{"id":1056,"date":"2022-09-07T09:15:14","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T08:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sealeyassociates.com\/?p=1056"},"modified":"2022-09-09T10:49:16","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T09:49:16","slug":"a-pilots-eye-view-the-esrc-postdoctoral-fellows-development-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sealeyassociates.com\/a-pilots-eye-view-the-esrc-postdoctoral-fellows-development-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pilot\u2019s-eye View: The ESRC Postdoctoral Fellows Development Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u201cI really appreciate being a part of this programme. It is fantastic\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We at Sealey Associates, along with our partners the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN<\/a>*), were delighted to be commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council<\/a> (ESRC) in October 2021 to design and deliver their pilot professional development programme for ESRC-funded postdoctoral fellows. Via the pilot, the ESRC is giving a group of 30 postdoctoral fellowship award holders the opportunity to develop their leadership and policy engagement skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to recommendations from the ESRC-commissioned reports Fit for the Future<\/em><\/a> <\/em>and the PhD review<\/a>, the council is expanding and enhancing the support it offers to early career researchers. The ESRC Postdoctoral Fellows Development Programme is a part of that endeavour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We’ve enjoyed collaborating with the ESRC’s first cohort of fellows and, as we ready ourselves to return from the summer break, it seems a good time to reflect on the successes and insights from the programme so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About Us <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sealey Associates delivers coaching and training programmes which support academics to create networks, collaborations and partnerships that enhance their research and their careers. Higher education research and knowledge exchange expert Dr Bridget Sealey has worked closely with the ESRC to develop and lead the delivery of the programme, along with our partner UPEN and our collaborators, policy engagement specialists Rebecca Asher and Emily Jesper-Mir. The programme has drawn on external expertise too, linking with specialists from organisations as diverse as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC<\/a>), the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP<\/a>), Genomics England<\/a>, European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST<\/a>), the Education Policy Institute<\/a>, and SAGE<\/a> academic publishers \u2013 more on this below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our tailored approach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fit for the Future<\/em><\/a> report called for \u2018a more strategic, inclusive and ambitious approach to research leadership\u2019. This programme is a direct response to the report\u2019s recommendations and offers a learning experience that helps fellows to develop collaborative leadership skills and across disciplinary, organisational and professional boundaries. Critically, the programme is also driven by the needs that early career researchers (ECRs) themselves identified as vital components for long-term careers in the report and in the PhD review<\/a>. The programme involves a mixture of individual coaching sessions, mentorship, workshops, networking opportunities and seed funding. Elements such as peer-to-peer mentoring and invitations to expert speakers have been especially tailored to reflect the interests of the participating fellows. The programme has helped them to develop the skills essential for leadership, to build their knowledge of the policy landscape, andto understand how to collaborate effectively with a wide range of academics and professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n