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Using personal data in academic research creates a range of legal and ethical challenges for the researcher. This session will provide a short overview of the key things that researchers must do to ensure that their research remains ethical and legal. On this course, you will learn what constitutes personal data, the principles of processing personal data and re-using personal data and how to comply with the data protection legislation in research.

Using case studies and group discussion, this course will explore best practice for working with personal data and provide opportunities for you to share your experiences and learn from others. The session will also provide the opportunity for a Q&A on topics of interest to attendees.

You may also wish to attend the first course in this series, Ethics of Research Involving Human Participants, which will be held on 2nd December at 10am (register here: https://www.training.cam.ac.uk/opda/event/3685586).

The instructor is Dr Rhys Morgan, Research Governance and Integrity Officer, or Dr Sinead Healy, Research Governance Facilitator, of the Research Strategy Office (RSO).

An official welcome from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPdA), there will be a brief interactive presentations from the Careers Service and Personal and Professional Development (PPD) whose principal role is to support the University's research staff.

An official welcome from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPdA). This event consists of two sessions so as to give postdocs an opportunity of attending either a morning OR an afternoon session as best suits. Both sessions will include brief interactive presentations from the OPdA, Careers Service and Personal and Professional Development (PPD) whose principal role is to support the University's research staff.

The seminar will provide you with a roadmap of practical steps and issues to consider when submitting a research ethical application for review by a University research ethics committee. It will provide an overview of the research ethics structure at Cambridge and signpost the relevant guidelines and sources of support. It will take you through the application journey from who should apply for ethical review, how to prepare and submit an application to what factors research ethics committees consider during their review.

The instructor is Dr Rhys Morgan, Research Governance and Integrity Officer, or Dr Sinead Healy, Research Governance Facilitator, of the Research Strategy Office (RSO).

Have you ever faced any issues related to authorship within your research group or making a submission to a journal? - Who gets to be an author? - How do you start a conversation on authorship with your research team? - What approaches can be used to resolve an authorship problem? - How are mistakes handled in a published paper? - In what circumstances will a paper be retracted from a journal?

Publishing research, and getting fair credit for publishing, can lead to difficulties and pitfalls (especially if you’re unsure about how to best manage various aspects of the process).

Using case studies and group discussion, this course will explore best practice in authorship and publication from deciding how authorship of a paper is decided to managing the challenges that can arise when working with publishers or editors. Discussions will include ‘grey areas’, common issues and pitfalls, and you will be given the opportunity to share your experiences and perspectives.

The instructor is Dr Rhys Morgan, Research Governance and Integrity Officer, or Dr Sinead Healy of the Research Strategy Office (RSO).

This talk will take place on Friday 27th September at 13:00 in room AG03b Exams hall, Student Services Centre

Topics covered:

• Mission and values of the University
• Principles informing governance at Cambridge
• Overview of governance bodies
• Senior University offices and officers
• Key governance bodies: Regent House, Council, General Board, Board of Scrutiny
• Key governance resources: Statutes and Ordinances, Reporter, Governance hub

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 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.

In the increasingly competitive field of fellowship funding, applications need to stand out immediately to capture reviewers’ interest and to maximise the chance of being funded. This accelerated session, aimed at early career researchers, highlights key considerations in preparing a strong fellowship application.  The session explores: desirability, feasibility and viability, planning your project, what’s important to the funder, how applications are assessed, writing style - how to get noticed, project, person, place, partners – elements of successful fellowships, how to plan for impact – ‘so what’, ‘now what’. The session will have two parts: a talk that will last for 45-60 mins, then an opportunity for you to ask your own questions a 30 min Q&A.   

Speaker Info: Richard Henning Brodersen (Research Development Manager, Research Operations Office) leads the pre-award team for the School of Technology at the University of Cambridge. He has over 10 years’ experience supporting and co-writing research funding applications including fellowships, research grants and industry collaborations for a wide range of funders across the arts, humanities and sciences. Prior to working in higher education Richard had a successful career in financial consultancy and in the further education sector.

Postdocs of the University of Cambridge are invited to join the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for a lunchtime networking event!

You will have the opportunity to hear about the spaces and resources available while enjoying lunch with OPdA staff and fellow postdocs.

Hope to see you all there!

P.S: OPdA will be taking photos at today’s event to help promote this and other similar events. If you would prefer not to be photographed, please speak to one of OPdA members.

In the increasingly competitive field of fellowship funding, applications need to stand out immediately to capture reviewers’ interest and to maximise the chance of being funded. This accelerated session, aimed at early career researchers, highlights key considerations in preparing a strong fellowship application.  The session explores: desirability, feasibility and viability, planning your project, what’s important to the funder, how applications are assessed, writing style - how to get noticed, project, person, place, partners – elements of successful fellowships, how to plan for impact – ‘so what’, ‘now what’. The session will have two parts: a talk that will last for 45-60 mins, then an opportunity for you to ask your own questions a 30 min Q&A.   

Speaker Info: Richard Henning Brodersen, Research Development Manager, Research Operations Office Richard leads the pre-award team for the School of Technology at Cambridge University. He has over 10 years’ experience supporting and co-writing research funding applications including fellowships, research grants and industry collaborations for a wide range of funders across the arts, humanities and sciences. Prior to working in higher education Richard had a successful career in financial consultancy and in the further education sector.

Be sure to check out the other sessions in our Postdocs Masterclass series in the "Related Courses" section below!

In the increasingly competitive field of fellowship funding, applications need to stand out immediately to capture reviewers’ interest and to maximise the chance of being funded. This accelerated session, aimed at early career researchers, highlights key considerations in preparing a strong fellowship application.  The session explores: desirability, feasibility and viability, planning your project, what’s important to the funder, how applications are assessed, writing style - how to get noticed, project, person, place, partners – elements of successful fellowships, how to plan for impact – ‘so what’, ‘now what’. The session will have two parts: a talk that will last for 45-60 mins, then an opportunity for you to ask your own questions a 30 min Q&A.   

Speaker Info: Richard Henning Brodersen, Research Development Manager, Research Operations Office Richard leads the pre-award team for the School of Technology at Cambridge University. He has over 10 years’ experience supporting and co-writing research funding applications including fellowships, research grants and industry collaborations for a wide range of funders across the arts, humanities and sciences. Prior to working in higher education Richard had a successful career in financial consultancy and in the further education sector.

In the increasingly competitive field of fellowship funding, applications need to stand out immediately to capture reviewers’ interest and to maximise the chance of being funded.

This accelerated session, aimed at early career researchers, highlights key considerations in preparing a strong fellowship application. 

The session explores:

•  desirability, feasibility and viability – planning your project
•  what’s important to the funder
• how applications are assessed
• writing style - how to get noticed
• project, person, place, partners – elements of successful fellowships
• how to plan for impact – ‘so what’ , ‘now what’

The session will have two parts:

• A talk that will last for 45-60 mins
• An opportunity for you to ask your own questions a 30 min Q&A.  

The Speaker: Richard Henning Brodersen, Research Development Manager, Research Operations Office Richard leads the pre-award team for the School of Technology at Cambridge University. He has over 10 years’ experience supporting and co-writing research funding applications including fellowships, research grants and industry collaborations for a wide range of funders across the arts, humanities and sciences. Prior to working in higher education Richard had a successful career in financial consultancy and in the further education sector.

Be sure to check out the other sessions in our Postdocs Masterclass series in the "Related Courses" section below!

This event is for postdocs near the mid-point of their current contract at Cambridge. The deadline for registering is 12th January 2022.

The session has been designed specifically for postdocs at this key career stage and the aim is help you to position yourself for the next stage of your career (in academia or otherwise). The session provides an opportunity for you to reflect on your professional development activities so far and share experiences with others at a similar stage. The session will include information, guidance and tools to support and empower you in your next steps by focusing on future goals and how you can use the remainder of your time to work towards them.  

This interactive online session will be broken down into 3 sections: 

1. Reflecting on your professional development activities to date and identifying further development you would like to achieve during the rest of your contract.

2. Sharing ideas of how to achieve your development goals with other mid-contract postdocs whilst focusing on key professional development topics specific for postdocs and sources of information, advice and support across the university.

3. Gaining tools to start action planning to ensure you know when and how to take the next steps during the remaining time as a postdoc.

These 3 sections will be covered in the first hour of the session. The final half hour will be open for those who wish to ask related questions and engage in informal discussion with the facilitators and other participants.

The event will be facilitated by members of the Postdoc Academy Researcher Development Team and Postdoc Careers Service.    Please book here, via UTBS, and complete this form  so that we can learn a bit about you and where you are in your career planning/professional development journey in advance of the event. This will help us to tailor the session to suit the current needs of participants. Your registration for this session will be approved upon our receipt of this form. The deadline for registering is 12th January 2022.

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

The session has been designed specifically for postdocs at this key career stage and the aim is help you to position yourself for the next stage of your career (in academia or otherwise). The session provides an opportunity for you to reflect on your professional development activities so far and share experiences with others at a similar stage. The session will include information, guidance and tools to support you in your next steps by focusing on future goals and how you can use the remainder of your time to work towards them.  

This interactive online session will be broken down into 3 sections: 

1. Reflecting on your professional development activities to date and identifying further development you would like to achieve during the rest of your contract.

2. Sharing ideas of how to achieve your development goals with other mid-contract postdocs whilst focusing on key professional development topics specific for postdocs and sources of information, advice and support across the university.

3. Creating an individual action plan to ensure you know when and how to take the next steps during the remaining time as a postdoc.   These 3 sections will be covered in the first hour of the session. The final half hour will be open for those who wish to ask related questions and engage in informal discussion with the facilitators and other participants.

The event will be facilitated by members of the Postdoc Academy, the Postdoc Researcher Development Team and Postdoc Careers Service. By the end of the session, you will have created your own set of actions to help guide you in your next steps.    Please complete this form: https://forms.office.com/r/dc6Fn39Q9U so that we can learn a bit about you and where you are in your career planning/professional development journey in advance of the event. This will help us to tailor the session to suit the current needs of participants. Your registration for this session will be approved upon our receipt of this form

This event is open to you if you are at the mid-point of your postdoc contract at Cambridge. The aim is help you to position yourself for the next stage of your career (in academia or otherwise) at a key point in your postdoc journey by reflecting on your professional development activities so far and giving you some guidance and tools to support you in reaching your future career goals. The event will be facilitated by members of the Postdoc Academy, the Postdoc RD Team and Careers Service. You will also meet staff members from other University services who offer resources for postdocs. At the end of the session, you will have a set of actions to help guide you in your next steps.

Please complete this form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=RQSlSfq9eUut41R7TzmG6ZPfIemFCGBMhayWndtGTfJURTdDTEhaOU9LOFdUUFYxVEpaN0QzSFcxUC4u so that we can learn a bit about you and where you are in your career planning/professional development journey in advance of the event so that we can tailor the session accordingly. Your registration for this session will be approved upon our receipt of this form.

A fun evening of networking, pizza and beer. Postdocs will quickly pitch their current research ideas to other postdocs using a “speed-dating” format, followed by networking. Express your research ideas to postdocs who might be from outside of your field and potentially forge new interdisciplinary collaborations! The Head of Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will provide information on funding for interdisciplinary research.

Representatives from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Human Resources, the Researcher Development Programme and the Careers Service are hosting another Zoom session to address your questions as the coronavirus situation continues to develop. ​We have already been fielding questions about contract / funding extensions and furlough, life after lockdown, balancing working from home with parental duties, how to work effectively from home and many other topics, so please ask us anything that you would like to know.

Whether or not you are able to join us, we welcome your questions via slido (www.slido.com, event code #V0100) between now and 7th July, as these will give us valuable insight into how our postdoc community is coping during the current situation and whether we can be providing further clarity, reassurance and support.

Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that just keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list?

Alongside everything else that needs to fit in with our busy research lives, it can be hard to schedule devoted time in which to sit, think, and write. Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to fend off procrastination and beat writer's block. Each session will provide a friendly and constructive environment in which to meet like-minded peers, discuss challenges and work in a focused way using the established Pomodoro technique.

This Academic Writing Month we invite you to bring along your virtual self and dedicate 2.5 hours to writing in a supportive setting with colleagues from institutions across the UK. There will be time to discuss your writing goals and make new connections.

There are four sessions (3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th November). You may sign up for one or multiple sessions.

These sessions are being hosted by King's College London and will be facilitated by Dr Jessica Davidson, Research Staff Development and Engagement Officer in the KCL Centre for Research Staff Development