Researcher Development Programme (RDP) course timetable
Wednesday 16 November 2016
10:00 |
Solving Research Problems Creatively
Finished
While we might associate creativity with innate ability and creating beautiful works of art, thinking creatively can be seen as a skill to be developed and Research itself can be seen as a creative process. This two-hour course is intended to help you develop and feel more confident in your ability to think creatively. Participants are taken through a systematic two-part creative thinking process, exploring divergent and convergent thinking, as well as the 'rules' of brainstorming.
Outcomes:
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14:00 |
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Map your Postdoc Journey NOW!
Finished
Have you started a postdoc at Cambridge? Now is the time to create a plan for how you would like it to unfold. In this workshop, we will consider how to navigate the research landscape, how to think strategically about your strengths, and how to develop mental and emotional discipline for coping with how demanding and competitive the research environment can be. We will explore case studies illustrating that there’s no one recipe for success, but there are common ingredients. You will identify potential obstacles that might stand in your way as well as enablers that will aid your career progression. This workshop is for postdoctoral researchers who want to maximise their chances of succeeding in their chosen careers.
Feedback: “It encouraged an overall view of thinking about my career and what I want out of it and what I am good at. It also covered examples of people who stayed in academia as well as those who did not, so that I was able to consider the pros and cons of more than just one route.” “I'm right at the start of my post-doc and it helped me to think about what I wanted to get out of the next few years in terms of my career.” |
Thursday 17 November 2016
09:30 |
Why this course might make a difference: Looking back at your experience of education you can probably remember those teachers and lecturers who were excellent. We remember the ones who were good because they have left a lasting impact on us; shaping both our learning in the past and our approach to teaching at Cambridge. Supervising undergraduate students at Cambridge can be one of the most rewarding activities for PhDs and Postdocs and this course is designed to make sure that you can offer your best and hopefully be one of those memorable teachers for someone else. A blended workshop incorporates personal reflection on teaching practice, discussion of real teaching scenarios, a chance to ask questions from an experienced supervisor and access to practical information about organising and carrying out your supervisions. This training is required by many colleges before you can carry out supervisions and is always a popular course. About the trainer:
If you have any specific questions you are welcome to contact him before the course on Ben.Murton@admin.cam.ac.uk |
12:30 |
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14:30 |
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15:30 |
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Friday 18 November 2016
10:00 |
It presents a framework for understanding how you operate, how others operate, and how you can use that understanding to get more from yourself and the relationships you have with others. This workshop is led by a qualified MBTI practitioner and will involve taking the MBTI questionnaire, and self-assessment with group exercises so that participants:
Topics:
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Monday 21 November 2016
15:00 |
As a postdoc, you’re in a transitional period of your career, one that can be precarious and uncertain at times or marked by dependency on others. Inevitably, there are moments when you have to engage in difficult conversations, whether with your PI, your peers, or with the people you now oversee. You may need to discuss the advancement of your career, settle a conflict with a colleague, or provide feedback to the students. This workshop is designed to equip you with the right tools to prepare for and have difficult conversations. We will consider the factors that make particular conversations difficult as well as the “third-generation thinking” and mindful listening that will help you elicit the response you want. This interactive workshop is for all postdocs who want to hone their communication skills, advance their careers, and develop their leadership capacities.
“I liked the way we explicitly broke down the process of preparing for difficult conversations by giving techniques.” |
Wednesday 23 November 2016
11:00 |
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Thursday 24 November 2016
12:00 |
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13:00 |
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14:00 |
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15:00 |
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16:00 |
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17:00 |
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Friday 25 November 2016
10:00 |
It presents a framework for understanding how you operate, how others operate, and how you can use that understanding to get more from yourself and the relationships you have with others. This workshop is led by a qualified MBTI practitioner and will involve taking the MBTI questionnaire, and self-assessment with group exercises so that participants:
Topics:
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Monday 28 November 2016
10:00 |
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14:00 |
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Tuesday 29 November 2016
09:30 |
Introduction to Leadership
Finished
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Wednesday 30 November 2016
10:00 |
If you’re feeling lost and uncertain about writing your first-year report – or if you want to become a more effective writer – this course has two objectives in its overall aim of helping you to improve your ability to write about your research: 1) To help you understand:
2) To help you progress your writing by working through the techniques of:
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Thursday 1 December 2016
10:30 |
Managing up for Postdocs
Finished
The relationship you build with your PI is important for your future career development, and you stand to gain from shaping a mutually beneficial rapport. This workshop helps postdocs develop the skill of managing up, the deliberate effort to bring understanding and cooperation to a professional relationship. You will see how to consider your PI’s perspectives and motivations, and how embedding your career goals into your PI’s goals, your team’s goals, and the institution’s goals will positively influence your own progress. Come to this workshop to understand how to actively build strong, meaningful professional relationships.
“[This workshop] increased my awareness of the concept of and the need for managing up - this was something I had been missing. Considering that not everyone has a supervisor that initiates a discussion of how you will manage working styles and communications, it is especially necessary to fill that gap.” “It was a very useful and novel (for me) session that gave a good overview of the concept of managing up, which I was unfortunately somewhat oblivious to previously.” “It was helpful to think about how my supervisor works and the importance of communicating expectations.” |
Monday 5 December 2016
10:00 |
Outcomes:
Feedback: “I got to know the procedure, approaches, common problems and solutions to the problems of PhD supervision, and [to understand that] supervision is a balancing act.” “The framework introduced to describe different aspects of supervising a research student was really useful.” |
Tuesday 6 December 2016
09:00 |
The Art of Negotiation and Influence
Finished
At the end of the session participants will:
Topics:
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10:00 |
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14:00 |
By the end of this course you will know:
Topics covered:
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