Postdoc Academy course timetable

In the increasingly competitive field of fellowship funding, your applications need to stand out immediately.

During this online masterclass for early career researchers, you'll learn key considerations for preparing a strong fellowship application. 

The session will explore:

• desirability, feasibility and viability
• what’s important to the funder
• elements of successful applications
• how to plan for impact.

It will consist of a 60-minute talk, followed by 30 minutes for you to ask questions.

This session will run again in Lent and Easter Terms. 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.

Academic Writing Month, or 'Writefest,' invites researchers at all career stages to collaborate and foster a supportive writing environment. In this spirit, the Postdoc Academy, University Libraries, and the Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme invite you to a panel event exploring the publishing cycle, offering postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers the chance to engage with an expert panel.

This session will provide a forum for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers to bring their questions to an expert panel, including:

• Michelle Ellefson - Professor of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
• Emily Hockley - Commissioning Editor (Literature), Cambridge University Press
• Róisín Owens - Professor of Bioelectronics, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge
• Katie Silvester - Open Access Books Manager, Cambridge University Press
• George Vousden - Deputy Editor-in-Chief, PLOS ONE

It will feature a discussion between our panellists and plenty of time for questions from the audience.

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

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.

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY TO TRACK BOOKINGS AND ATTENDANCE.

This is a session co-hosted by the CCTL Postgrad and Postdoc Academy RD teams and delivered by staff from the Research Communications Office. CCTL hosts the UTBS booking page.

This workshop, co-hosted by CCTL and the Postdoc Academy, will be delivered by Fred Lewsey & Tom Almeroth-Williams from the University’s Research Communications team, and offers a practical guide to communicating research to the broadest possible audiences via the mainstream media.

The session will take you behind the scenes of the processes and tactics used to get University research into the media, from identifying a potential news story in a forthcoming research paper, book or event, to responding to emerging coverage.

Topics covered will include: 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; organising media visits and photo calls; giving interviews and seeking corrections.

The session will include practical tasks as well as an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences.

Fred is primarily responsible for the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Tom for the School of Arts & Humanities. They have worked on hundreds of stories spanning a huge range of research across the sciences, social sciences, medical research and the humanities. They have secured thousands of media reports around the world, including with the BBC, Guardian, New York Times, NPR, Le Monde, Die Welt, El Pais and The Times of India.

Recent highlight stories have included Neanderthal reconstructions, AI ‘griefbots’, chimpanzee warfare, Beethoven’s DNA, French love letters, medieval stand-up comedy, the Verona astrolabe.

Tea, coffee, water, & biscuits will be provided.

Network with peers from the Berlin University Alliance Postdoc Academy and learn about transdisciplinary research in this exciting new workshop!

This workshop provides an overview of transdisciplinary research, a mode of research that involves non-scientific practitioners from the outset of the research process. Participants will gain insights into the fundamental principles, methodologies, and practical tips for integrating non-academic stakeholders throughout the research cycle.

Using real-world examples, reflective discussions and practical exercises, we will explore:

• the potential benefits and challenges of transdisciplinary research
• the range of participatory approaches
• how to identify suitable participation formats for your own research projects
• and how to identify and reach out to relevant practice partners.

We will also address strategic communication skills and impact strategies, guiding participants on how to build successful collaborations and enhance their research impact beyond academia. Literature references for further study will be provided.

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

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.

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 Lent and Easter Terms. 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.

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.

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.

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Resilient Leadership in Action is a nationally recognised, practical training programme delivered online in collaboration with several other institutions (including hosts King's College London and University College London). This programme offers a unique opportunity to reshape your ideas about being a leader and expand your leadership skills, supported by experienced coaches and fellow researchers from different disciplines and institutions.

The programme will also help you to:

• understand the impact of leadership styles on those being led
• influence people towards a common goal/purpose
• receive feedback on your own leadership styles and identify how these can be developed further
• engage with researchers from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages.

What happens during the course?

This course will support you to develop a range of leadership skills through the act of applying them, rather than focusing on leadership theory.

Activities The course is based around seven activities, the first six of which are designed to explore a different aspect of leadership and provide a practical insight into how leadership works. In the final activity, you will address a leadership activity that you can continue beyond the course.

You will work with others in teams of six with a coach to help you make sense of the activities.

• Session 1: Leading Problem Solving
• Session 2: Activity Review, Contracting and Values
• Session 3: Leading Public Engagement
• Session 4: Leading Strategy Development
• Session 5: Leading Creative Production
• Session 6: Resilient Decision Making and Leadership Presence
• Session 7: Leading Multiple Tasks
• Session 8: Leading Crisis Management
• Session 9: Leading Your Vision Presentations and Conclusion

Buddies and home groups Throughout the course you will work alongside your "buddy", who is another course participant. Together you will share your experiences and provide mutual support, developing key co-coaching skills in the process.

You will also have a “home group” where you consolidate your learning.

Resilient leadership Underlying everything is the Resilient Leaders Elements, a framework you can use to support your learning.

Application deadline is XXX

This workshop will familiarise postdocs with the process of, and the various issues involved with, turning their PhD thesis into a published work.

When we talk about turning a thesis into a ‘book’, we are really talking about a ‘monograph’. A monograph is generally considered a written work that focuses on one specialised subject with a view to contributing original insight and knowledge.

Given a doctoral thesis – particularly in the Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences – is a dedicated study on one specialised area of research, it is a kind of proto-monograph.

During this 2-hour session, you will:

• learn the differences in content and form between a thesis and a monograph
• understand the copyright and editorial issues of publishing material from thesis
• learn and appreciate the process of selecting a publisher and writing a book proposal
• develop a plan that considers the publication process, from submission of the proposal up to actual publication.

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

Have you ever walked into a meeting and questioned your right to be there? Or taken on a new job and then felt you weren’t really the right person for it?

For many people, this is a common life experience and one which can be quite debilitating if left unchecked. This session focuses on identifying the set of behaviours that are often referred to as ‘imposter syndrome’, and 'imposter phenomenon' and the implications they can have for yourself and your work environment.

During this session, you will:

• find out more about ‘imposter syndrome’ and its prevalence among researchers and academics
• identify the impact it can have on you and your work
• learn about different ways to overcome it and thrive by being at your best.

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

This is a virtual cross-institutional session for postdocs from the University of Cambridge, the Berlin University Alliance, and researchers from the AfriBCD Network.

As you progress in your career, you will have to navigate the transition from being managed and supervised by others, to taking on leadership of projects and people for the first time.

Using our own experience of leadership, along with discussion and theories, we will look at a variety of aspects of successful leadership within the research and innovation context.

This workshop will provide an opportunity for you to:

• think about your aims in terms of leadership
• take stock of your own leadership attributes and experience
• identify how to further develop your research and innovation leadership potential
• network with and learn from researchers at a similar career stage working in other countries.

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