Book your events now for National Postdoc Appreciation Week (15-19 September 2025).
The annual Postdoc Appreciation Week is an opportunity to highlight the contribution our postdocs make, celebrate their achievements and show appreciation and support.
What is a postdoc?
Postdocs work on fixed, short-term research contracts; they are not students, nor are they aiming for a qualification – they are members of staff engaged in a temporary period of mentored research and/or scholarly training. Many will pursue permanent positions in academia, but the transferable skills developed mean that resulting career paths are numerous. It can be a time of transition, tremendous growth and comes with opportunities and challenges.
What’s on in Postdoc Appreciation Week?
From surviving to thriving: Planning your future
Register now to join the free, national event for postdocs on Monday 15 September.
This online event explores the power of self-leadership. The expert speaker will share strategies for taking control of your development, followed by a panel discussion with former postdocs who have carved diverse career paths. Celebrate your journey and gain tools for tackling what’s next. Expect inspiration, honest insights, and a dash of comic relief!
This event is organised by UK NPAW, the volunteer group of postdocs/ex-postdocs and researcher developers across institutions in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The group organises the annual, free, online Postdoc Appreciation Week flagship event that aims to uplift postdocs and provide useful information for the community. Visit the NPAW website to find out more.
When: Monday 15 September at 10.30am – 12.30pm
Where: Online
How to book: Visit the NPAW website and book for NPAW event now.
Postdoc networking lunch on Wednesday 17 September
Open to all postdocs, this is a great opportunity to meet fellow postdocs from across the University, share your experiences, make connections, and expand your professional network. Lunch will be provided.
When: Wednesday 17 September at 12.30pm-1.30pm
Where: Location to be confirmed
How to book: Book for the Postdoc networking lunch now to secure your place and notify any dietary requirements by end of Wednesday 10 September.
ECR roundtable: The publication business on Wednesday 17 September
The roundtable discussion is tailored to the Postdoc and Early Career Researcher community but open to all members of staff in addition to well-advanced PhD students.
Organised for the Early Career Researcher (ECR) community, this event brings together researchers from all disciplines and responds to requests from our Postdoc and ECR community to discuss the publication business.
There will be contributions from discussants and the event will be facilitated by Dr Barbara Grabher (ECR Ambassador). Whether you’re new to publishing research and want to find out more – or you have some ideas that you would like to pursue and would welcome some guidance – come along and discover more about publishing your research as an Early Career Researcher – including the pressure to publish and potential pitfalls.
When: Wednesday 17 September 2025 at 1.30pm-2.30pm
Where: Location to be confirmed
How to book: Book for the ECR roundtable now to secure your place.
Further information
Book now for the:
Are you a Principal Investigator or do you supervise a postdoc or fixed-term researcher? If so, please encourage them to attend these events.
Look out for more information about Postdoc Appreciation Week on StaffCentral in September.
