Training and Support

People looking at a cellular image on a computer screen

We offer support to all colleagues to achieve their full potential.

We have a thriving group of PhD students, post doctoral students, Group Leaders as well as scientific support and operational staff who are essential to the smooth running of the Institute. All employees benefit from a site induction, personal development plans, access to world class facilities plus an excellent array of training courses. Training is given on a broad range of topics including: 
 

Training for Scientists

  • Scientific writing
  • Intellectual property
  • Commercial awareness
  • Scientific ethics
  • Computational and data handling skills
  • Mathematical skills
  • Bioinformatics
  • Journal clubs and more

Training for All

  • A range of IT and information handling courses
  • Networking and team working
  • Presentation skills
  • Time management
  • Media training & Public Engagement
  • Public Events and Communication Training
  • Project management and more

Additional complementary training courses are available to our staff and scientists through our Human Resources department. The Institute organises seminars on specific careers e.g. patent law and IP, entrepreneurship, spinning out research and more.  Plus our on-site seminar programme offers regular presentations from visiting scientists.

Group Leader Training

We offer potential Group Leaders two routes to join the Institute as Tenure Track Group Leaders (TTGL)

  • By competing for prestigious Career Development Fellowships from external bodies or
  • Appointment as non-permanent Group Leaders supported through ISP funding.



All TTGL receive mentoring and progress is formally monitored. Tenure decisions are made following external peer review and assessment by members of our Board of Trustees.

Public Engagement Training

The Institute aims to facilitate and constructive communication and promote effective networking with the bioscience community and our various public audiences. Developing communication skills that are suitable, where necessary, for a non-scientific audience is therefore essential to fulfill these aims, better enabling the our scientists to listen and respond to the needs and concerns of our public audiences and operate effectively with the media.  We encourage all scientists to participate in public events, and provide outreach and communication training.

 

Several PhD students have been selected for the University of Cambridge’s Rising Stars programme – a course in public engagement and educational outreach for undergraduates, postgraduates, postdocs and early career academics. Many of our PhD students and scientists are STEM Ambassadors.