Support for professional development
The EuroTechPostdoc2 programme will support our fellows with their professional development. Part of that support will be embedded in the arrangements with the supervisor. Part will come from the EuroTech Postdoc Academy, that comes with the programme. Programme and Academy will provide the fellows with:
EuroTechPostdoc2 fellows will have a personal supervisor at their Host Institution (the Host Supervisor) and a personal co-supervisor at the Co-host Institution (the Co-host Supervisor). The supervision will take place both at formalized meetings and during day-to-day research collaboration and collegial interactions.
In EuroTechPostdoc2, the fellow’s career development will be documented in a Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP). This PCDP will be drafted in the early phase of the fellowship. And it will serve as a monitoring tool between fellow and supervisor after that.
The PCDP will describe the type of position the fellow aims to hold 5 years after the start of the fellowship, outline milestones, as well as the training and outreach activities (scientific, career orientation and soft skills) that the fellow plans to engage in during the fellowship in order to reach the defined career goal.
This first PCDP will include plans for the research stays in the mandatory collaborative projects, plans (if applicable) for collaborations with the non-academic sector (including research stays) and for the bootcamps.
The EuroTech universities offer research in engineering within almost the entire spectrum of the technical and natural sciences. The universities offer a wide variety of opportunities to the fellows to strengthen their scientific competences.
Scientific training during the fellowship can take many forms. For instance: courses, conferences, hands-on training in equipment or machines and most importantly, training-through-research.
The fellows will receive personal and professional scientific supervision and mentoring in their field of research at the Host and Co-host Institution. The fellows can attend scientific courses that are relevant for the execution of their research project and to sustain their career development plan.
Beyond the scientific training, all universities offer a broad set of courses and training opportunities in key transferable skills. These skills will strengthen the profile of the fellows, regardless of which direction their career might take, i.e. in the academic, private or public sector.
In particular, entrepreneurship and innovation are considered core elements at the EuroTech Universities. The business-oriented approach of the universities and the many interactions with relevant industry provide the fellows with different career options and contribute to greater knowledge of the public and private sectors. Courses are offered among others in the following topics: Communication, Project management, Entrepreneurship and innovation, career development, Code of Conduct, Ethics and Data management, Fundraising, and Teaching.
The EuroTechPostdoc2 Bootcamps will take place two times during the fellowships (in year 1 and year 2). The Bootcamps will be intensive five-day events focusing on soft-skill training, strengthening the fellows’ network and preparation ahead of their careers. The purpose is also to create a strong sense amongst the fellows of belonging to a unique community of excellence.
Two types of bootcamps will be organized. One with a main focus on soft-skill training towards the academic field and networking activities. And one with a more forward-looking focus on career perspectives, employability as well as project result exploitation.
If all bootcamps are attended, the planned additional courses are followed with good results, and all reports are completed in time, the fellow will receive a EuroTech Postdoc Academy Certificate.
