The Society of Biology and BBSRC are teaming-up to engage with BBSRC postdoctoral researchers and build a community of bioscience research staff.

This will begin with a Networking and Consultation event to be held on Monday 6th October at Charles Darwin House in London, which aims to engage postdoctoral researchers in the biosciences with BBSRC and Society of Biology policy-making.

The programme includes opportunities for postdocs to voice their opinions on skills requirements in bioinformatics, statistics and maths, and more broadly into the scientific research and training priorities in the biosciences.

Delegates will have the chance to network with their peers and staff from BBSRC and Society of Biology, and discuss options to maintain these contacts beyond the workshop.

Dr David McAllister, head of skills and careers at BBSRC said "BBSRC's vision is of a highly-skilled community of postdocs who make informed career choices, are well networked with each other and have an affinity for BBSRC as a partner within research.

"This event will bring together, for the first time, a cross-section of the postdocs that BBSRC supports to forge a closer relationship between them and BBSRC, and to provide the postdocs with an opportunity to have their say on bioscience research and training policy."

Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, director of education and training at the Society of Biology said "Principal investigators, institutions, funding agencies and nonprofits all must make strides in postdoctoral education and training that emphasize developing both research skills and professional competencies to ensure that postdocs achieve future success.

"This is especially true given the current economic climate, the increased interdisciplinary nature of today’s research and an increasing global reliance on science and technology postdocs.

"We hope that this initial workshop, in collaboration with BBSRC, will be a first step to developing targeted support for postdoctoral education and training.”

BBSRC-funded postdoctoral researchers interested in attending this event should complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/535JBWT by Wednesday 24th September 2014.

Spaces are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions regarding this event, then please email postdoc.researchers@bbsrc.ac.uk

Programme

Introduction from BBSRC and Society of Biology
Networking
Having your say: Survey of postdoctoral researcher computational, bioinformatics and statistical skills

• What you told us: summary of results and key findings
• Clarifying the problem: what are the issues and barriers?
• Solving the problem: what are the potential solutions?

Bioscience horizon scanning
Networking lunch
Bioscience horizon scanning continued
Outputs from the BBSRC/MRC Vulnerable Skills Survey: Issues of particular interest to BBSRC's postdoc community
What happens next:

• Outputs from the day
• Community building
• What else should BBSRC and Society of Biology be considering?