Queen Mary Postdoc Congress

Welcome Addresses 

_{Conference Co-chairs: Dr Anastasia Prokopi (Blizard), Dr Pauline Simon (SPCS), and Dr Marjolaine Thomas (SEMS) | Dr Anna Price (Head of Researcher Development)}

Session 1: Postdoc Life and Identity

Current and former QM researchers speaking about different elements of their lived experience as QM postdocs; each highlighting different facets of the ‘postdoc identity’.

_{SPEAKERS: Dr Zeinab Rekad (former BCI), Dr Sandra Jumbe (WIPH), Dr Charlotte Johann (History), Dr Keiji Ota (SBSS), and Dr Alena Vdovchenko (former SPCS)}

Session 2: Postdoc Development and Support

QM researcher support staff presenting opportunities available for QM postdocs, and CEDARS 2025 – What have we learned from this year’s survey?

_{SPEAKERS: Chris Mullin (Recognition and Reward Manager); Lucy Newman (Interim Research Culture Manager); Eleanor McDavis (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager); Rui Pires Martins (Researcher Development Manager); Anna Price (Head of Researcher Development); Leah Thompson (Associate Director Entrepreneurship)}

Session 3: Table Discussions
Postdocs can participate in two discussions. Table discussions will be led by stakeholders in the university who can respond to postdoc feedback and drive change systems to better serve research community

_{TOPICS: [1] Redefining ‘postdoc’ [2] Postdocs on the academic continuum/ as a specific career stage [3] Postdocs as “Staff” [4] Postdocs as Entrepreneurs [5] The Queen Mary Postdoc Experience [6] Postdoc as Representatives of other Postdocs [7] Postdocs and Research Culture [7] Postdocs as Members of Underrepresented Groups [9] Postdocs as Research Professionals}

Lunch and Networking

Session 4: Careers Panel
Former QM postdocs or Current researchers speaking about their career journeys from their postdocs.

_{PANELLISTS: Claudia Lemus (OFGEM) | Jonathan Ho(QMUL - Lab manager) | Luca Franci (Senior Research Fellow, Northumbria) | Rubina Aktar (Co-founder Elcella Ltd) | Prarit Agarwal (Amazon)}

Table 1: (Re)Defining Postdoc
What’s in a name? Being ‘a postdoc’ in a university is a diverse role. In this discussion, we want do gain your understanding of a what a postdoc does or should do within a university like this. What do postdocs want others at Queen Mary to know about being a postdoc?

Table 2: Postdocs as Early-career Researchers
Most postdocs see themselves on the early-career academic track. This discussion wants to understand how the roles and needs of postdocs overlap and contrast with other researcher roles at Queen Mary. What makes postdocs feel included or excluded as early-career researchers and academics?

Table 3: Postdocs as Staff
Postdocs are predominantly members of staff on research contracts. In this discussion we wish to understand what makes them feel included or excluded as staff members and how can the institution better communicate their policies, and reward and benefits programmes to postdocs.

Table 4: Postdocs as Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship, innovation and engagement are embedded in our research culture. What does it mean to be entrepreneurial and how is that relevant to you as a postdoc? This table seeks to foster discussion to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset amongst early-carer academics, as well novel career possibilities to consider.  

Table 5: Postdocs as representatives of Postdocs
Are the needs of postdocs being accounted for in university decision-making? In this discussion we examine how postdocs can lend their voice to university decision-making by “representing postdocs” on a committee, and what obstacles postdocs might face to doing so.

Table 6: Postdocs and Research Culture
Following on from the HE research sector update on people culture and environment, this table discussion examines how postdocs experience research culture in universities. What helps postdocs feel a part of the culture or community, and how should postdocs empower themselves to improve their own research cultures

Table 7: Fostering disability inclusive workspaces for staff
Following on from the presentation on fostering an inclusive workspace at Queen Mary for disabled staff, staff with long-term health conditions and neurodivergent staff, the round table discussions are an opportunity to discuss the shared responsibility for all staff (non-disabled staff and disabled staff). This will include practical steps everyone can take, as well as identifying challenges and sharing opportunities, within the post-doc workspaces and community. 

Table 8: Postdocs and Developing Research Professionals
What should career and professional development (CPD) support look like for Postdocs and how should this be resourced, supported, and encouraged. Through this discussion, we hope to understand the barriers to postdocs engaging in CPD and aim to better design our Researcher Development programme to better support postdocs.

Supplemental Discussion tables

Want to start a discussion with your colleagues about a different issue that is important to you?  Remember to take notes yourself or designate a scribe from your group to update one our supplementary Padlets (we’ve set up 3).

If you’d like to take these conversations forward to action, make sure you fill out the MS form that is linked in the Padlets. This will help you keep in touch after the Congress.

Near the end of your conversation, try to distil it down to a single summary point for the conference co-chairs to summarise.