Part-time Careers Adviser for Research Staff CAREERS SERVICE Grade 8: Salary £36,862 – £44,016 p.a. (pro rata) The Careers Service at Oxford University, one of the oldest such services in the UK, serves almost 20,000 Oxford-based student clients; many hundreds of employers seeking to attract and recruit undergraduates, postgraduates, research staff and alumni; the colleges, faculties and departments of the University; and potentially the tens of thousands of University alumni. The University has built a client-focused Careers Service with high and increasing levels of engagement with undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and employers, attracted by added value services that are efficiently provided. We are now looking to recruit a part-time (0.6 FTE, 22.5 hours per week) Careers Adviser to join the Careers Team for a fixed-term of 18 months to focus on supporting Research Staff (RS) and Research Associates (RA). The postholder will work alongside the Careers Adviser for Postgraduate Research Students and Research Staff; they will continue to support divisions and departments in assisting RS/RAs develop appropriate career management skills, building on existing good practice and extending work already undertaken. Central to this will be encouraging early use of the Careers Service and other relevant resources including developing sessions for RS/RAs to help them develop career planning skills early in their contract. The postholder will review, develop and deliver careers provision for RS/RAs, including resources for those wishing to pursue academic careers. There will also be involvement in the wider work of the Careers Service, including with colleges, alumni and appropriate employers. Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. To apply for this role and for further details, including a job description and person specification, please click on the link below: https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=100113 Only applications received before midday on 21 March 2011 can be considered. Interviews will be held on 7 April 2011. You will be required to upload a supporting statement and CV as part of your online application. Dr Claire Conway Careers Adviser The Careers Service University of Oxford 56 Banbury Road Oxford, OX2 6PA Tel: 01865 274739 E-mail: claire.conway@careers.ox.ac.uk www.careers.ox.ac.uk
International Women’s Day
March 8, 2011Today is the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Originally the day was marked by holding rallies for women’s rights to work, to vote, to be trained, to hold public office and to end discrimination; today, we recognise 8th March as a day for celebrating women and their achievements. Women have come a long way since 1911 – but there is still much more to do before we attain gender equality across the disciplines and pay grades. We have around 945 research staff in the University of whom 43% are women, mostly at level 4. This is a critical career stage as the early career researcher level is where careers should take off. If you are a woman or are working with women, give yourself and/or them a pat on the back for the great work women are doing in the University and for the amazing potential they have!
Competition for Southampton Research Posts
February 10, 2011Data just released show that the average number of applicants for recent Southampton postdoctoral posts is now over 30, with some of the more popular jobs in Engineering and the Environment, Physical and Applied Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences attacting twice as many applicants as average.
As a Russell Group University http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/ – one of the 20 leading UK Universities we expect the number of applicants to continue to increase – so do look out for opportunities like the Southampton Postgraduate PhD and Post–Doctoral Career Fair on this Monday (14 February 2011) – see http://www.soton.ac.uk/researcherfair
Opportunities for Southampton Early Career Researchers (at 06 Feb 2011)
February 6, 2011Please note: if any of these workshops are fully booked do add yourself to the waiting list, because if a place becomes available it will be offered to the waiting list; and also if there is demand – as indicated by the waiting list, then we will repeat the workshop.
Stand and Deliver: Giving Presentations; Tuesday 22nd February 2011, one day workshop. http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/workshops/stand_and_deliver_giving_presentations.html
Getting Started in Teaching: Teaching Toolkit; Monday 28th February 2011, one day workshop. http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/workshops/getting_started_teaching.html
Communicating Science with the Public; Monday 28th February 2011, one day workshop. To book please go to StaffBook at http://www.staffbook.soton.ac.uk/
Media training for Medical and Health Research Staff; Tuesday 1st March 2011, one day workshop. To book please go to StaffBook at http://www.staffbook.soton.ac.uk/
Management and team skills training for early career researchers; Friday evening 11th to Sunday evening 13th March 2011, Two-day residential. See http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/workshops/management_and_team_skills_training.html
Coming later – watch this space, your inbox and/or the RSDT workshop page at http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/rsdt_workshops.html
- Research Staff Portfolio: plan your development for career planning, c.v., PPDR, job applications, funding applications and reports, Concordat implementation http://www.researchconcordat.ac.uk/ Researcher Development Framework http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/ecr_links.html
- Managing Research Relationships
- Writing a Book
- Acting as a Reviewer
- Giving Presentations
- Communicate with Confidence
- REF briefing for Research Staff
- How to get what you want: transferable skills for research staff
- Fellowship Interview Training
- Personal Impact and Confident Networking
- Engage your Public
Researcher Talent Development – Development Centre
February 6, 2011Thank you for all the nominations and applications for the Southampton 2011 Researcher Talent Development programme: see http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/researcher_talent_development.html Nominations and applications have now closed.
And apologies for the rushed timetable – this was partly so that we could secure the resources for 2011. From a short list of 41, we offered places to 19 Southampton Early Career Researchers, and asked them which dates for the Development Centre they would prefer. As a result the Development Centre is being held on 23rd. and 24th. February 20911 and all 19 have confirmed their places, and have received further details.
As part of the application process candidates were asked what the advantages to them would be if they attended and we have used the replies to modify the content of the Development Centre to deliver the more generic and leadership parts of what the participants wanted or anticipated.
We anticipate running a similar Southampton Researcher Talent Development programme in 2012 with a similar timetable, so if you might be interested please look out for details here and in your inbox around the start of December 2011
As an aside: in some correspondence some colleagues may not have fully grasped the difference between an “Assessment Centre” and a “Development Centre” – apologies for not making that clear. For future reference:
Assessment Centre:
Recruitment method;
External (and perhaps internal) candidates, and external and internal assessors;
Perhaps one full day or two days;
What can the candidate do now;
A battery of test and measures – including psychometrics;
Organisation owns the results;
Outcome and feedback is typically a rejection letter.
Development Centre:
Typically a couple of days, often away from the workplace;
Concentrating on longer term professional development;
Often using a psychometric tool or management development tools;
Often internal and external facilitators;
Usually a longitudinal group of internal staff (e.g. succession planning or talent management);
Focus on potential;
Provides feedback – confidential to the participant;
Outcome is typically an action plan.
What makes a ‘good’ researcher? 26 Jan 2011
January 18, 2011Dr Julie Reeves will be leading a session on Wednesday 26th January from 2.30-4.00pm in the Science Learning Centre, B29, level 3:
What makes a ‘good’ researcher? Insights from the Researcher Development Framework
The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) and the summary document accompanying it, the Researcher Development Statement (RDS), represent a major new development in supporting researchers in the UK. The purpose of the RDF is to provide a useful tool for anyone engaging in research in higher education, including full-time contract researchers as well as teaching staff conducting research, and to assist those who support researchers. Designed for ‘planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers’, the RDF seeks to ‘capture the knowledge, behaviours and attitudes of a typically ‘good’ researcher at different stages of development’. The core of the RDF is based on interview data drawn from a wide range of academics including a number based within the University of Southampton and the project was commissioned by Vitae on behalf of the Research Councils. Building on the Joint Skills Statement for postgraduate researchers, the RDF seeks to appeal across the broad spectrum of research careers – from those new to research to outstanding global performers.
This session will provide an overview of the rationale for the RDF, the nature of the research projects informing the framework and the structure and content they led to. The audience will have the opportunity to discuss the sector’s view of researcher development and the implications of implementing the RDF in HEIs. Dr Julie Reeves, Skills Training Co-ordinator for early career research staff in LATEU at Southampton, will offer an insight into the processes and ‘politics’ behind the creation and design of the RDF. The session will be of interest to researchers at any stage of their career as well as PGR supervisors, PIs and anyone who works with researchers or is curious to know what makes a ‘good’ researcher.
Please let me know if you plan to attend to help me with ordering teas and coffee and so on.
Brenda
Dr Brenda Johnston
Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer
School of Education
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Tel: 023 80 597576
E-mail B.H.M.Johnston@soton.ac.uk
Researcher Talent Development – yet further notes
January 6, 2011Just a few brief further notes – mostly replies to questions that may help in nominations or applications for the Southampton 2011 Researcher Talent Development programme: see http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/researcher_talent_development.html
5. Nominations: At 09:00 on 06 Jan 2011 there are a couple of new Faculties who are yet to make nominations. All we need are names and Southampton E-mail addresses – please get those in as soon as possible – nominations that are a day or two late will be considered. Some have asked how many they should nominate – aroundr 4 per Faculty would be appropriate, or one per individial nomination please.
6. Eligibility: In terms of the requirement for funding to be continuous: in these tough times for research funding we are willing to accept nominations from anyone with secure funding to at least 31 Dec 2011 AND at least a good chance (in the experience of their PI/HoD) of funding to continue working at Southampton to at least 30 Jun 2012.
7. Dates for the Development Centre: Some staff nominated have said they may have difficulties attending the Development Centre, depending on the dates. Please apply anyway because our current proposal is to find the most convenient two consecutive weekdays in February or early March to suit all the participants, the facilitators and when we can book a venue.
As always: any further questions please do contact me: stephen.tarling@soton.ac.uk
Researcher Talent Development – further notes
December 21, 2010Just a few brief notes – mostly replies to FAQs that may help in nominations or applications for the Southampton 2011 Researcher Talent Development programme: see http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/researcher_talent_development.html
1] Neither academic staff nor research students are eligible.
2] Staff working at NOCS, funded by NERC and who meet the other criteria, are eligible.
3] The limit of being within 10 years (fte professional experience) of starting a Ph.D. is based on the UK Research Council’s guidance on supporting early career researchers. This is 10 fte years of professional experience – so any career break, unemployment, retraining etc. should not be part of that calculation; and part time should be counted pro rata.
4] It would be good practice to ask a potential nominee before you nominate them, but there is no strict requirement. Anyone you nominate will receive an E-mail saying they have been nominated and explaining the scheme – suitable for someone who either does, or does not know the details (and referring to the web page). And they are invited to apply – so there is no obligation on them.
Further notes may be added to this blog – if you have any questions please contact me: stephen.tarling@soton.ac.uk
Researcher Talent Development: Examples of real-life Southampton University assignment
December 17, 2010In nominations or applications for the Southampton 2011 Researcher Talent Development programme (see http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/researcher_talent_development.html ) a couple of colleagues have asked about the “real-life Southampton University assignment“:
For the real-life Southampton University assignment we were intending to perhaps invite a senior member of Southampton University to discuss or suggest some topics that Southampton University really would like to find out about or provide and ask the participants to work on that and report back or present to an appropriate audience, say 8 months or so later.
We have no firm ideas because many things may have changed by the spring, but in discussion and in pitching the idea the sort of things we thought could be examples included:
1. The government is looking at the impact of Universities research and the Research Councils are asking about the influences of research. Please produce a one day meeting in November 2011 aimed at 100 Southampton research staff on a theme of ‘How Southampton Research can and should influence national policy”. You have a budget of £7K and the advice and some administrative support from LATEU.
2. The Concordat (to support the Carer Development of Researchers) – see http://www.researchconcordat.ac.uk details (C14, D6 etc.) the value and importance of mentoring for Research Staff. Please design a sustainable mentoring system for Southampton University staff with 100 research staff being mentored by 01 Jan 2012; providing training for mentors, and briefings for mentees, and a progress report to Associate Deans of Research in November 2011. You have a budget of £7K and the advice and some administrative support from LATEU, and may want to consult Staff Development, HR and others.
3. Southampton University has fewer EU grants and fewer Fellowships awarded to its research staff than the per fte average in the Russell Group. Please investigate by survey or other means why this might be and design a system, programme or other method to increase this figure, and to report your proposals to Dean of Faculties in November 2011. You have a budget of £7K and the advice and some administrative support from LATEU.
However these are merely examples we plucked out – it will need to be something Southampton University can action, and it might be that the participants split into groups to look at more than one of these. We think such a project would give participants a real insight into the running of a University, at the level of research strategy.
I hope that helps.
Regards, Stephen
Researcher Talent Development
December 9, 2010Researcher Talent Development is the 2011 programme for those research staff with potential to become academic high-flyers. By nomination/invitation. The initial development centre will probably run on 03 and 04 February 2011.
For further details see http://www.soton.ac.uk/lateu/professional_development/ECR/researcher_talent_development.html
