Postdoc Academy course timetable

Funders of academic research and employers of researchers are increasingly valuing individuals with entrepreneurial spirit and a broader set of skills that can be used to innovate and create impact from research.

Researchers with these skills are at an advantage when applying for permanent academic positions, securing research funding, or pursuing commercialisation opportunities.

This interactive session will introduce you to:

• what an entrepreneurial mindset is and how all researchers can adopt and develop this to pursue their interests
• the frameworks and tools that are used in the startup world to create compelling business opportunities
• how you can adapt these to support innovative research, create impact, and secure grant or fellowship funding
• how to create your personal "elevator pitch" to introduce yourself and create new opportunities at networking events or to future employers.

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

Failure - we all experience it in our lives and feel the impact in different ways. Sometimes we're able to embrace failure, learn from it and try again, but this isn't easy.

In this honest, yet light-hearted session we will:

• explore the concept of failure and what makes it so powerful
• look at types of failure and how we respond
• explore practical tools and techniques to help harness knowledge from failure.

This will also be a safe space for any attendees to share their own experiences and advice. Join this session to understand and explore the real power of failure.

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.

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 1 October.

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 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.

Please note: 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 workshop, you will learn:

• the functions and principles of storytelling
• how to use storytelling techniques to enhance your research communication, from public engagement events to job and grant interviews
• how to adapt your storytelling skills for different media (talks, podcasts, videos, written articles) and different audiences
• the limitations of science storytelling.

Please note: 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.

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.

How do you protect time to focus and manage your workload?

In this 1-hour session, you will learn how to:

• establish a method to enhance your focus for the most important work
• reduce distraction and prioritise more effectively
• establish a daily 'Protective Pause' to relieve stress, reduce self-criticism and strengthen resilience
• create space to recognise your achievements each day, increasing your self-awareness and confidence.

The session is followed by a 4-day Mini Habit Course. This is one technique per day to help attendees convert proven techniques into useful habits.

PLEASE NOTE: You must complete the facilitator's Zoom registration form to access your personalised meeting link. See joining instructions for further details.

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.

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: 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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

How would improving your focus habits benefit you?

In this 30-minute session, you will:

• learn how our brains get into the flow state - the neuroscience of focus
• plan your dedicated focus hours for the week ahead
• plan high quality restorative breaks to recharge your willpower and manage difficult thoughts

Enhance focus, reduce stress and strengthen resilience. All techniques proven by science.

PLEASE NOTE: You must complete the facilitator's Zoom registration form to access your personalised meeting link. See joining instructions for further details.

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.

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.

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.