Research Staff Development and Careers
The School wishes to support its research staff in their professional development and in their career planning. The work of all research staff in their current role is appreciated, not least because it forms a major part of the output of the School. It is realised that different staff have different wishes for how their career will develop.
Following the successful completion of a PhD and possibly a postdoctoral position, physicists find many options available to them in industry and the public sector. A good deal of useful skills, knowledge, international recognition, and contacts can be developed during a successful postdoc position, and this can be put to good use in various areas. Many research staff will find interesting positions in a range of careers including research and development in industry, research work in national labs, management roles in organisations, etc. The Vitae report linked to below gives useful information. A minority obtain an academic position. An academic career offers many incentives, including the ability to pursue your own ideas and self-determine your work, but academia is also a very competitive environment where only the most successful thrive. A good indicator is the successful completion of a fellowship proposal (see below), as it tests the ability to come up with novel ideas and convince your peers that these are worth funding.
The following links may include material of assistance for career development within the current role, for those seeking to continue employment within the university sector, and those aiming for employment in due course outside the university sector.
Links mainly on Professional Development
Postdoctoral research staff section of CAPOD. The University’s CAPOD central organisation provides information and courses relevant to the professional development of all staff in the University. There are numerous useful courses provided for no charge to employees, many of which would probably attract a significant charge for those outside our system.
University research staff forum. The University has a Research Staff Forum, which is happy to hear about suggestions that you may have. The School's representatives are Dr Graham Smith and two members of research staff. These researchers are also members of the School's Staff Council. For 2012 they are Rim Fares and Duncan Robertson.
Research Professional funding database. The University has a licence to use this funding opportunities database, which research staff can register with for free through the Research Funding Office (Finding a Funder link at the top).
Networking - We suggest that research staff take the opportunity to make themselves known to visiting colloquium speakers, research visitors, etc. It may also be worth noting the resource that is here in terms of advice from eg academic and research staff across the School. Although much interaction naturally happens within research teams, the School is keent to ensure that discussions across those boundaries are both possible and potentially useful. The University Careers Centre recommends putting up a profile on LinkedIn. National and International Conferences can allow for good networking that can be useful in your current role as well as what you may have planned for the future.
A personal fellowship is often a great next-step in an academic career. There may be possibilities through schemes run by the research councils (eg EPSRC STFC RCUK), RSE, Royal Society, European Research Council, etc. Graham Smith runs occasional seminars for the School's researchers on how to apply for fellowships. Those writing this sort of application are encouraged to speak with experienced members of staff in the School to seek advice.
Links mainly relevant for the "next step"
University Careers Centre The University Careers Centre is happy to be consulted about where you may wish to see your career developing. The contact there for physics and astronomy is Ben Carter. He has worked with me to provide some of the following links.
The Institute of Physics and the American Institute of Phyiscs have sections on careers.
Vitae - The national “vitae” organisation and website aims to provide relevant information on development and careers. Three things to highlight are their What Do Researchers Do 2011 report (physical science destination stats on page 22), their database of research career stories, and their section describing the Researcher Development Framework.
Talent Fishing report by the Council for Industry & Higher Education (scroll down a little way in the Publications section). It has some interesting information on what skills are and aren’t valued by industrial employers of researchers.
University Researchers and the Job Market was compiled by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services in 2009, so is now a little old, but there are some good case studies in here of researchers’ experiences.
Jobs.ac.uk The jobs.ac.uk has a New Year Career guide that may be of interest, as well as listings of vacancies in a variety of institutions.
An Academic Career is hosted by the University of Manchester, and gives a useful overview of life as an academic, going from Masters level upwards.
The Euraxess UK and EU networking websites contain links to jobs and services for researchers, both those coming to the UK and those considering working elsewhere in the EU.
Additional Related Information
Research Staff Concordat - A discussion current February 2012 about how the University implements the concordat and how this figures in external recognition.
Bruce Sinclair 4.2.12
