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Postdoc Academy Training

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Postdoc Academy course timetable

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February 2025

Tue 11	Postdoc Academy Masterclass: Effective Collaborations [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Online 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.
Wed 12	Postdoc Academy Workshop: Group Dynamics and Effective Teams [Places] 10:30 - 13:00 Postdoc Centre @ Eddington, Sanders Hall Do you worry about conflict and disagreement in your team? Do you use strategies to avoid conflict? Do you want to better understand how groups and teams function in order to improve your productivity? Conflict and disagreement are a natural and inevitable part of group development. What’s important is how this is dealt with. In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to: learn about some key theories on group/team development examine strategies to address disagreement in a way which enables you to achieve your team’s goals look at some real-world conflict scenarios and apply strategies work on a situation from your own context and get feedback. This workshop is for anyone who works as part of a team and wants to better understand how teams function, or if you are an aspiring team leader looking for strategies to manage teams. This session runs termly. If you would like to be notified of future iterations of this session, please add yourself to the waitlist or register your interest. 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.
Thu 13	Mid-Contract Check-In for Postdocs [Places] 13:30 - 15:30 Online This event is for postdocs near the mid-point of their current contract at Cambridge and 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. Action planning - gain tools to ensure you know when and how to take the next steps during your remaining time as a postdoc. 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. Q&A - informal discussion with the facilitators and other participants. Please also complete this registration 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 6 February. Please note: 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.
Thu 20	Postdoc Academy Workshop: Planning fundable research using Research Canvas [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room How can you make your research proposition stand out in a competitive funding landscape? In the business and start up world, the Business Model Canvas tool is used to help companies work out how they will create, deliver and capture value. The research canvas is an adaptation of this and helps researchers plan and present their case for applying for research funding. In this workshop, you will learn to use the Research Canvas. You will also have the opportunity to submit your research canvas after the workshop for personalised feedback. This workshop will: demonstrate the utility of an entrepreneurial tool in a research context enable you to implement a tool for planning and presenting your research give you opportunities to share your ideas and receive feedback from peers and facilitators. This session will run again in Easter Term. If you would like to be notified of future iterations of this session, please add yourself to the waitlist or register your interest. Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
Fri 21	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 10:00 - 12:30 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Tue 25	Postdoc Academy Workshop: Critical Thinking and Decision Making [Places] 13:00 - 15:30 Online Join fellow academics for an engaging session that will elevate your ability to think critically and navigate challenging decision making in academia with confidence. Learn practical strategies to analyse complex problems, confidently make sound decisions, and enhance your research impact. The workshop will employ logical thinking practice and bring to light common thinking fallacies and assumptions that can undermine quality decision making. We will focus on three key areas: thinking fallacies and bias challenging assumptions strategic decision making frameworks. Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the course to your calendar.
Thu 27	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 14:00 - 16:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
	Postdoc Groups Series [Places] 14:00 - 15:30 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room Meet with postdocs, academics and those who support postdocs from a range of departments, to share best practice of postdoc support, learn what others are doing, and identify improvements and future activities. We will be hosting three sessions throughout the academic year. This session will: hear of postdoc experiences settling into and navigating Cambridge, and involvement in postdoc groups, networks and committees identify successes, challenges and current needs of the postdoc community inform of a funding scheme for interdisciplinary postdoc led activity and resources provide connections for collaboration in leading postdoc activity form an online space after the session to stay connected if desired. Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
Fri 28	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.

March 2025

Wed 5	Postdoc Academy Open Hour [Places] 11:30 - 12:30 Postdoc Centre @ Eddington, Multi Function Space These informal sessions give you the opportunity to talk to members of the Postdoc Academy, helping you to figure out how you can begin interacting with us and the wider University community. There will be the opportunity to ask questions within the small group or speak to us one-to-one. These sessions provide: an introduction to our services, programmes and resources guidance on interacting with the wider community, including college affiliations signposting to the relevant areas of the University for any advice you may need connections to members of the Postdoc Academy team. Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
Thu 6	Postdoc Academy Masterclass: Introduction to Research Project Management [Full] 13:30 - 16:30 Online This masterclass 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. This session will run again in Easter Term. If you would like to be notified of future iterations of this session, please add yourself to the waitlist or register your interest. Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 14:00 - 16:10 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
Tue 11	Making Headlines: How to Get Your Research into the Mainstream Media [Places] 10:00 - 12:30 Postdoc Centre @ Eddington, Sanders Hall This workshop offers a practical guide to communicating research to the broadest possible audiences via the mainstream media. Sarah Collins and Jacqueline Garget from the University’s Research Communications team will take you behind the scenes of the processes and tactics used to get University research reported nationally and internationally in newspapers, online news sites, radio and TV - from identifying a potential news story, to responding to emerging coverage. We will cover: how University press officers work what makes for an effective media release using assets including images distributing releases and pitching to journalists what to expect from any coverage giving media interviews and how to get your message across effectively. The session will include practical tasks as well as an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences. It will be co-hosted by CCTL and the Postdoc Academy. Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
Wed 12	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Fri 14	Postdoc Academy Masterclass: Negotiation and Influencing Skills [Places] 10:00 - 11:30 Online Do you know when it is appropriate to negotiate, and how to do this effectively? Would you like to improve your skills in communicating with influence? This interactive session will introduce you to key principles of influencing and negotiation that can be applied in workplace situations. In this 90-minute session, you will: explore key principles of negotiation identify the difference between asking and negotiating gain practical techniques for communicating with influence identify the appropriate negotiating style for your context. You will have the opportunity to practice some of these skills in the session. To make the most of this session, we recommend that you come prepared to participate in discussions and activities. 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.
Mon 17	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 09:35 - 17:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Thu 20	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Mon 24	Postdoc Welcome Event [Places] 13:00 - 14:30 Postdoc Centre @ Eddington, Sanders Hall The Postdoc Academy provides welcome events specific to postdocs joining the University of Cambridge - these are open to postdocs affiliated with the University, Colleges and University Partner Institutes. These sessions include presentations from the Postdoc Academy, PdOC and Careers Service, followed by a Q&A and then networking. You will be given information on how to navigate life as a researcher in Cambridge and then have the opportunity to network with other new postdocs and University services. During the session, postdocs will learn about: interacting with the Postdoc Academy attending professional development activities and accessing the Careers Service connecting to the wider postdoc community at Cambridge accessing resources available to postdocs as staff members. 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. If you have any questions or problems with signing-up, please email events.pda@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Tue 25	Postdoc Academy Workshop: Cultural Intelligence in Leadership [Places] 10:00 - 13:30 Postdoc Centre @ Eddington, Sanders Hall How can developing intercultural competence and embracing diverse perspectives increase psychological safety and therefore drive results? In today's diverse workplaces, speaking the same language is just the beginning. Our cultural backgrounds profoundly shape how we connect, collaborate and influence, impacting team performance. This session will explore the vital role of intercultural competence in inclusive leadership. It will help you understand: how international diversity can impact team dynamics what are the different layers of ‘culture’ and the role of cultural intelligence for leaders how to cultivate inclusive leadership skills to foster collaboration and synergy among diverse teams 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.
Wed 26	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Thu 27	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 14:00 - 16:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Fri 28	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 10:00 - 12:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.

April 2025

Tue 1	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 09:35 - 17:00 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). 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.
Thu 3	Virtual Writing Retreats [Places] 14:00 - 16:10 Online Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list? Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. 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 Pomodoro technique. These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment. The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session). Please note: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.
Wed 9	Postdoc Academy Masterclass: Developing Your Research Vision [Places] 14:00 - 15:30 Online 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: when you book this course, on the booking confirmation page, select Add to Calendar to start importing the appointment to your calendar.