In 2013, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs was established to better support the then 2,800 postdocs in Cambridge. A year later, the first Postdoc Centre was opened at 16 Mill Lane.
This was a recognition of the vital and growing significance of postdoctoral staff to the University’s success – and part of major commitments that the University has made to postdoc support.
Since then, we have opened two further centres and our flagship Postdoc Centre at Eddington is fully embedded in the local community, which houses over 750 University staff and their families.
We have seen our population of postdocs grow to over 4,200, a reflection of a trend across the UK, where there are now estimated to be 75-80,000 postdocs nationwide.
The Postdoc Academy
In 2020, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs changed its name to the Postdoc Academy.
This signifies not only the ever-expanding offerings of the Academy and its importance in the development and shaping of policy, but also the ways in which we support, alongside our national and international partners, the next generation of researchers to adapt to the challenges facing the plant today.
Our work
With its unique overview of the postdoctoral community in Cambridge and beyond, the role of the Postdoc Academy is to enable each individual postdoc to realise their potential in their own ambitions and in contributing to the University and society as a whole.
We do this through professional development, policy advocacy and pastoral services, as well as the provision of physical community-building spaces across the city.
Our work covers:
Policy and Research Culture
Leadership Fellowships
Innovation and entrepreneurship training
Researcher development
Communication
Supporting postdoc networks and societies
Provision of the Postdoc Centres