All Postdoc Academy courses

How much could a high quality break help you recharge, reduce stress, and improve your focus?

During this 30-minute session, you will:

• join a 5-minute guided Mini Mindfulness practice - recharge your mind
• plan a 'Deep Work' focus hour for this week - protect time for quality focus
• plan a high quality restorative break for the next 24 hours - find valuable perspective.

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

Explore agile ways to respond to uncertainty and increase your research impact in this 90-minute online masterclass.

Research projects can often be complex and unpredictable. This training will support you to develop your own decision making in this uncertain environment.

The session will focus on four types of agility for research impact:

• environment scanning
• stakeholder/partner engagement strategies
• responding to complex problems effectively and efficiently
• developing an agile mindset.

It will include interactive elements, with the opportunity to reflect on your own practice and share your experiences.

The session will be delivered by Natacha Wilson from Cambridge Insights.

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.

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.

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 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: 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 struggle to stay focused and be as productive as you would like?

There are many factors that can distract you from maximising your productivity such as stress, procrastination and competing priorities.

The aim of Protect Focus is to help you establish protective habits that optimise focus and manage distractions using simple techniques proven by science to help postdocs:

• plan your calendar for the week ahead to protect dedicated focus hours for the most important work
• recap on the neuroscience of focus and plan your 'flow state ritual'
• plan a daily 'Restorative Break', to relieve stress, reduce self-criticism and strengthen resilience
• learn how to strengthen relationships to increase your confidence and protect from feelings of isolation.

After the session we will be supporting you with a range of mini sessions you can drop into over the next 4 weeks.

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

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.

Would you like to focus better on the work that is important to you? Do you find you have too many distractions and struggle to prioritise?

In this 1-hour online session, you will learn techniques to help you:

• enhance your focus on your most important work
• reduce distraction and prioritise more effectively
• establish daily habits to relieve stress, reduce self-criticism and strengthen resilience
• create space to recognise your achievements each day.

The session is followed by a 4-day Nudge Course. This provides one technique per day to help you convert the techniques you’ve learned into useful habits.

For 48 hours following the session, you will also have the opportunity to contact Joy, a mental health nurse with over 40 years’ experience. Joy will offer a confidential listening ear and signpost you to further support.

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, click on Add to Calendar to start the process of importing the course 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
• and how to plan for impact.

It will consist of a 60-minute talk and an opportunity to ask questions.

In the increasingly competitive field of fellowship funding, applications need to stand out immediately to capture reviewers’ interest and to maximise the chance of being funded. This accelerated session, aimed at early career researchers, highlights key considerations in preparing a strong fellowship application.  The session explores: desirability, feasibility and viability, planning your project, what’s important to the funder, how applications are assessed, writing style - how to get noticed, project, person, place, partners – elements of successful fellowships, how to plan for impact – ‘so what’, ‘now what’. The session will have two parts: a talk that will last for 45-60 mins, then an opportunity for you to ask your own questions a 30 min Q&A.   

Speaker Info: Richard Henning Brodersen (Research Development Manager, Research Operations Office) leads the pre-award team for the School of Technology at the University of Cambridge. He has over 10 years’ experience supporting and co-writing research funding applications including fellowships, research grants and industry collaborations for a wide range of funders across the arts, humanities and sciences. Prior to working in higher education Richard had a successful career in financial consultancy and in the further education sector.

Creativity is a critical part of research, helping people look at old problems in new ways.

In this practical workshop for postdocs, we will explore:

• creativity as a way of operating rather than a talent
• tools and techniques to boost your creative confidence
• how to apply creative thinking to your own research questions.

To get the most out of the session, think of a particular problem or challenge in your research that you would like to work on creatively in the workshop. You might find the breakthrough you’ve been looking for!

Many believe that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a better predictor of success in the workplace than IQ. The good news is that EQ can be developed and improved over time.

In this two-part interactive workshop, you will gain an understanding of the key skills needed to develop your emotional intelligence – managing your own emotions and the emotions of others.

Through activities and discussions, you’ll reflect on your default behaviour in workplace situations and explore your strengths and areas for further development.

In this second 2-hour session, you will gain insights into:

• social awareness: understanding the emotions of others, empathy and active listening, managing relationships
• relationship management: effective communication, motivating and influencing others.

Book a space on part one of this workshop here

Although parts one and two can be attended separately, we recommend participating in both.

Once your attendance has been confirmed, you will be invited to attend an optional follow-up group coaching session to enhance and consolidate your learning. This virtual session is scheduled for 14:00-15:30 on Monday 20th March.

Many believe that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a better predictor of success in the workplace than IQ. The good news is that EQ can be developed and improved over time.

In this two-part interactive workshop, you will gain an understanding of the key skills needed to develop your emotional intelligence – managing your own emotions and the emotions of others.

Through activities and discussions, you’ll reflect on your default behaviour in workplace situations and explore your strengths and areas for further development.

In this first 2-hour session, you will gain insights into:

• self-awareness: understanding and managing your emotions, recognising triggers, and managing stress
• self-regulation: developing emotional self-control.

Book a space on part two of this workshop here

Although parts one and two can be attended separately, we recommend participating in both.

Once your attendance has been confirmed, you will be invited to attend an optional follow-up group coaching session to enhance and consolidate your learning. This virtual session is scheduled for 14:00-15:30 on Monday 20th March.

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.

Would you like to be more deliberate about what you say yes to, and become more confident at saying no?

In this 90 minute interactive workshop, you will gain insights into:

• creating a strategic approach to saying yes
• negotiating your workload
• building confidence to say no to requests.

You will have the opportunity to explore how you can apply the theory in practice, and to discuss the challenges of saying no in an academic setting.

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.

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 varying facets of diversity and experience that contribute to cultural differences, and the vital role of intercultural competence in inclusive leadership.

It will help you to:

• understand the different layers that contribute to ‘culture’ and the role of cultural intelligence for leaders
• recognise how international and other types of cultural diversity can impact team dynamics
• cultivate inclusive leadership skills to foster collaboration and synergy among diverse teams
• be comfortable asking questions and starting conversations to address cultural differences in a more productive way.

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: 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.

Most people experience self-doubt at some point in their life. We may not feel as competent or knowledgeable as others perceive us to be, or we may attribute our success to luck.

Such thoughts and emotions are sometimes referred to as impostor phenomenon. Research suggests it is common amongst high achieving individuals such as those working in academia.

This 3-hour workshop will provide a safe and confidential space to explore your own and others’ experiences of imposter phenomenon, and why these feelings can arise.

It will also equip you with a range of different approaches to help manage feelings of self-doubt.

By the end of the workshop you will have:

• understood what imposter phenomenon is and why you might experience it
• explored its impact on your life and career
• identified strategies for managing self-doubt.

Most people find it challenging to take decisions and action under uncertain conditions.

But there are practical ways to cope with uncertainty, using simple techniques which we can practise and implement in our daily lives.

Using these skills, we can make uncertainty work to our advantage, fuelling creativity, problem solving and teamwork.

This workshop is an opportunity to experience uncertainty in a safe environment and become comfortable thinking on your feet. We will borrow tools from improvisation theatre and cognitive sciences to help you experiment and learn strategies to harness uncertainty to your benefit.

Feedback from postdocs who attended the training in July 2021:

• “Really great experience. Mostly, I think it helps a lot with confidence and also with tuning your listening skills and your respect for what others say and do. You can't predict things and need to embrace them as they come, and this is so useful in both personal and work life.”
• “I liked the positive messages it gave for approaching my research - sometimes it’s best not to overthink but go with the obvious, or if things go wrong (even repeatedly) just forget about them and keep trying something new.”

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: 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.

Communicating your work well, through both writing and presenting, are important skills in any successful research career.

Presenting well doesn’t come naturally to most people - feeling comfortable giving strong presentations is something we can learn through theory and practice. Dr Anna Ploszajski's career is living proof of that!

In this workshop, you will gain the skills you need to speak confidently and engagingly to any future audience, be they professionals or the public.

It will cover:

• how to tailor your message to your audience
• how to structure like a creative story
• practical tips on using body language to increase the impact of your words.

No prior experience of presenting is required – this training is for everyone from folks who detest presenting, to regular communicators looking to step up their game to the next level.

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.

Being able to effectively manage your workload in a proactive and realistic way is key to a successful research career.

Understanding task and relationship management techniques can help you better balance the demands on your time as a postdoc, as well as reducing your stress.

In this interactive half-day workshop, you will learn practical techniques that you can implement to consistently improve your day-to-day productivity.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• manage your activities more proactively through planning and negotiation
• feel more confident in how to prioritise, make decisions, and say no
• better manage your email and meeting habits.

Bring your productivity issues to the workshop ready for some practical troubleshooting!

Being able to effectively manage your workload in a proactive and realistic way is key to a successful research career.

Understanding task and relationship management techniques can help you better balance the demands on your time as a postdoc, as well as reducing your stress.

In this interactive half-day workshop, you will learn practical techniques that you can implement to consistently improve your day-to-day productivity.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• manage your activities more proactively through planning and negotiation
• feel more confident in how to prioritise, make decisions, and say no
• better manage your email and meeting habits.

Bring your productivity issues to the session ready for some practical troubleshooting!

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.

Powerful presentation skills can be critical in winning support for your ideas, establishing partnerships, spreading your message, or simply getting a job.

This highly interactive workshop series covers the secrets of public speaking, from a compelling opening and the magic of storytelling, to the effective use of body language and interactions to help your talk come alive.

The two half-day workshops will include:

The Essentials of Presentations

• How to open well and impress from the outset.
• Crafting an ending that leaves your words ringing in the ears of an audience.
• Being clear on your narrative for concise and effective storytelling.
• Adapting your message for any audience.

Visuals

• How much information to put on a slide.
• Effective use of images.
• Elegant use of data to convince rather than overwhelm.

The Magic of Storytelling

• The impact of stories over facts.
• How to tell a compelling story.
• The pillars of persuasion - credibility, emotion and logic.

Advanced Presentation Skills

• How to use character, authenticity and body language to your advantage.
• Turning your talk into a captivating dialogue.
• Using signposting and soundbites to make your most important points stand out.
• Dealing with nerves.