Monthly Archives: October 2021

26Oct/21

GRADnet Induction Day welcomes new SEPnet PGRs

GRADnet welcomed over 100 new PGRs to their online induction day on Wednesday, 20 October 2021.  Dr Olivia Keenan, Acting SEPnet Executive Director and Outreach Director and Cristobel Soares, Graduate Network Manager, led the event with an introduction to what SEPnet is and what GRADnet has to offer postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers.

Thank you to Lukas Gunthermann, University of Sussex and Matthew Grayling, University of Southampton who gave presentations on their SEPnet PGR placement experience and the advantages of taking up such an opportunity during their PhD.

Attendees were invited to participate in the following workshops:

  • Intro to Basic Python and Intro to Scientific Python delivered by Dr Tim Kinnear, University of Kent
  • Science Communication Skills led by Dr Claudia Antolini, SEPnet/Ogden Senior Officer for Outreach and Public Engagement, Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London and Hannah Tonry, SEPnet/Ogden Engagement Officer, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent
  • Understanding Software for Research delivered by Claire Hepwood, Royal Holloway, University of London

Thank you to our workshop leads for running these informative sessions online and dealing with challenges this entails.  Feedback from one of the attendees:  “It was a really good talk. Astonishing how much Tim could fit into one hour of introduction.”

GRADnet hopes to welcome the next cohort in October 2022 with a face to face event at One Park Crescent in London!

06Oct/21

HE STEM Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – Revisiting the leaky pipeline – short-term contracts and career planning

5th Annual SEPnet Workshop – Wednesday 1 December 10.00 – 13.00
Hosted online by University of Sussex

The number of people from under-represented groups reduces at each career stage of the academic career path in physics and other STEM disciplines. This workshop focuses on the postdoctoral phase of an ECR’s career and explores how the typical series of short-term contracts affects their career choices and what can be done in support of ECRs.

While this issue affects all ECRs, the workshop will focus, in particular, on support for ECRs from under-represented groups. This event is aimed at ECR representatives, HE STEM staff responsible for diversity and inclusion including Athena SWAN, Project Juno and diversity champions, HR managers and academics.

PROGRAMME
10.00 Chair’s introduction
Professor Matthias Keller, University of Sussex

10.10 The challenges of an academic career in physics – overcoming the barriers to career progression
Professor Kathy Romer, University of Sussex

10:35 The effect of short-term contracts on career planning and choices: early career researcher perspective
Dr Gregory Ashton, Early Career Researcher, University of Portsmouth

11:00 Challenges and strategies for career management; supporting underrepresented groups and promoting EDI
Rana Marrington, Careers Consultant (Postgraduate & Early Career Researchers), Doctoral College, University of Surrey

11:25 Break

11:35 Short term contracts and career planning – what are the solutions? An HEI perspective
Dr Annika Lohstroh, Staff Tutor, School of Physical Sciences (SPS), The Open University

12:00 Breakout group discussions
12:30 Group feedback and panel discussion
13:00 Close of proceedings

The workshop is FREE to join. Places are limited. Please register for a place below on a first come, first served basis.

Revisiting the leaky pipeline – short-term contracts and career planning Tickets, Wed 1 Dec 2021 at 10:00 | Eventbrite