Postdoc training

Below you can find a list of competences, skills and career oriented courses and training opportunities which are organised by Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS) in which the 6 Graduate Schools of Wageningen University (EPS, PE&RC, VLAG, WASS, WIAS and WIMEK) are formally organised.

01. Activities especially for Postdocs

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Below is a list of all activities organised by WGS, many of which are also relevant for Postdocs. Please click on the course name for more information about the course and dates at which the course is given.

02. Writing and Presenting training

• FLOW CHART to support you to decide which writing or presenting course you should follow

• Creating and Pitching Virtual Posters
  How to design an appealing virtual poster and enticingly pitch your research to an online audience.
• Developing my Research Vision (Postdocs and junior Tenure Track staff)
  Having a research vision is crucial, especially for those who want to proceed in science and must demonstrate a clear research vision, an (international) visibility and ambition for a tenure track.
• The Essentials of Scientific Writing and Presenting
  Presents an overview of how to effectively write and present scientific information
• Efficient Writing Strategies
  Putting your thoughts on paper
• Intensive Writing Week
  Do you wish you could become a more productive writer? Do you want to write together with other PhD-students for a whole week, supported by academic writing teachers and coaches?
• Posters and Pitching
  Want to learn how to sell your ideas and yourself in a poster presentation? Want to know how to design an appealing poster and to enticingly pitch your poster to an audience?
• Reviewing a Scientific Manuscript
  This half-day workshop gives insight in how to review a scientific manuscript and what possible issues may occur. Besides two lectures we will be having interactive sessions where challenges and examples of review will be discussed.
• Science Journalism
  Enhance your popular science writing and communication skills, increase your visibility and learn how to disseminate academic knowledge to a larger audience.
• Scientific Publishing
  This one-day workshop provides insight and awareness in the developments, process, rules and ethical aspects of scientific writing and publishing. Furthermore tips how to get your work published are also addressed.
• Scientific Writing
  Assisting you if you are currently writing an article or a dissertation
• Writing Grant Proposals
  Teaches you how to write a project proposal for funding
• Writing propositions for your PhD
  Workshop on propositions of the PhD thesis, including a lecture on propositions and possibility to submit your own (draft) proposition.
• Presenting with Impact
  To improve and practice oral presentations of your own work

03. Communication skills training

• Communication with the Media and the General Public
  Provides you with the necessary ideas and skills to communicate your work to non-scientists
• Critical thinking and argumentation
  Training to debate and speak in a clear, convincing and effective way
• Effective behaviour in your professional surroundings
  Effective behaviour means getting the best out of yourself. This is achieved by understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and continually striving to improve and grow, both professionally and personally. In this interactive course you develop personal and professional leadership skills to successfully work on your PhD project and beyond.
• Making Impact: Increasing the relevance of research through science-society interaction (in person)
  During this course, Dr. Harro Maat, Prof. Cees Leewis and Prof. Phil Macnaghten of the Knowledge, Technology and Innovation team will provide you with the scientific insights on how to make an impact. In addition, you can learn from them, and a panel of researchers on the different approaches they take to turn this into practical approaches. Note: this course will take place on campus as an in person training
• Mobilising your - scientific - network
  Offers you the essential tools to create a network through a variety of introductions, discussions and assignments
• Effective and efficient communication in academia and beyond - Reviews previous participants

  "This is a highly recommended course from my point of view. During the course, we got tested and knew more about our own communication styles, like assertive and passive, and we also had a lot of chances to share and discuss our own communication problems, and many effective and tailored methods were raised from the teachers or other participants.", Penghui Shen, Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods, Wageningen University

  Supply insight, understanding and a set of tools in verbal communication that allow participants to communicate in an effective and efficient manner and prevent miscommunication

04. Project and Management skills training

• Mindful Productivity for scientists -Online
  Mindful Productivity for Scientists is one of the signature courses of “I focus and write”. By the end of this course, the students will have a full strategy of productivity that starts with themselves at the center and builds up around the needs of each individual. For more information please have a look at the website.
• Mindful Productivity for scientists - Reviews previous participants

  “After the course, I managed to submit a PhD thesis on time, so I'm very happy that I joined! I would have finished it regardless, but definitely with a more troubled mentality. I'm currently in the post-submission stage, happily going through a "void" period and not feeling guilty about it!  I'm super happy I signed up!“ Daniela Requena Suarez, PhD researcher at Wageningen University

  “Before I joined this course, I was feeling negative about my work. Especially due to the lack of motivation, not having clear priorities and being drained by difficult tasks. Now I feel less stressed because I am aware that many of my blocks (such as procrastination) come from emotions, but I can understand them and put them into place with the tools I got. Also, having good planning and overview has helped me feel more positive about myself and my work.” Ana Shein, PhD researcher, NIOO-KNAW

  “When I joined this course, I had just started a tenure track position and I felt utterly overwhelmed. I was just working like crazy, but not having time for my own research. I felt that I couldn't enjoy any time off because I hadn't achieved enough for my work. The course really helped me get clear on what my values are and what I should give priority. Even if this means that I have to say no to others.”, Katja Hoedjes, Assistant Professor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

  In “I focus and write” I help scientists to have a more creative, productive, and happier academic life. To do that, I use a mindful approach (that is not spiritual) to overcome common mental and especially emotional struggles that scientists have, while they are getting things done.
• Project and Time Management
  Planning, control, monitoring and management of the research project and time are essential in accomplishing the PhD.
• Research Data Management
  This course is offered by Wageningen Graduate Schools and organised by WUR Library. It consists of lectures and practical assignments that cover various aspects of managing research data (see program below) throughout the research cycle. The course follows the order of data management topics in the WUR data management plan template (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7233369 https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.7233369), allowing participants to fill in or update their data management plan during the course. Note: you have to participate in all three parts of the course in order to receive the certificate.
• Searching and Organising Literature for PhD candidates
  Make effective use of scientific information sources in the Wageningen University & Research Digital Library and EndNote
• The Choice: Un-box your PhD process & take charge of your performance - Reviews previous participants

  ''This course has been a very big eye-opener for me in terms of recognizing and identifying my own pitfalls. We've been given useful tools and techniques to help cope with our personal struggles and got personalized advice too. I am very happy that I signed up to this course and very grateful to the teachers! Thank you!'' ''This course provides a place for PhD students to find their inner peace during their intensive work as well as gives you useful tips. 10/10 recommended!'' ''The course is made of very insightful sessions with original methods to share and reflect about our thought process and behaviour at work.'' ''At the least expected moments I came to, not only, understand but also feel insights about myself that will help me deal with myself and the PhD in the coming years'' ''Participating in the boxing and balancing exercises with a co-participant was fun. It made me maintain balance, which I relate to my research and personal life.''

   

  In the Choice you will experience and feel how you can use your personal strengths and drives effectively in your collaboration with others, while overcoming recurring obstacles and increasing your impact. The unique combination of physical approaches (such as boxcoaching), systemic constellations and group reflections will give you deep insights in your in current ways of acting, communication styles and effects.

05. Training on Teaching

Skills in teaching and supervising training sessions are offered by Educational Staff Development

• Start to supervise BSc & MSc thesis students
  Students expect certain behaviour of their supervisor, but the supervisor also has expectations of his/her student. Questions about responsibilities for supervisor and student arise. In this 2,5 hour workshop you will be provided with some general information about supervising thesis students at Wageningen University and discuss good practices, expectations, basic skills. Furthermore there will be room for questions.
• Start to teach at university
  This course is meant for PhD candidates who want to explore the art of teaching within university settings and will introduce you to some basic teaching and learning principles.
• Supervising BSc & MSc thesis students (New format)
  This course is intended for PhD candidates, postdocs, and academic staff who are or will be supervising students during their BSc or MSc thesis
• Supervising BSc & MSc thesis students (Old format)
  This course is intended for PhD candidates, postdocs, and academic staff who are or will be supervising students during their BSc or MSc thesis

06. PhD/Postdoc Well-Being

• Courses offered by Sports Centre the Bongerd
  Courses offered by Sports Centre the Bongerd

07. Ethics training

• Ethics and Animal Sciences (online (January) or in-person (all other editions)
  This 2-days course aims at PhD candidates interested in ethics and animal sciences.
• Ethics for Designers: Concepts and Tools
  In this 2 day course, we provide concepts and tools for reflection for the goal of creating ethically responsive designs.
• Ethics in Plant and Environmental Sciences (Note: one edition per year in person; one online)
  This one day course focuses on ethical issues that are encountered when doing research in plant and environmental sciences.
• Ethics for Social Sciences Research (in-person training)
  One-day seminar on dealing with ethical issues in human subjects research
• Philosophy and Ethics of Food Science and Technology (in person)
  Series of six discussion sessions including hands-on dealings with ethical, philosophical, and societal issues surrounding science
• Introduction to Scientific Integrity (in-person training)
  This 1 day-course focuses on an array challenges related to scientific integrity.

08. Career oriented training / Assessment

• Career Assessment (New format)
  The career assessment will help you to translate your competences, knowledge and skills acquired during your PhD to the demands of employers in various sectors, by describing them in tangible results.
• Career Orientation - Reviews previous participants

  "It helped me reflect and build self confidence about I want to do, the skills I already have and what needs to be done. It helps me to understand the different approaches to look for jobs and personal attitude to develop"
  "It helped me to get a clearer picture of what I want and that I can take an active attitude to finding my next job"
  "I was in a moment of great confusion and trying to ‘orientate’, so it was really helpful"
  "It gave me tools to start thinking in a very pragmatic way about job-options, and how to contact the right people to get these jobs"
  "I attended a Career Orientation course given by Hertz in the Fall of 2016. It helped me put the interesting pieces of my personality, motivations, skills, and objectives together to formulate the career of my dream. I enjoyed making a collage of my career path using random pictures. It was to me like making sense out of a puzzle. It was very interactive, informative, and exploratory. I looked forward to each course day with much interest and expectations. Now I know what are of priority in my next job(s). I therefore recommend this course to you."

  Meant for PhD candidates and postdocs who are orienting themselves in what future career to choose, in or outside of science.
• Career Perspectives (New format)
  The training Career Perspectives is meant for PhDs in their third or fourth year to prepare them for their next career step.
• Getting on Track with your Veni application
  This programme aims to provide the skills and competences needed to develop a high quality Veni proposal.
• Preparing Your Veni pre-proposal
  This programme aims to provide talented postdocs and other promising researchers the skills and competences needed to develop a high quality research pre-proposal to submit within all NWO Veni domains.
• WUR Student Career Services (events & information)
  For tips on how to search for jobs and links to vacancy websites, visit the webpage of the WUR Student Career Services. Most of their information and events are also relevant and accessible for PhD candidates. The individual career advice offered by WUR Student Career Services is not meant for PhD candidates, instead WGS organises the career related activities you can find above.

09. Other training

• Adobe InDesign - from Dissertation Layout to Poster Design (online training)
  This course in InDesign will help you create beautiful but also functional print and web layouts.
• Introduction to Git for scientific software development
  Do you write scientific software? Or do you write scripts as part of your research (e.g. Python, R, Matlab, Perl)? This course introduces the git protocol, the command-line and GUI clients available and the concepts that make git such a popular versioning tool.
• Short Workshop - Introduction to LaTeX
  An introductory workshop that covers the basics and the useful features of LaTeX; an automated document preparation system and mark-up language which can be used as an alternative to text processors like MS-WORD.
• Introduction to WUR Library for PhD candidates (online training)
  Introduction to the tools and services of the Library relevant to the first steps of your research
• Last Stretch of the PhD Programme
  Issues and questions: what must you do first, who is responsible, printing your thesis, booking doctoral defence ceremony dates, do's and don'ts.
• Quarto
  Course to learn basic principles of Quarto as a tool for open science. After this course you will be sufficiently equipped to apply Quarto to your own research project.
• Adobe Illustrator – Scientific Artwork & Infographics (online training)
  This course will help you create beautiful and functional scientific graphics.

10. Staff training

Trainings are strongly recommended as element of Tenure Track

• Professional in Supervision of PhD candidates
  This is a pre-registration for PinS spring 2025. You will be informed of the actual dates for the workshop as soon as they are known. The workshop focus is on communication styles, supervising the writing process and giving effective feedback, coaching formats, leadership, cultural issues, distance based supervision and personal needs.
• Advanced Supervisor Modules: Supporting PhDs / EngDs in reducing stress and strengthening resilience
  This half-day workshop focusses on how you as supervisor can support your PhD/EngD candidates in reducing stress levels and enhance their resilience.
• Developing my Research Vision (Postdocs and junior Tenure Track staff)
  Having a research vision is crucial, especially for those who want to proceed in science and must demonstrate a clear research vision, an (international) visibility and ambition for a tenure track.
• WGS Lunch Workshops for PhD Supervisors
  In this workshop for PhD supervisors specific topics and issues with regard the PhD programme and supervision will be discussed. The lunch workshops are organised as a live event including catered lunch on the first Thursday of the even months.

11. Links to training organized by individual Graduate Schools

• PE&RC - Production Ecology and Resource Conservation
  Training page of PE&RC
• VLAG - Biobased, Biomolecular, Food and Nutrition Sciences
  Training page of VLAG
• WASS - Wageningen School of Social Sciences
  Training page of WASS
• WIAS - Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences
  Training page of WIAS
• WIMEK - Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research
  Training page of WIMEK
• EPS - Experimental Plant Sciences
  Training page of EPS