The award-winning RisingWISE enterprise programme for women in STEMM has wrapped for this year, finishing with a residential at Cranfield University after several weeks of online engagement.
The programme is delivered in partnership between the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford and is designed to support early career researchers. Through a combination of skills development workshops and peer collaboration, our participants developed new professional contacts, tested and refined early-stage ideas, and gained exposure to entrepreneurial thinking, learning what that might look like in the lab, or in starting a venture.
We had a highly engaged cohort, with participants actively exchanging expertise and building relationships that extended beyond the programme.
RisingWISE 2025-26 highlights in numbers
- 63 postdocs participated (+10 places this year)
- 31 participants from the University of Cambridge
- Average rating: 9.5/10
- 100% would recommend
- 50% say it's already changed their future direction
Participants are now considering a range of pathways across academia, industry, venture creation and commercialisation, reflecting the programme's core message that there is no single route to success.
During the 2-day residential in Cranfield, the interdisciplinary teams transformed their research into venture ideas and delivered high-quality pitches to a panel of judges. The standard was exceptional, underlining that if this can be achieved in such a short time, the potential for these researchers to create world-changing impact is considerable!
Overall, RisingWISE has been instrumental in building confidence, leadership skills and helping women ECRs in STEMM further develop the toolkit they need to take the next step in their career.
RisingWISE is free for all participants and is funded through HEIF, the Royce Institute, the School of Technology, the School of Physical Sciences, the School of Biological Sciences and Ceres Agri-Tech, based out of Cambridge Enterprise.
Write-up by Helen Alexander, Director of IE Cambridge and Katia Smith-Litiere, Development Consultant (Entrepreneurial skills), Postdoc Academy.
Hear from the 2026 cohort
"It highlighted that there is not just one path to developing an independent career. It also helped me reflect on my competencies, which increased my confidence, and provided me with practical tools to present myself more effectively.
This experience will influence my strategic career planning going forward. Over the coming months, I plan to apply the tools and advice discussed, particularly for interviews, presentations, and grant applications, to better communicate the strength and feasibility of my ideas to potential funders.
I also feel encouraged to engage with industry partners at this stage of my career, recognising that even rejection can be a valuable opportunity for growth and improvement."
"The entrepreneurship session was really impactful. Specifically realising what it really means, how it is not necessarily bound to business, and being informed about the traits associated with entrepreneurship."
"One moment that really shifted my thinking was during the leadership panel, when one of the speakers highlighted that many important problems or injustices remain unsolved simply because no one chooses to take responsibility for them.
The idea that we can choose to step forward, take ownership, and do our best to address these challenges really stayed with me."