A recent review conducted at the University of Sheffield looked at attitudes and access to postdoc career development, from the perspective of both PIs and postdocs.

During this session Rebecca Ehata, Careers and Employability consultant for researchers at the University of Sheffield, will share some of the key findings of this work and look at what we might learn from it. Using the conclusions of the review as a basis for discussion, we’ll be exploring questions such as:

What are the similarities and differences between postdoc and PI attitudes to career development?
What support do postdocs say they need—and they receiving it?
How can you as PIs best prepare to offer career development support alongside the other demands of your role?

By the end of this session, participants will have greater awareness of:

Challenges in aligning PI and postdoc attitudes towards career development opportunities.
The practical barriers preventing postdoc uptake of development opportunities, and strategies to reduce these.

Who can attend

This event is ideal for managers of researchers who are looking to foster a supportive research culture. Expect engaging discussions, real-world insights, and actionable takeaways.

Format of the session

The session will be held on Zoom and will be led by Dr Rebecca Ehata.

Rebecca is the Careers & Employability Consultant for Researchers at the University of Sheffield, where she leads on the delivery of careers support to PGR students and postdocs across the university’s five faculties. Following a career in the education, publishing and refugee sectors she completed a PhD on the politics of migration at the University of Manchester, before moving to the University of Oxford for a 2-year postdoc on migrant social rights. Prior to her current role she spent 5 years working as careers adviser for research staff and doctoral students at Oxford University Careers Service.

More about Prosper

Prosper is a new approach to postdoc career development that unlocks postdocs' potential to thrive in multiple career pathways.

Find out more by visiting our portal, e-mailing us at prosper.postdoc@liverpool.ac.uk or following us on Twitter/X.

Accessibility Adjustments and Alternative Format requests: If you require any accessibility reasonable adjustments or have any questions about this session, please contact the Prosper team at prosper.postdoc@liverpool.ac.uk at least 7 days before the session date so that your requirements can be referred to the facilitator(s) who will make every effort to address them where possible.

Academy Researcher Development Inclusivity Statement: The Academy is committed to providing an environment that recognises and values people's differences, capitalises on the strengths that those differences bring to the institution and supports all staff and students in maximising their potential to succeed. In line with the Academy's firm commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, we offer all postdoctoral and research-related opportunities to develop and network irrespective of a researcher’s gender, ethnicity, age, self-identification, disability, religious affiliation, or any other criteria used to separate and define.

Academy Code of Conduct: All events organised or facilitated by The Academy follow a Conduct of Conduct irrespective of the number of participants or session format. The Academy thanks all participants in advance for your cooperation to help ensure a safe and constructive environment for everybody. The Code of Conduct is available at: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/researcher/development/conduct-events/

Important: We take your privacy very seriously and will only use your email address to send you information about this session. Thereafter, we will contact you only where you have given us permission to do so. After that, you can opt-out at any time of receiving our communication by simply sending an email to prosper.postdoc@liverpool.ac.uk.

Career development - what do postdocs want and do PIs provide it?