All Postdoc Academy courses

With ever developing complexities in the UK’s immigration system, join us for this briefing and Q&A with the University’s Head of Immigration.

The session will cover:

• the ‘basic’ work visas, such as Skilled Worker and Global Talent
• how to switch into or extend these in order to remain in the UK
• guidance on applications for dependents
• Indefinite Leave to Remain/settlement/citizenship applications.

There will also be plenty of time for you to ask questions about other immigration matters. If your question cannot be answered on the day, it will be followed up individually afterwards.

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.

Are you unsure how state pensions work in the UK, what the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is, or how making international moves affects your pension as a postdoc? This session will cover:

• the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
• the State Pension system in the UK
• private pensions in the UK.

There will also be plenty of time for you to ask questions.

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

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.

This short, interactive session will introduce the fundamental principles of Lean - a methodology which prioritises continuous improvement and respect for people.

Lean is a philosophy and way of working which removes waste from activities and ensures that emphasis is given to tasks that provide added value. Originally developed by Toyota, it is now widely used across many sectors including the NHS and Higher Education.

During this masterclass for postdocs, you will:

• gain a high-level understanding of continuous improvement tools and techniques, and how you can apply them
• develop skills to identify and remove waste in your day-to-day activities to become more effective and efficient.

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.

This workshop 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.

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.

Do you find it difficult to stay on track in the pursuit of your career aspirations? Or would you like to improve your ability to set achievable goals?

In this one-hour interactive masterclass, you will:

• learn to apply a well-established goal-setting technique (SMART goals) that will support you in realising your career aspirations
• have the opportunity to discuss and develop your long- and short-term goals with support from your peers
• acquire strategies for holding yourself accountable.

By the end of this session, you should have developed at least one goal that will lead to progress within your overall career plan and strategies for holding yourself accountable.

The session will give you protected time, space and support to develop your goals.

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.

We humans are storytelling animals. We have evolved with and through stories, sharing vital information about food sources and dangers but also morality and values, thereby bringing communities together.

In this information age, can the ancestral art of storytelling help researchers to better communicate their work?

In this 1-hour webinar, you will learn:

• the functions and principles of storytelling
• how to harness the power of storytelling to enhance your research communication, from public engagement events to job and grant interviews
• the relevance of different storytelling elements for different media (talks, podcasts, videos, written articles)
• the limitations of science storytelling.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Research and improvised comedy (improv) have a lot in common: they are both explorations of the unknown that require intuition and creativity. So how can improv be used to train research skills?

In this 1-hour workshop, we will:

• explore the unknown and its inherent uncertainty
• create a supportive, safe and respectful environment
• test your adaptability, boost your creativity and practice co-creation through a series of playful exercises.

At the end of the workshop, you will be better equipped to face the unknown, make space for your own creativity, be a better team player, and feel more confident in front of an audience.

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.