Researcher Development Programme (RDP) course timetable
May 2017
| Tue 2 |
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| Thu 4 |
It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
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| Fri 5 |
Making the Most of Conferences
Finished
"It's not what you know, it's who you know." This might be an old cliché, but it's particularly true in research where (reportedly) over 90% of jobs go to a candidate already known to the employer. This half-day session will examine how you can make the most of conferences as an environment to strategically network and build research connections.
Outcomes:
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A good poster’s worth 1000 words… but a bad poster’s just a bit of messy paper. When it’s time for you to present your scientific poster how are you going to make the most of the opportunity? We’ll think about why we use posters to present our research, what makes the difference between a good and bad poster and some useful tips to help you present your data in style. |
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| Wed 10 |
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.
“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.” |
| Thu 11 |
It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
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It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
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| Fri 12 |
Introduction to Leadership
Finished
Increasingly, successful researchers are expected to be leaders. This one-day event introduces participants to leadership by covering the 'four elements of leadership' and a set of tools to help you lead. To deepen the learning, you are given the opportunity to apply one of these elements with an associated tool, by leading a small group in an activity, who will then provide you with constructive feedback. This workshop leads onto Leadership +.
Outcomes:
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You know your stuff, but does your performance let you down? Presenting your research is an essential skill for a researcher, be it to your research group, at a major conference or even to a classroom of schoolchildren. This is a highly interactive workshop that requires you to throw yourself into the activities. Everyone will be involved as we take some of the material from the online Presentation Skills Toolkit and try it out in a safe and supportive environment. Learn to project your voice, handle the dreaded Q&A, and work on getting better each time you present. This workshop is particularly designed for those who feel less confident with the performance aspects of giving presentations. If you are comfortable standing up and talking in front of others then we recommend starting with the online Presentation Skills Toolkit.
Outcomes:
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| Wed 17 |
The Art of Negotiation and Influence
Finished
When opportunities come along, do you feel confident about working with people to get what you need? This course gives you a practical insight into the application of professional communication to everyday life, learning how to persuade and influence others effectively. Improving your listening and communication skills is advantageous for both your personal and your professional life. This workshop is led by Richard Mullender, an external trainer who formerly worked for the Metropolitan Police as a hostage negotiator, and then as Lead Trainer at the National Crisis & Hostage Negotiation Unit in Scotland Yard. People trusted their lives to the skills he teaches in this course.
Outcomes:
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| Thu 18 |
Are you able to ask for the things you need and want? The career of a postdoc researcher is demanding, and it involves forging careful relationships with a variety of figures, from PIs to fellow researchers and peers to postgraduate students. Are you capable of asking for help from others? Do you spread yourself too thin by saying yes to others’ requests for support? This course is designed to help you develop an assertive mind-set and to communicate your needs in an honest, clear, and respectful way.
“It was one of the best training sessions I have attended while at the University. Went back to the lab and recommended it to my colleagues.” “[This course] highlighted a new way of thinking/mindset that I was not very aware of. It gave me confidence that I can be more assertive.” |
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It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
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| Fri 19 |
Procrastination Workshop
Finished
This workshop will help you to manage your levels of procrastination, through understanding the different types of procrastination and what drives these behaviours. We introduce and practice several practical strategies for reducing and managing procrastination.
Outcomes:
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Solving Research Problems Creatively
Finished
Research itself can be seen as a creative process. While we might think of creativity as an innate ability, and associate it with painting beautiful pictures or composing symphonies, in the context of research it can be seen as a skill to be developed. It is about thinking creatively to solve problems, large and small. This workshop will help you to develop and feel more confident in your ability to think creatively, by taking you through a systematic two-part creative thinking process, exploring divergent and convergent thinking, and considering the 'rules' of brainstorming.
Outcomes:
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| Mon 22 |
A good poster’s worth 1000 words… but a bad poster’s just a bit of messy paper. When it’s time for you to present your scientific poster how are you going to make the most of the opportunity? We’ll think about why we use posters to present our research, what makes the difference between a good and bad poster and some useful tips to help you present your data in style. |
| Wed 24 |
Postdocs: Managing up
Finished
The relationship you build with your supervisor/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.” |
| Thu 25 |
It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
|
|
It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
|
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| Wed 31 |
Making the Most of Conferences
Finished
"It's not what you know, it's who you know." This might be an old cliché, but it's particularly true in research where (reportedly) over 90% of jobs go to a candidate already known to the employer. This half-day session will examine how you can make the most of conferences as an environment to strategically network and build research connections.
Outcomes:
|
|
You know your stuff, but does your performance let you down? Presenting your research is an essential skill for a researcher, be it to your research group, at a major conference or even to a classroom of schoolchildren. This is a highly interactive workshop that requires you to throw yourself into the activities. Everyone will be involved as we take some of the material from the online Presentation Skills Toolkit and try it out in a safe and supportive environment. Learn to project your voice, handle the dreaded Q&A, and work on getting better each time you present. This workshop is particularly designed for those who feel less confident with the performance aspects of giving presentations. If you are comfortable standing up and talking in front of others then we recommend starting with the online Presentation Skills Toolkit.
Outcomes:
|
June 2017
| Thu 1 |
It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here! Aimed at first-year PhD students, this course is designed to get you thinking and working effectively on your end-of-first-year report / Certificate of Postgraduate Studies. How do you start? What is expected? How do you make it work for you? These and many other important questions, hints and tips will be addressed in this half-day session.
Outcomes:
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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.” |
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| Mon 5 |
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 |
| Tue 6 |
Have you ever considered how you could coach yourself in your professional development? This workshop progresses on from Postdocs: Introduction to Coaching and Mentoring to suggest tools and techniques that can help you gain greater self-awareness whether of your blind spots, of the barriers you may be creating for yourself, or of what you could be doing to take the necessary steps for development. Techniques include how to use writing, sharing, and planning to heighten your motivation to succeed, clarify your thoughts, and activate new ideas, solutions, and possibilities for moving forward. We will introduce tools to help you to prioritise and focus, question yourself, and break down your ideas into real steps toward progress. It is possible to attend this as an individual workshop, although we would recommend that you attend Postdocs: Introduction to Coaching and Mentoring before signing up for this workshop.
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| Wed 7 |
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