UCD Postdoctoral Research Careers and Professional Development team provides a wealth of career coaching, skills training and networking opportunities to support UCD researchers along their career journey.

We spoke to Alanna O’Sullivan (Research Careers Manager at UCD Careers Network) and Qiong Zhang (Researcher Development Specialist at UCD HR People and Organisation Development), about the services they offer and how researchers can engage with them.

1. For those who are not already familiar with your team, tell us a bit about what you do.

Alanna: Our team is a joint initiative between UCD Careers Network and UCD HR People & Organisation Development. We work closely with UCD Research and Innovation to support Postdoctoral Fellows, within the Research Careers Framework

Our mission is to enhance the mobility of researchers for a variety of careers across sectors. We help Postdocs to nurture the skills and competencies that are most relevant to their research area, experience, and longer-term career aspirations. The Careers Network programme is specifically designed for UCD postdoctoral researchers and includes technical and transferable skills training, like Grant Writing and Project Management, career coaching, and interview preparation. You can learn more about those supports and resources here.

2. What is the Research Careers Framework and how has it developed over the last ten years?

Qiong: The Research Careers Framework (RCF) model clarifies role definitions for researchers and enables better career planning. While the first phase of implementation centred on providing a structured employment framework, the second phase honed in on supporting postdoctoral researchers in their skills development and managing their careers.

Now that the infrastructure is firmly in place, we are building practical supports to better embed this within the university, and to refine delivery in line with the arising needs of our early career Researcher community. For example, significant improvements have been made to the online Postdoc Development Portal. Researchers can now record their career development activities here, including development meetings with their PI. They can also download a certificate from the University that outlines the professional development activities they have taken part in.

3. What is the first port of call for new postdoctoral researchers at UCD?

Qiong: Our bespoke Postdoc Career Orientation is available 3-4 times throughout the academic year. This provides Researchers with practical information to help assimilate to the new working environment, and to prepare and plan for the best start for their research. 

We invite UCD faculty and professional staff speakers to share their experience, signposting available resources and demonstrating opportunities for future development. This is also a great opportunity to meet fellow Postdocs. Our goal is to empower postdoctoral researchers to make the most of their experience in UCD, to be proactive and to develop their careers within academia and across all sectors. Our next Orientation will take place on 23 September 2023, researchers can register now.

We really want to create an environment where Postdocs have ample opportunity to come together and we encourage researchers to get involved with our ‘Connect’ events, where they can share experiences - new employees will receive news of these via email.

4. Are there networking opportunities for postdocs throughout the year? 

Alanna: Yes, we host annual employer engagement networking events focused on cross-sectoral opportunities. Our recent Early Career-Researcher Company Networking event, for example, invited organisations across a variety of sectors to present to, and network with, graduate and postdoctoral researchers. Representatives from research funding agencies, Science Foundation Ireland and Irish Research Council, were also there to provide information on potential for cross-sectoral partnerships

With panel discussions, flash presentations from visiting organisations, and plenty of time for networking afterward, these events provide occasion for researchers to engage with companies around enterprise-partnership funding opportunities that may allow them to work together. The next Early Career-Researcher Company Networking event will take place Spring 2024.

5. How can PIs get involved?

Alanna: In November 2021 our office, along with UCD HR and UCD Research, delivered a number of workshops tailored for the PI population across the six Colleges. The purpose was to support current and new PIs in their contractual management of Postdocs under the RCF. 

Throughout the year, we support PIs in developing career development opportunities for Postdocs and doctoral students. We encourage them to get involved in our Postdoc Orientation event - to sit on panel discussions and mock interview panels, or to contribute to our online resources like the Postdoc Development Handbook. This collaborative approach really helps to place Postdocs in a better position when competing for roles within academia and across sectors. We welcome further opportunities to engage with PIs, at both a School and College level.

6. How can researchers get in touch with your team?

Qiong: Researchers can keep up to date with our events and training opportunities through Twitter @ucdrscareers and on LinkedIn at UCD Research Careers. You can contact us directly at researchcareers@ucd.ie.