BioProNET early career researcher meeting
September 15-16th 2015, Cripps Hall, University of Nottingham

This event (two half days) featured feature career-development workshops and activities, including Myers–Briggs-type personality profiling as well as sessions from individuals in academia, industry and outside the lab highlighting various career paths (including any wrong turns!) and opportunities. There was also be the chance to attend a mock interview or a CV clinics, and speak to a recruitment agency. And the winner of The Apprentice 2012 Ricky Martin shared his experiences with us prior to dinner.

Thank you to everyone who attended and gave feedback; the programme is listed below for reference.

We are in the very early stages of planning next year’s event, which we anticipate will have a more scientific focus, for example by giving delegates the opportunity to present their research. Please get in touch with us if you have suggestions or would like to be involved in the organisation.

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Congratulations to Luis Martin, Bangor University who was awared £500 to fund a short scientific exchange with the Università degli Studi di Salerno in Italy to study the counter current fractionation of glycolipids.

“As a result of the scientific exchange, I was able to understand and master the technique of supercritical counter current fractionation,” said Luis. The visits also enabled the relationship between the two universities to be strengthened: “Two Erasmus plus stays next year have been set up, with two MEng coming over to our facilities, accounting for a total time of one year,” Luis highlights.

Read the full report here.

We have funding of up to £500 per award for early career researchers to foster short (up to 1 month) exchange visits to another lab, with the aim of developing research collaborations. The host lab can be academic or industrial but it should be working in a different discipline or should allow the applicant to learn a new technique.

The money should be used to fund the scientific exchange, such as travel to the host lab and accommodation, but should not be used for consumables or travel to conferences. BioProNET classify an early career researcher as a scientist who has spent less than 10 years in active postgraduate research. PhD students are classed as early career researchers, but individuals with a tenured position — such as a lecturership — would be excluded.

A short report will be needed at the end of the project; payment will be in arrears and receipts will be needed.

A call is currently open. Please contact Charlotte Harrison c.harrison-560@kent.ac.uk or Joanne Flannelly joanne.flannelly@manchester.ac.uk with any queries or to submit your application.

There are many career oppurtunities availble to people with scientific training. But it is often difficult finding out about these roles, especially if you are currently in an academic environment. So here we present ‘a day in the life’, a series of interviews with people with scientific backgrounds who are lab-based or have moved away from the bench (click on the tittle to access; more interviews will be added as they become available).

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