Bristol Clear Bulletin- 26th April

Your development matters!

Issued every fortnight, this bulletin for Researchers at Bristol brings you the latest news about personal and career development opportunities, both from inside and outside of the University.

Focus on

Building Your Profile

Your academic profile not only showcases your expertise but also plays a crucial role in advancing your career, securing funding, and collaborating with your peers. Does your current profile clearly identify your unique selling points? Join Bristol Clear and expert guests for workshops designed to help you elevate your presence and engage with your community:

Building your external academic profile
A workshop focused on enhancing your academic profile. Explore strategies to showcase your work, increase visibility, and advance your career. Gain practical insights through guided facilitation to review and update your profile. Monday 20th May, 10:00-13:00 (in person) OR Tuesday 09th July, 13:00-16:00 (hybrid)

LinkedIn for Researchers: Simple steps to extend your research network
A workshop designed to enhance LinkedIn skills for those with basic familiarity. Learn to optimise your profile, create engaging content, and build a network to unlock new opportunities. Gain confidence in using LinkedIn, craft a more relevant profile, and effectively communicate your professional story. Monday 03rd June, 10:00-12:00 (in person)


Upcoming workshops

Places are now available on the following workshops:

  • 26 April 13:00-16:30- Developing your narrative promotions case
  • 29 April 14:00-16:00- Take Action Career Development Workshop
  • 01 May 14:00-15:00- Intro to Writing a Grant Proposal [Arts & SSL]- waiting list 
  • 02 May 10:00-12:30- Financial Wellbeing: Approaching Retirement (USS)- in person
  • 02 May 10:30-15:30- Networking for Researchers- a strategic approach (in person)
  • 09 May 09:00-16:30- ImpactLab
  • 09 May 09:30-12:00- Discovering Career Support for Researchers at Bristol (in person)
  • 14 May 14:00-16:00- Know Yourself: Career Development Workshop
  • 16 May 10:00-13:00- Presenting with Confidence for Researchers 
  • 16 May 14:30-15:30- Open Research: Research Data Management and Open Access 
  • 20 May 10:00-13:00- Building Your External Academic Profile 
  • 20 May 09:30-13:00- Developing Effective Conversations (3 parts)
  • 21 May 10:00-11:00- Closing Down a Research Project 
  • 21 May 14:00-16:30- Financial Wellbeing Workshop (online)
  • 23 May 09:30-16:30- Dealing with Uncertainty and Risk in Research Projects 
  • 23 May 09:30-12:00- Financial Wellbeing: Preparing for Retirement- waiting list 
  • 23 May 09:30-12:30- Being Strategic about Your Career as a Researcher
  • 28 May 10:30-11:30- Introduction to Research Data 

To book, please sign in to Develop now and search the catalogue for these course titles. To book a place after registration has closed, please email sd-course@bristol.ac.uk

To see a full list of Bristol Clear and Research in Practice workshops, please see our webpage.


Research-related events and initiatives

EBI Lunchtime LINKS

The Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI) are pleased to invite you to their  EBI Lunchtime LINKS (Learning, Innovation, Networking, Knowledge and Support) sessions to enable researchers to make links with their peers in a supportive and motivational environment to help them grow and excel in their fields. Join us for them for the upcoming Lunchtime LINKS session on Commercialisation & Intellectual Property (IP) in research projects. Featuring guest speaker Olivia Champion, Research Commercialisation Manager, Research, Enterprise and Innovation. Thursday, May 9, 2024, 12:00-13:30, Verdon Smith room, Royal Fort House. For more info go to EBI Events Page.


Discovering Career Support for Researchers at Bristol

Discover your next steps in your research career at a Bristol Clear information session. Explore specialized career support tailored for Pathway 2 researchers, including workshops, mentoring, and coaching. Learn about research application development, funding opportunities, Open Access, and research data management support provided by the Research Development team. Gain insights into Pathway 2 promotion and end-of-contract policies. Plus, engage in personal reflection and networking opportunities with researchers from various faculties.

Thursday 9th May, 09:30-12:00, Beacon House. Book now!


Wellcome Early- Careers Awards

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.  See guidance and eligibility criteria https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/schemes/early-career-awards. Deadline: 21st May 24. Please e-mail any questions to rda-challenges@bristol.ac.uk.


Integrating Health Research: Mechanisms to Populations

Join the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for an Interdisciplinary event on Thursday 23 May 2024, 10:30 – 15:00,  Rooms G13/14 in Life Sciences Building Tyndall Avenue. For more details and registration form please visit the event SharePoint page .You are welcome to attend either session or the whole event. Registration closes at 2pm 9 May 2024.


Funding for Researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani Heritage

Accelerator Awards | Grant funding | Wellcome will be for up to £200,000 per researcher, for up to two years. Researchers at a UK higher education institution can apply at any stage of their career from postdoctorate onwards, up to but not including professorship. The awards cover any discipline, but the research area must align with our Discovery Research remit – encompassing research into life, health and well-being – or in the Climate and Health, Mental Health, or Infectious Disease research programmes. Deadline 18 June 2024.


2024 BBSRC IAA Funding  and MRC IAA 2024-2026 funding call now open!

The DREI team are happy to announce that the BBSRC IAA 2022-25 funding call  MRC IAA 2024-2026 funding call are now LIVE. Full guidance on the awards, expression of interest and application form, and resources are available at https://uob.sharepoint.com/sites/red/SitePages/BBSRC-Pathfinder.aspx.


Inclusive Research Toolkit & Opportunity to participate in train-the-trainer programme

The Inclusive Research Toolkit has been developed to support inclusive research practice. We are currently working on further reviewing and developing the content of the Toolkit, and on supporting its use and implementation through a train-the-trainer programme. We would like to invite you to complete this short form to share your thoughts on the toolkit, and to let us know if you are interested in taking part in a train-the-trainer workshop (in person). These half-day workshops will be held in May/June and numbers are limited. The workshops will be designed to support you with using the toolkit most effectively, and to support inclusive research practice across your Schools.


From Cuttlefish to Clinic: The Enterprise Sessions with Dr Shelby Temple

How do you transition from academia to entrepreneurship? In the latest episode of the Enterprise Sessions, Professor Michele Barbour talks to Dr Shelby Temple about founding his company Azul Optics, a medical device company focused on using innovative screening technologies to improve eye health. Shelby shares how he learned he could pursue commercialisation at Bristol through programmes like SETsquared and ICure. Take a look at the latest episode on the Enterprise Sessions website.


Career development resources from other providers

Next-gen Probiotics for Gut Health | The Enterprise Sessions with Jenny Bailey

How can chance encounters with University of Bristol colleagues lead to a spin out opportunity? Find out as Professor Michele Barbour talks to University of Bristol alumna Dr Jenny Bailey, the CEO and Co-Founder of Ferryx, a biotech company focused on the commercial production of live bacterial products for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal inflammation in humans and animals. Dr Bailey shares her experiences with the ICURe programme, which encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone, engage with stakeholders, refine the project, and test its market viability.

Watch the video here.


We’d love to hear from you: please contact the Bristol Clear team with any queries or to provide feedback: bristol-clear@bristol.ac.uk.