ensuring that you build a strong profile and embrace the changes that are expected from researchers.

Practicing Open Research will help you to:

• Be cited more often
• Secure grants
• Spark collaborations
• Make your findings more reproducible

In this session, you will learn about:

• The State Pension system in the UK
• Private Pensions in the UK
• The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

The session will be delivered by Head of Pensions at the University of Cambridge, and there will be ample opportunity for asking questions.

Please note that if you are not eligible for a University of Cambridge Raven account you will need to book by linking here.

In this session, you will learn about:

• The State Pension system in the UK
• Private Pensions in the UK
• The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

The session will be delivered by Head of Group Pensions at the University of Cambridge, and there will be ample opportunity for asking questions.

Please note: It is important that when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, click on Add to Calendar to start the process of importing the course appointment to your calendar.

In this session, you will learn about:

The State Pension system in the UK Private Pensions in the UK The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) The session will be delivered by Head of Group Pensions at the University of Cambridge, and there will be ample opportunity for asking questions.

Do you sometimes feel worn down or worked up? Would you like to develop habits that help you navigate life with greater confidence and happiness?

This course is designed specifically for researchers to explore tools for enhancing self-awareness, managing stress and unwanted thoughts, and embracing enjoyment and positive change.

It provides guided opportunities to think about:

• how we relate to our body, thoughts and feelings
• finding connection with others, nature and time
• practical ways to change our habits and patterns of thinking.

The six workshops explore concepts from various traditions and provide opportunities for focused self-reflection, enhanced using meditation skills.

These skills are for complete beginners and provide new approaches for those with more experience. No previous experience is required.

World-leading research depends on the connections researchers make to share ideas, pose new questions, challenge assumptions, and form collaborations.

Cambridge has a range of networks, initiatives, and centres to promote interdisciplinary working and connect researchers across the University.

This event will give postdocs a chance to find out about these networks and the opportunities they offer – from meeting new people and establishing collaborations, to developing and funding your own interdisciplinary projects.

You can find a list of the featured networks below.

For a brief introduction about these interdisciplinary networks, please see the short video: What impact will your next connection have?

This short, interactive workshop will introduce you to practical tools that will help you test and refine how you are articulating your research vision.

We will not generate ideas for new research projects in the session but, rather, explore what makes a potential research topic compelling. We will also explore how you can assess whether your ideas add up to a vision that is bold, exciting, coherent, and – hopefully – fundable.

This session would benefit researchers at the initial stages of developing a proposal for funding, and may work well as preparation for one of our sessions on Writing Fellowship Grants with Impact.

We will not review specific funding schemes or application materials in this workshop.

Please note: It is important that when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, click on Add to Calendar to start the process of importing the course appointment to your calendar.

Collaboration is highly valued in research today and is responsible for many of the most important modern advances in knowledge and understanding.

This webinar aims to help you plan and maintain your research collaboration successfully, so both you and your collaborators can enjoy and benefit from the journey.

In this 2-hour online masterclass, we’ll consider:

• the advantages and barriers to a collaborative approach
• what drives successful collaborations
• the ‘rules’ and process of planning, establishing, managing and working together
• partnerships outside of academia
• what you can do if things aren’t working out.

This session will require your input so you should have your camera and microphone on and come prepared to be an active participant.

Please note: it is important that when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.

Collaboration is highly valued in research today and is responsible for many of the most important modern advances in knowledge and understanding.

This webinar aims to help you plan and maintain your research collaboration successfully, so both you and your collaborators can enjoy and benefit from the journey.

In this 2-hour online masterclass, we’ll consider:

• the advantages and barriers to a collaborative approach
• what drives successful collaborations
• the ‘rules’ and process of planning, establishing, managing and working together
• partnerships outside of academia
• what you can do if things aren’t working out.

This session will require your input so you should have your camera and microphone on and come prepared to be an active participant.

Our core values define what is most important to us, but few of us spend time consciously exploring these.

Understanding whether our goals, aspirations, decisions and actions align with our values can help us to identify what motivates us. This can also help us understand when and why we experience joy or frustration in our day-to-day lives.

In this one-hour interactive masterclass, you will be given time and space to:

• reflect on your personal values and what is important to you
• consider how you can better satisfy these values in your work and personal life
• support (and receive support from) your peers.

Would you like to be more deliberate about what you say yes to, and become more confident at saying no?

In this interactive 90-minute masterclass, you will gain insights into:

• creating a strategic approach to saying yes
• negotiating your workload
• building confidence to say no to requests.

You will have the opportunity to explore how you can apply the theory in practice, and to discuss the challenges of saying no in an academic setting.

This short, interactive session will introduce the fundamental principles of Lean - a methodology which prioritises continuous improvement and respect for people.

Lean is a philosophy and way of working which removes waste from activities and ensures that emphasis is given to tasks that provide added value. Originally developed by Toyota, it is now widely used across many sectors including the NHS and Higher Education.

During this masterclass for postdocs, you will:

• gain a high-level understanding of continuous improvement tools and techniques, and how you can apply them
• develop skills to identify and remove waste in your day-to-day activities to become more effective and efficient.

Please note: it is important that when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.

This short, interactive session will introduce the fundamental principles of Lean - a methodology which prioritises continuous improvement and respect for people.

Lean is a philosophy and way of working which removes waste from activities and ensures that emphasis is given to tasks that provide added value. Originally developed by Toyota, it is now widely used across many sectors including the NHS and Higher Education.

During this masterclass for postdocs, you will:

• gain a high-level understanding of continuous improvement tools and techniques, and how you can apply them
• develop skills to identify and remove waste in your day-to-day activities to become more effective and efficient.

This workshop will introduce you to a range of core project management principles which you can apply within your research projects to more effectively plan and monitor your activities.

In this 3-hour online session, you will:

• examine how to define the scope of a research project, including the delivery of outputs, impact and knowledge exchange
• discuss how to engage and manage the expectations of stakeholders to enable smooth project delivery
• explore how your planning and monitoring of research projects is shaped by your methodologies and the expectations of funders
• learn to use key planning, risk management and monitoring tools to effectively manage research projects
• identify your own challenges in managing research projects and discuss ways to overcome them.

Please note: it is important that when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.

Would you like to focus better on the work that is important to you? Do you find you have too many distractions and struggle to prioritise?

In this 1-hour online session, you will learn techniques to help you:

• enhance your focus on your most important work
• reduce distraction and prioritise more effectively
• establish daily habits to relieve stress, reduce self-criticism and strengthen resilience
• create space to recognise your achievements each day.

The session is followed by a 4-day Nudge Course. This provides one technique per day to help you convert the techniques you’ve learned into useful habits.

For 48 hours following the session, you will also have the opportunity to contact Joy, a mental health nurse with over 40 years’ experience. Joy will offer a confidential listening ear and signpost you to further support.