Postdoc support
Postdocs are a valuable part of the EPS community. Support for them has increased immensely since the EPS postdoc council was established. Together, we offer courses, symposia, and training exclusively for postdocs.
Career Development
Postdocs have short contracts (max 4 years/institution), and their next career steps need to be well-planned.
In addition to various workshops (mostly organized by the EPS Postdoc Council) and training opportunities, we have developed a Career Development Plan to support you in shaping your professional path. We kindly encourage you to discuss your career plans and expectations for your postdoc with your PI at the very beginning of your contract. This early conversation will help you clearly identify what steps and skills are still needed to reach your career goals, allowing you to plan relevant trainings in advance. Ideally, this will also provide you with a broader perspective on potential career options beyond academia.
If you did not receive the Career Development Plan during your registration, you can download it here.
This plan enables the discussion of important career development steps during their contract:
• Expectation
• Publication
• Training, including budget
• Teaching
• Short and long-term planning
Courses
Scientific courses
EPS provides a wide range of courses, seminars, workshops, and symposia designed to:
• Deepen your expertise in specialized research areas
• Broaden your scientific perspective across disciplines
• Expand your professional and academic network
Transferable skills
EPS and Wageningen Graduate Schools organize a range of courses for transferable skills.
Some of them are focused exclusively on postdocs:
• Career Development for Postdocs: Science and the Alternatives
• Developing my Research Vision (Postdocs and junior Tenure Track staff)
• Courses on supervision and teaching, organised by the Teaching and Learning Centre
• VENI Masterclasses
• Narrative CV
Registered postdocs benefit from reduced course fees for activities organized by EPS or by one of the affiliated universities and institutes.
From academia to industry: EPS postdoc mentor programme
Progress, innovation and sustainability are essential for breeding. This requires in-depth research and specialist knowledge. Postdocs play an important role in this – they have in-depth professional knowledge and a fresh perspective on innovation.
For many postdocs, however, the business world is relatively unknown. To support them in the transition, Plantum and the EPS Postdocs Council of the Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences (EPS) have set up a mentoring program. In this program, postdocs are paired with professionals from companies to give them more insight into what it is like to work in the sector. Would you like to join the programme?
Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/gXsC8NjN2Y
Postdoc advisor
Juliane Teapal is the postdoc advisor of EPS. She gives confidential advice on problems related to research or issues with the PI or chair and can advise you on training, personal and career development, career choices and coaching. For problems outside her expertise, she will direct the postdoc to another person or service. You can contact Juliane via email or phone.