Applications are now open for our Professional Development Boot Camp, a two-day training opportunity covering a range of topics to help postdocs boost their potential for career success.
Finding time for professional development as a postdoc can be difficult to factor into your working life. So, together with CAM-DTP, we have created this opportunity to help you develop a broad range of key skills, all in one go, and to support you in building your interdisciplinary networks with peers and senior academics.
Who is the boot camp for?
This event is designed for researchers who are at a relatively early stage of their postdoc journey, or for those who haven’t had a chance to attend training in the topics being offered on the course.
Some elements of the training are loosely based around research in the social sciences but are not restricted to it, and we welcome anyone who would like to share their research and meet others from outside their discipline.
When is it happening?
This boot camp will take place from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 February 2026.
What will be covered?
This two-day event includes a series of sessions on popular and relevant topics for your professional development and lots of opportunities to network with your peers. Sessions will cover topics such as grant writing, self-leadership, career planning, networking and publishing.
It will culminate in a networking lunch and mini-symposium, where you will have the chance to present your research to each other and to invited guests, including Cambridge academics. A specific session on presentation skills will support you in preparing your mini-symposium presentation.
How do I apply?
To apply for a place on this two-day training and networking event, please ensure that you are eligible and can commit to fully attending both days of the boot camp, then complete the application form.
In addition to some basic background information, you will be asked to provide brief (no more than 200-words each) statements describing:
- your research in lay terms
- why you would like to attend the course.
If we receive more applications than there are places available, we will use your response to the second question to inform our selection, including the degree to which the course matches your expectations and how your participation would contribute to a positive experience for you and the other participants.
The deadline for submitting your application is Thursday 8 January 2026. You will be notified of the outcome of your application by the end of the following week.
Please contact development.pda@admin.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this event.