Education and Public Affairs
SCIENCE WITH IMPACT
Date: Thursday 28th June from 17.00 – 19.00
Organizer: Michael Berenbrink (Liverpool University), Craig Franklin (University of Queensland), Sarah Blackford (SEB) and Talja Dempster (SEB)
Contact: s.blackford@lancaster.ac.uk
Confirmed Speakers
Lynne Sneddon (University of Liverpool), Hans Pörtner (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research), Rod Wilson (University of Exeter), Steve Long (University of Illinois), Anthony Hall (Univeristy of Liverpool)
All SEB delegates arriving on 28th June for the Main Meeting are very welcome and encouraged to attend this session which will also be open to the public. Tickets are £10 and include a glass of wine and light snacks afterward.
CAREER PLANNING FOR RESEARCH BIOSCIENTISTS
Date: Friday 29th June from 12.00 – 14.00
Organizer: Sarah Blackford (SEB)
Contact: s.blackford@lancaster.ac.uk
People who succeed in their careers sometimes say they have just been ‘lucky’. But is this really the case? Find out how to enhance your employability and optimise your chances of realising the career you are aiming for whether it is along an academic or an alternative career path. The SEB delivers career workshops throughout Europe during the year and this abridged session will provide a ‘crash course’ in career planning. We will include information on bioscience-related careers, how to write effective CV and successful interview technique. A list of resources will also be provided during the session.
WOMEN IN SCIENCE DINNER
Date: Saturday 30th June from 20.00 – 22.30, Europa Hotel, Salzburg
Organizer: Sarah Blackford (SEB) and Teresa Valencak (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
Menu: TBC – three course dinner with wine
Contact: s.blackford@lancaster.ac.uk
After dinner speaker: Dr Barbara Zimmerman (Austrian Science Foundation)
Fix the system, not the women
Can special fellowships advance participation of women in science? Do they prevent women who have trained for a PhD from leaving science too quickly?
The departure of woman from scientific careers is well known in Europe and North America and is frequently referred to as a “leaky pipeline”. Despite enormous gains ensuring equal opportunities for woman scientists there remain strong differences between the numbers of men versus women who reach top positions in science.
Where exactly are the remaining barriers then? This year’s speaker, Dr. Barbara Zimmermann, leads the department for women’s programmes for the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) in Vienna, Austria. Trained as a scientists herself, she decided to switch gear at one stage in her own career and to actively work on supporting other women’s scientific careers. Apart from addressing the above questions she will talk about the value of going independent, the importance of good mentors and outstanding ideas, all from the view of the main science funding institution in Austria which supports early career scientists every year on the basis of peer reviewed grant proposals. Dr. Zimmermann will also give a brief outline on funding instruments available and, due to her huge experience on the subject, she will provide a few hints for successful grant and fellowship proposals.
Please join us at this year’s Woman in Science dinner even if, or just because you are male. This event, which starts with a good meal followed by the presentation of the speaker has been running for 11 years now and regularly attracts 10% of conferences delegates whether female or male. Don’t miss it!
ADVANCED COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Date: Monday 2nd July 14.00 - 17.00
Organizer: Jenny Sneddon (Liverpool John Moores) Sarah Blackford (SEB)
Contact: s.blackford@lancaster.ac.uk
Are you getting your message across? Different audiences require different communication styles and languages. Here we present ways to optimise the effectiveness of your delivery depending on your audience and purpose.
Finding the Hook – enhancing the impact of your research talk. The media always look for a hook when they deliver their stories – your job is no different. How do you draw in your conference audience through your abstract, talk or poster?
Talking to funders – how do you write and present a winning funding application? Find out the fundamentals to successful grant-writing.
Publishing – a two-way process. If you want to improve your communication in one direction, it can be helpful to find out what it’s like to be on the receiving end. In this session we will show you effective refereeing techniques which will improve your confidence as a referee (or encourage you to volunteer to be one) and will also help you to improve your own scientific writing and publication output.
Enhancing your presence. Are you locked into the old ways of doing things? Do new technologies elude you or are you just too busy to find out about them? Take some time out from your science sessions to learn about social media such as blogging, tweeting and other networking tools, as well as how to zap up your presentations and make them more dynamic and visually exciting.
CAREERS ADVICE AND INFORMATION STAND
Date: Friday 29th June to Monday 2nd July
Organizer: Sarah Blackford (SEB)
Contact: s.blackford@lancaster.ac.uk
Career planning and development is central to SEB’s mission to help support the careers of our early-career members and meeting delegates. SEB’s Education & Public Affairs Section, in collaboration with EURAXESS, will provide a dedicated careers stand in the main exhibition area where we will offer information and advice specifically aimed at research biologists. In addition, you can book a 30-minute session to have your CV checked during the conference.
Job Shop: We will also offer a ‘job-shop’ service so please email ahead, or bring with you, positions being offered as well as those wanted and we will act as a central meeting point for informal discussions.