Inter-institutional postdoc retreat in Setubal
Oeiras, 04.11.2015
ITQB postdocs are among the more than 120 postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences gathered in Setubal from 4 to 6 November to discuss their research and reflect together on the career options available to those with advanced training in research. The meeting is the largest retreat of postdocs in the Lisbon area and is jointly organized by postdocs from five different research institutions: ITQB, IGC, iBET, iMM Lisboa, and Champalimaud.
Postsdocs are researchers, who, upon completing their PhD, continue their career in research supported by competitively obtained fellowships. In Portugal, there are 2050 postdoctoral fellows funded directly by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia alone. While a postdoc is often an intermediate step between the PhD and a researcher position, many postdocs follow other career paths where the skills acquired in research are also a plus.
To introduce the discussion on career options, other successful researchers have been invited to talk about their own careers, either in academia or as entrepreneurs. A round-table will follow with the participation of IGC Director Jonathan Howard, ITQB Director Cláudio Soares, Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme co-Director Zachary Mainen, and IMM Lisboa Vice-President Bruno Silva-Santos. The organizing committee believes the round-table “will give postdocs the opportunity to ask about the scientific scenario in Portugal, especially in what concerns the challenges faced by postdocs, now and in the future”.
During the retreat, participants will be able to attend a career planning workshop, which will help them evaluate their skills and how to use them to benefit their own career. The retreat will also be a forum to discuss the participants’ current research projects and to strengthen the network among these young researchers.
According to the organizers, “we believe that this joint postdoc retreat is an excellent platform to exchange ideas and build new inter-institutional links. We hope that future editions may grow and include research institutions all over the country”.
The postdoc retreat is supported by the Câmara Municipal de Setubal.
