Training and Development Initiatives – October 2019

Fran Long, Training and Education Co-ordinator outlines the initiatives undertaken since the previous newsletter in June 2019 to recruit, induct, engage and develop our early career scientists and engineers and to attract young people to consider careers in energy storage.

ATTRACT

The Faraday Institution is actively working with the community to attract a dynamic and diverse pool of talent for the field of energy storage and battery technology. Thank you to all those who have collaborated on the projects detailed below.

The Faraday Institution Scholars Programme (FISP)

We are delighted to be working with five of our founding universities to launch a bursary programme. The FISP provides an annual bursary for up to 14 students from groups historically under-represented in science and engineering careers (ethnic minorities, women, and the socio-economically disadvantaged) to pursue STEM degrees. University partners provide Faraday Scholars with a mentor and a paid summer internship in an energy storage laboratory in their university or with an appropriate industry partner. The scheme will be publicised by our partner universities and the Faraday Institution on November 4.

The Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE)

Over the summer the Faraday Institution supported 32 undergraduates to conduct research in the battery labs of our partner universities. These 8-week, competitive internships give undergraduates access to leading scientists and unique facilities and hands-on research experience. A select group of interns will present their research via a poster session at the Faraday Institution research project review meeting this November. We ask that those researchers attending the review connect with the interns and provide encouragement in pursuing a career in the field.

The Fully Electric Engagement Programme (FEEP)

At the end of October, 38 undergraduate students on STEM degree programmes attended an attraction event held in Birmingham organised by the Faraday Institution and SEO London, a charity that prepares talented students from ethnic minority or low socio-economic backgrounds for career success. The vision is to inspire, attract and retain people from backgrounds historically under-represented in STEM. Participants met with battery researchers from a range of our industrial partners including JLR, Johnson Matthey, UKBIC and Williams Advanced Engineering, as well as our Faraday Institution PhD researchers, exposing them to potential battery related careers.

 

Sandhurst STEM Careers Fair

In September a team from the Faraday Institution community and broader Faraday Battery Challenge showcased battery technology careers to some of the 2,000 young people and their teachers attending the Sandhurst STEM Careers Fair. We even shared our pioneering work towards a fully electric future with HRH Princess Anne.

The Faraday ‘Fully Charged Battery Box’

We are delighted to have partnered with the Curiosity Box to create a bespoke resource about batteries for our researchers to use with school children, aged 7-11. For more details including how you can get involved with STEM outreach activities click here or contact Fran Long.

Inspiring Award-winning Young Scientists

In October Fran Long was delighted to present about battery technology career opportunities to 73 award winning scientists at the Oxfordshire Young Scientist of the Year Awards as well as to the Science Oxford STEM Work Experience cohort.

young scientists

RECRUIT

Please continue to send job adverts for researcher vacancies to Louise Gould, who can help publicise the positions on our website and LinkedIn page. We are aware of over 20 PDRA positions on our new research projects currently being advertised. Read more… Spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested. 

INDUCT

Community Guide

We are pleased to circulate our Community Guide to coincide with the launch of our new research projects. Please look through this resource to familiarise yourself with our initiatives and systems and keep it to hand for reference throughout your work as part of our community. 

Tell Us About You…

As we continue to grow the Faraday Institution community, we seek to understand our membership. We aspire to create a truly inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and feel a sense of belonging whilst empowering each and every one of you to have a voice. We celebrate individuality and know that combining the skills and talents of a dynamic and diverse community brings great strength. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group headed up by Susan Robertson is looking at positive ways to ensure these values are lived out throughout our community.

If you are a Faraday Institution researcher, we encourage you to actively use Communifire, our on-line networking tool, and include a full biography of yourself that includes your skills set, so that these skills can be recognised across our community.

 

DEVELOP

PhD Researchers

Please welcome our 2019 cohort of Faraday Institution PhD Researchers to our community. Along with our 2018 cohort and affiliated PhD researchers working on our projects, our PhD community now numbers over 60.

For further details about this training programme see the Faraday Institution PhD Training Programme Course Guide, which includes details of a ‘mini MBA’ on energy storage and entrepreneurship.

Watch and share our PhD researcher spotlight videos: Aaron WadeDana Thompson. Haydn Francis. JJ Marie.

Training for Faraday Institution Research Fellows

In response to requests from our research community, the Faraday Institution has created a Career Development Plan template to support the training of early career researchers. It outlines the funds and time allocated to each researcher for training and sets out a framework for defining objectives linked to career development and increasing researcher identity in line with best practice guidance from the Vitae Researcher Development Framework Concordat

Media Training

This summer, 14 members of our community took up the opportunity to receive high quality media training that was delivered by Broadcast Media Services. It is fantastic to see a number of our community actively promoting the work of the Faraday Institution on the TV news and in media articles. If you are interested in developing your media training skills or if you are a researcher new to the Faraday Institution with media experience, please let Louise Gould know. 



Posted on October 9, 2019 in Uncategorized

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About the Author

Fran Long is a STEM engagement specialist who is passionate about promoting science and engineering. She holds a First-Class Honours Degree in Primary Teacher Education and has won awards for her research.

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