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Academic Writing Month, or ‘Writefest’, encourages researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in the spirit of collaboration and to foster a supportive, safe, and sustainable writing environment. Working within that collaborative ethos, the University of Cambridge and King’s College London are pleased to invite you to a new panel event that explores the different stages of the publishing cycle and provides a forum for doctoral and early career researchers to bring their questions to an expert panel including academic representatives from both institutions, the Editor-in-Chief of an established STEM journal, and colleagues from Taylor & Francis working in both journals and books.

• What are the considerations a researcher needs to take for thinking about the appropriate vehicle for an output when in draft stage?
• What are editors and publishers looking for, and what are the pressures on them?
• What are the benefits of sharing our various perspectives?
• What are the transitions between an idea in its infancy and a book on the shelf?

More details of our line-up will be announced closer to the event. The event will feature a discussion between our panellists and plenty of time for questions from the virtual floor.

With ever developing complexities in the UK’s immigration system, Graeme Ross, the University’s Head of Immigration for staff matters, conducts termly briefing sessions for non-UK postdocs holding UK visas. These commonly cover the ‘basic’ work visas, such as Skilled Worker and Global Talent, and how to switch into or extend these in order to remain in the UK. However additional guidance on applications for dependents and Indefinite Leave to Remain/Settlement is also covered. There will be an opportunity to ask questions about other immigration matters; not all of these may be answered on the day but would be followed up individually as needed.

In this session, you will learn about:

• The State Pension system in the UK
• Private Pensions in the UK
• The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

The session will be delivered by Head of Group Pensions at the University of Cambridge, and there will be ample opportunity for asking questions.

If you have ever doubted your ability or thought "I just got lucky this time", “I worry that others will discover how little I know” or “I only got that praise because people were being kind", this is an indication that you have experienced Imposter Syndrome. The imposter voice is one of many that come from our ‘inner critic’ and is very common amongst researchers. It presents itself as a feeling of inadequacy that persists even in the face of evidence that the opposite is true. It is frequently experienced, often by high-performing people, as a feeling of self-doubt and intellectual fraudulence. The good news is that it is completely normal, and sometimes even useful! The bad news is that it may result in you missing out on opportunities or creating the wrong impression with others. During this short masterclass you will: Understand where imposter syndrome comes from and why we have it, reflect on where and how your inner critic might limit your progress, learn of some different approaches for managing your inner critic and imposter feelings.

The speaker: This session will be presented by Dr Tracey Stead, a leadership coach and facilitator specialising in working with researchers.

Be sure to check out the other sessions in our Postdocs Masterclass series in the "Related Courses" section below!

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations.

Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

The postdoc RD team offer one-to-one meetings online for all postdocs. These meetings will be tailored to your individual needs and provide an opportunity to consider and discuss a variety of topics relating to learning, skills and personal development. This is not an exhaustive list but areas for discussion could include:

Managing your time whilst working from home

Collaborating effectively

Maintaining resilience and coping strategies

Reflecting on and identifying your key areas for development

Each meeting will last for up to 45 minutes and will be conducted online using MS Teams.

Please Note: If you wish to discuss your career options specifically then, in the first instance, we advise that you look at the Postdoc Careers Service website for further information: https://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/careers-support-postdocs

A must-attend virtual session with information tailored to postdocs in Cambridge, whether University-based or employed by Colleges or Research Institutions.

At this event, you will be given information about:

• Your contract
• Professional development and the Careers Service
• How to connect to the wider postdoc community at Cambridge
• You will also meet representatives from various University services who may be helpful to you while you are working in Cambridge.

Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that just keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list?

Alongside everything else that needs to fit in with our busy research lives, it can be hard to schedule devoted time in which to sit, think, and write. Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to fend off procrastination and beat writer's block. 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 established Pomodoro technique.

This Academic Writing Month we invite you to bring along your virtual self and dedicate 2.5 hours to writing in a supportive setting with colleagues from institutions across the UK. There will be time to discuss your writing goals and make new connections.

There are four sessions (3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th November). You may sign up for one or multiple sessions.

These sessions are being hosted by King's College London and will be facilitated by Dr Jessica Davidson, Research Staff Development and Engagement Officer in the KCL Centre for Research Staff Development