UCD EARLY CAREER RESEARCHER-COMPANY NETWORKING EVENT 2023

UCD EARLY CAREER RESEARCHER-COMPANY NETWORKING EVENT 2023

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

May 16th 2023, Tuesday, 10am - 2pm, Astra Hall, UCD, Belfield Campus

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCHERS RESEARCH FUNDING FOR COMPANIES

A Welcome from Professor Helen Roche, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact

Welcome to the 2023 Researcher-Company Networking event, the purpose of which is to support Early Career Researchers and knowledge intensive companies to meet and learn more about how particular enterprise-partnership funding opportunities may support them to work together. The event is aimed at Postdoctoral Researchers and late-stage PhD Graduate Researchers, across all disciplines, who are interested in exploring cross-sectoral partnerships either as academics or as professionals who want to work in industry or other organisations.

UCD’s story of research, scholarship and innovation is one of diversity and depth and the work would not be possible without the dedication and passion of our Early Career Researcher community. It is through supporting their professional development that we further the reach, innovation potential and impact of our research community.

There are a wide range of career and professional development supports specifically designed and delivered for UCD Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD Graduate Researchers by the dedicated Research Careers and Professional Development team and the Careers and Skills Consultant for Graduate Researchers in UCD. These colleagues bring expertise from the UCD Careers Network and UCD HR People & Organisation Development, working closely with UCD Research. They provide a structured and supportive model based on skills and early-career development. The programme includes a wide range of technical and transferable skills training, such as Grant Writing and Project Management, as well as career coaching, interview preparation and more. In addition, there are a number of annual events focused on cross-sectoral opportunities and that involve Alumni Postdocs and PhDs. UCD Research and Innovation work hard to support the schemes being discussed here today and we are proud to say that we generate strong and consistent success rates in terms of transferring applications into partnerships.

We hope you enjoy the event and look forward to working with you.

Professor Helen Roche, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact

AGENDA 10:00am

10:20am

10:45am

11:15am

Welcome, UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact

Panel Discussion Part 1

'Flash presentations' from funding agencies and companies Break 'Flash presentations' from companies and organisations

11:45am

12:15pm

Welcome to the annual Early Career Researcher-Company Networking event in UCD. The UCD Research Careers team are delighted to have you here.

Panel Discussion Part 2

Closing Remarks

12:40pm

12:45pm

We have selected a limited number of companies, across a variety of sectors, who have a history and/or may be interested in recruiting Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD Graduate Researchers at some point in the future. Please note this is not a careers fair, no-one is expected to wear a suit, carry a CV or offer a job to anyone.

Networking at stands

1:30pm

Lunch

2:00pm

Close

This brochure is to help you understand who’s in the room - the organisations involved have provided some information about themselves and there are some testimonials from Postdocs who have previously availed of enterprisepartnership funding opportunities.

Looking forward to hearing your feedback about the event, and hope you enjoy it.

UCD Research Careers

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NATIONAL AGENCIES AND FUNDERS

EURAXESS - Researchers in Motion is a one-stop shop for researchers and innovators seeking to advance their careers and personal development by moving to other countries. We provide tailored information and support, free of charge, to researchers, entrepreneurs and research performing organisations. Our unique web portal offers job, funding and hosting opportunities, career development guidance and free tools and much more. EURAXESS network counts 43 European countries and 9 worldwide hubs.

Based at the Irish Universities Association, and co-funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, EURAXESS Ireland manages the fast-track immigration scheme for Post docs and other researchers employed by Irish universities and accredited enterprises in Ireland; provides information on visas/work permits to facilitate careers of international talents into Ireland.

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National Agencies and Funders

The Health Research Board funds research and delivers evidence to advance health and social care with the aim of making a real difference to people’s lives.​We have teams who work in specific areas, all of which put people and their health at the centre of what we do.​We fund research projects and programmes in universities and hospitals to improve health and enhance patient care. We collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders to create a strong, supportive environment for health research in Ireland; building health research career paths and providing infrastructure to ensure innovative practices are developed and put into practice here in Ireland.​ ​ Through the establishment of the secretariat for the Health Research Consent Declaration Committee in the HRB and National Office for Research Ethics Committees, we work to ensure that funding for health research is delivered to meet the highest standards of governance, quality and ethics.​ Our Evidence Centre generates independent, credible evidence to inform decisions of policymakers, practitioners and the public across a range of health and social care topics.​ ​ And in addition to managing four national health information systems in the areas of disability, drugs and alcohol and inpatient psychiatric care, the HRB is at the forefront of promoting and enabling the use of data to shape health policy, enhance healthcare delivery and drive broader research and innovation initiatives.

Relevant schemes for this event: HRB Internship, Applying Research into Policy and Practice Fellowships (ARPP) and Clinician Scientist Postdoctoral Fellowships (CSF).

The Irish Research Council was formed in 2012 and operates under the aegis of the Higher Education Authority. The core function of the Council is to support excellent frontier research across all disciplines and all career stages. The Council promotes diverse career opportunities for researchers by partnering with enterprise and employers. The Council also has a particular role in supporting research with a societal focus and has established partnerships across government and civic society.

Relevant schemes for this event: Enterprise Partnership Scheme (Postgraduate & Postdoctoral) and Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme.

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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National Agencies and Funders

Science Foundation Ireland funds oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Foundation also promotes and supports the study of, and engagement with, STEM and promotes an awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and in particular to the growth of the economy. At Science Foundation Ireland, we believe in the ability of science, technology, engineering & maths to effect positive change in the world and drive a sustainable economy.

Relevant funding schemes for postdoctoral researchers include the SFI Industry RD&I Fellowship Programme, the SFI Public Service Fellowship and the SFI Fellowship Programme.

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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COMPANIES & ORGANISATIONS

A career at Arup offers you the chance to make a positive difference in the world. Independently owned and independently minded, Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s most prominent projects in the built environment.

Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of designers, consultants and experts working globally. Founded to be humane and excellent, we collaborate with our clients and partners using imagination, technology, and rigour to shape a better world.

biologit combines expertise in multi-vigilance and technology with artificial intelligence to deliver solutions that unlock safety and efficacy information faster so that drug products can be made as safe as possible without compromising on quality. biologit MLM-AI is a complete scientific literature monitoring platform built for safety surveillance teams of all sizes. Its flexible workflow, unified scientific database, and unique AI productivity feature deliver fast, traceable results for safety screenings. Fully validated and compliant, the platform offers true productivity gains and is ready for pharmacovigilance and safety screening for medical devices, cosmetics, or veterinary products. biologit offers Human and Veterinary Pharmacovigilance, Cosmetovigilance, Nutrivigilance, and Medical Device Safety Vigilance Consultancy Services, including the provision of European Economic Area (EEA) Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (QPPV) and Responsible Person for Pharmacovigilance (RPPV) in Clinical Trials, with the necessary tools, experience, and expertise to support Sponsors, Marketing Authorisation Holders and Applicants.

In the area of pharmacovigilance or quality or artificial intelligence engineering (Cloud Engineer, Data Engineer, Platform, and AI Engineer). biologit are seeking candidates in the fields of science in general and computer science in particular.

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Companies & Organisations

Bioplastech Ltd. specialises in the development, scale-up and sale of innovative bio-based products. We provide industrial biotechnological consulting services supporting customers in the development, improvement and scale-up of their biological processes.

Our expertise lies in fermentation, biocatalysis, protein engineering, metabolic engineering and downstream processing to develop, patent and license products such as biobased chemicals and biodegradable polymers.

At Bioplastech we have developed processes that use residues and wastes as starting materials for biodegradable polymers and plastics production. The conversion of residues to biodegradable materials contributes to the circular bioeconomy. Biodegradable plastics open up new end-of-life options such as composting and anaerobic digestion; thus, can produce valuable products reducing plastic pollution.

We value partnership and work closely with our customers to develop and deliver high quality services and products.

The ESRI produces independent, high-quality research with the objective of informing policies that support a healthy economy and promote social progress. The Institute was founded in 1960 by a group of senior civil servants, led by Dr T.K. Whitaker, who identified the need for independent and in-depth research to support the policymaking process in Ireland. Since then, the Institute has remained committed to independent research and its work is free of any expressed ideology or political position. The ESRI brings together leading experts from different disciplines who work together to break new ground across a number of research initiatives.

The ESRI typically seeks Postdoctoral Researchers in the fields of Economics, Sociology and Social Policy.

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Companies & Organisations

At EirGrid, we develop and operate the national electricity grid, so that everyone has power when and where they need it. The grid takes electricity from where it is generated and delivers it to the distribution network, operated by ESB, which powers every home, business, school, hospital, factory and farm on the island. We also supply power directly to some of Ireland’s largest energy users. We are responsible for a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity: now, and in the future.

To do this, we forecast when and where electricity is needed across Ireland: hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and year-to-year. We work to ensure there is enough electricity for industry to prosper, and for employment to grow. Our work is essential today, as well as being a crucial investment for future generations. Overcoming the challenges of climate change and supporting the ambition to decarbonise the power sector is central to the work that we do.

Responding to these challenges requires that we engage in research across all aspects of our business and collaboration with our partners, both old and new, is key to this.

Fighting Blindness is a patient-led charity with a vision to cure blindness, support people living with sight loss and empower patients. We are the leading Irish charity funding research into treatments for sight loss. Over the past 40 years, we have grown from a small support group for families affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) to a nationally recognised brand. To date, we have invested over €20 million in more than 115 research and clinical projects.

In addition to funding research, we provide professional counselling and therapeutic services for individuals and families living with vision impairment and blindness. We advocate for equity of access to timely and appropriate diagnosis, healthcare, therapies and support services and, through education and information provision, we work to empower all individuals in Ireland who are blind or visually impaired.

Fighting Blindness typically seeks PhD Graduate Researchers and Postdoctoral Researchers from health and biomedical science disciplines.

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Companies & Organisations

Food for Health Ireland (FHI) brings together leaders in industry andresearch to improve global health through innovation in food.

Thecentre supports its partners to become market leaders in thedevelopment of functional food ingredients that offer health benefitsto consumers.It is a collaborative model for functional and health foodinnovation and commercialisation.

FHI has spent more than a decade developing bespoke research andtechnology to uncover ingredients and foods that improve health andwellness. Its human-intervention trials have produced results that cantackle the health issues underpinning diabetes, obesity and hearthealth, as well as supporting healthier ageing.

FHI seeks both PhD Graduate Researchers and PostdoctoralResearchers in the areas of food and nutrition or related areas.

Research areas: Healthy Ageing: Muscle & Bone Health, Appetite Modulation, Gut & Immune function Metabolic Health: Glycemic Management, Weight Management Digestive Health: Microbiome, Maternal and infant, IBS/ IBD Sports & Physical Performance: Recovery, Endurance, Immune Function Cardiovascular Health: Vascular flow, Blood Lipids, Lipid metabolism Research performed by: University College Dublin, Teagasc Food Research Centre, University College Cork, Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin

Forensic Science Ireland is an associated office of the Department of Justice. We work together to deliver, to best international standards, comprehensive scientific analysis, independent expert opinion, advice and training to support the Irish Criminal Justice system. FSI currently has 205 staff, including seconded Garda members, scientists and analysts trained in forensic testing and reporting techniques, supported by administration professionals.

FSI is currently based in Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park but is moving to a new fit-for-purpose building on the scientific campus at Backweston, Celbridge this year.

FSI is a founding member of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI), as well as the Association of Forensic Service Providers (AFSP). These organisations are focused on developing and sharing best international forensic practices and research within its members.

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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Companies & Organisations

FSI staff are active on all the relevant ENFSI and AFSP working groups.

This international engagement is important in ensuring that expert evidence presented is grounded in the most recent scientific research and best international practice.

FSI is accredited according to ISO17025 (2017) and holds a Gold Excellence through People certification.

FSI typically seek both PhD Graduate Researchers and Postdoctoral Researchers. FSI is interested in Biology/DNA graduates, Chemists and we will also accept applications from Physics and Computer Science graduates.

Since ICON's foundation in Dublin, Ireland in 1990, our mission has been to help our clients to accelerate the development of drugs and devices that save lives and improve quality of life.

We are a global provider of consulting, and outsourced development and commercialisation services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and government and public health organisations. We focus our innovation on the factors that are critical to our clients – reducing time to market, reducing cost and increasing quality – and our global team of experts has extensive experience in a broad range of therapeutic areas. ICON has been recognised as one of the world’s leading Contract Research Organisations through a number of highprofile industry awards.

The aim to shape the future of food might seem ambitious to some, but to us in Kerry it's all in a day’s work.

Kerry is dedicated to helping create better-tasting, more authentic and nutritious food and beverages that are sustainable for the planet.

We produce safe, quality products that help feed millions every day.

At Kerry, we believe in giving talented, curious people the opportunity to make a difference.

We work as a team, searching for the best ways to inspire food and nourish life.

We’re a community of innovators, working across disciplines to solve global food challenges with a fresh approach. We want you to achieve whatever you put your mind to.

Join our team in innovating across disciplines to create new solutions for food, beverage and pharma products.

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Companies & Organisations

Through our innovative combination of life science and artificial intelligence, Nuritas has developed the Nuritas MagnifierNπΦ, a unique platform that leverages our data gathered through years of cell biology, proteomic, peptidomic and clinical research. Using this AI platform, we are able to identify, unlock, clinically test, and patent peptides, transforming them into potent biological effectors that enhance natural effectiveness. Our goal is to enable individuals to live healthier lives by making our everyday products safer, greener, and more efficacious, from the food we consume to the personal care products we use and the feed we provide for our livestock. By harnessing nature's knowledge and turning it into innovative solutions, we strive to positively impact billions of lives.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) will be central to bringing about a low carbon economy through measures and activities focused on the transition to a smarter and more sustainable energy future.

To achieve this mission, SEAI will continue to build an environment for positive change through our analysis, modelling, and support for policymaking. SEAI will catalyse direct action through our design and delivery of grant and incentive programmes and through our capacity-building processes with citizens, communities, and private and public sector organisations.

SEAI catalyses direct energy research action through the delivery of the annual RDD Programme and through capacity-building processes with citizens and communities as well as private and public sector organisations. The revitalised SEAI RDD Programme launched in 2018 and since then it has developed into a multi-annual call, involving companies, non-academic research institutions, 3rd level educational bodies, public sector, and semi-state bodies.

Teagasc is the Agriculture and Food Development Authority in Ireland.

Its mission is to support science-based innovation in the agri-food sector and the broader bioeconomy that will underpin profitability, competitiveness and sustainability. It is the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities.

Teagasc is the leading organisation in the fields of agriculture and food research in Ireland, undertaking innovative research in Animal and Grassland Research & Innovation; Crops, Environment & Land-Use; Food; and Rural Economy & Development. We publish over 500 peer reviewed papers annually, and our annual research portfolio comprises some 350 research projects, carried out by 500 scientific and technical staff in our research centres throughout Ireland.

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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PREVIOUSLY SUCCESSFUL RESEARCHERS

Dr Mark Coughlan, Lecturer/Assistant Professor (Ad Astra Fellow) School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin Mark did a Postdoc in UCD from April 2020 to March 2022 in the UCD School of Civil Engineering. He was successful in securing an Irish Research Council Enterprise Partnership Scheme Posdoctoral Fellowship in 2019 and has since moved into a lectureship in UCD.

"My experience has been an immensely positive and nurturing one. Being an Award Holder gave me the opportunity to meaningfully collaborate with a supportive industry partner in developing research that was immediately applicable to current, real-world challenges. The Award allowed me the freedom to foster further research collaborations with national research centres and expand my network across academia and industry. Being an Award Holder has given me the research experience, diversity and independence to reach a professional maturity necessary to achieve my long-term career goals."

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Previously Successful Researchers

Dr Lynne O’Shea, Assistant Professor (Ad AstraFellow), School of Medicine, University College Dublin Lynne was successful in securing an Irish Research Council Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2014 and has since moved into a lectureship in UCD where she continues to use her link with the industry partner in her research.

“I applied for this fellowship while working as a Research Associate in Human Assisted Reproduction Ireland (HARI). My IRC project ‘Molecular assessment of cryopreserved ovarian tissue and in vitro culture of primordial follicles and oocytes’, with HARI as my enterprise partner, allowed me to bridge the gap between clinical and biomolecular research. Obtaining this fellowship has significantly enhanced my academic career. It enabled me to prepare high impact publications in the field of reproductive biology. It allowed me to develop international collaborators, further developing my professional maturity. It facilitated my participation in high quality international and national conferences, which significantly enhanced my academic profile. Since receiving this fellowship I have obtained an Assistant Professor position in the UCD School of Medicine. In addition, I have received two IRC New Foundation Awards and over €300,000 in industry linked funding, including a Merck Serono Grant for Fertility Innovation and a SFI Technology Innovation Development Award. As such, this fellowship was imperative for my development as an independent researcher.”

Dr Mohammad Reza Ghaani, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin Mohammad spent two years in UCD as a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, funded by the Irish Research Council. His research focus was mainly on computer simulation of bio-materials. He was then awarded an SFI Industry Fellowship with ALMAC Discovery in Belfast, NI. “Towards the end of this research experience, I introduced the idea of an SFI industry fellowship to my academic host and asked him for valuable links with industry in our field of interest. He suggested a pharmaceutical company, ALMAC Discovery, and encouraged me to get in touch with [our contact there]. Discussing different subjects with him, based on the experiences I had gathered by then, we were able to perfectly match my potential and expertise to their research efforts on drug discovery. I prepared the proposal under their supervision... applied for the fellowship and started my exciting experience at ALMAC, located in Belfast (NIR). In this environment I am involved in several projects aimed at finding drug compositions for cancer treatment. As a computational chemist, I joined a team focused on the prediction of the best suitable compound possible by means of in-silico studies. Our unit is then supposed to share the results with the chemistry and biology groups which eventually test the proposed compound making use of in-vitro and in-vivo systems for a complete evaluation. At ALMAC, I got acquainted with industry challenges, their problem-solving methodology and mindset. I believe this experience combined with the chance of developing a network within the industrial realm will help me get a solid academic career and start potential university-industry collaboration in the near future. Notwithstanding that for someone who wants to join the industrial research this one year adventure is also a great opportunity to develop the skills which many companies require.”

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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Previously Successful Researchers

Dr Fariha Shaikh, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English Literature, University Birmingham Fariha was a Postdoc in the School of English, Drama and Film in UCD and successfully secured an internship with the Irish Research Council in 2017. She is now based in the Dept of English Literature at the University of Birmingham.

"The IRC advertised for positions through their IRC mailing list. Their internships are advertised to their fellows and not to those funded by other organisations. I undertook a range of work while at the IRC, from data analysis, to writing position papers and strategy statements, helping with evaluation panels and organising career training events. Other postdoc interns also worked in communications and on EU reports. I started the IRC internship when I was five months into my one-year postdoc. At the time, I knew that I needed more time to secure a book contract with a publisher and I knew that the chances of getting a full-time academic position were slim - the statistics speak for themselves.

Working at the IRC would both give me the time that I needed to develop a book proposal and give me experience of working in a research-related area. The internship gave me a clear understand of how national funding bodies work and the kinds of challenges facing universities and research environment in Ireland more broadly. It also gave me time to think through my current book proposal and make way with my second project, and ultimately my current job."

Dr Isaac Tobin, Senior Scientist, SiriusXT Isaac has been working in the area of laser and plasma physics since 2009. He joined UCD in 2015 as a postdoctoral researcher and in 2017 secured a contract on an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP) project with SiriusXT, a UCD spin-out company based in Sandyford and is currently still working there.

“I followed on from this work by winning an SFI Industry Fellowship to work directly with SiriusXT on optimising the source stability for their soft X-ray microscope. This was a natural progression as the IPP was fruitful and I felt that to further my industrial experience would enhance my skill set and further my expertise... The fellowship gives you the freedom to join cutting edge industry in a role you can set, doing research which benefits the company with minimum risk, and gives you scope to gain direct expertise typically not available working within the bounds of traditional postdoctoral roles. SiriusXT grew out of the Spectroscope research group in UCD which made them very easy to approach about the fellowship but the benefit of gaining an expert for minimal cost on a project designed in discussion with their team was very welcome. I am now at the end of this SFI contract and SiriusXT have approached me about staying on with them directly as one of their science team.

I have gained invaluable experience working in an industrial setting, expanded my CV, gotten to share my expertise with the team I'm working with, and have had the time under this project to continue working on publications and undertake postdoctoral training courses through UCD and externally.”

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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Previously Successful Researchers

Dr Mary Walsh, HRB Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin Mary is currently leading the HRB funded 3-year Hip FORGE project (Hip Fracture Outcome Recording and Geographic Equality).

"Through my work on the committee of the Irish Hip Fracture Database, I became aware of challenges including the absence of longer term recovery information within the audit. I began to work with Prof Catherine Blake and Dr Caitriona Cunningham, experienced hip fracture researchers in UCD, to design a package of work to address these challenges. We collaborated with the National Office of Clinical Audit, clinicians, international partners and methodological experts to refine the proposal. I chose to target the Health Research Board 'Applying Research into Policy and Practice' (ARPP) Postdoctoral Fellowship as it could support my career development as an academic physiotherapist as well as my goal to develop practical impactful solutions. I was awarded this fellowship in 2020 and started in the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science in 2021. Holding this award has allowed me to develop my collaborations across Ireland and internationally, leading to ideas and concrete plans for future research proposals that aim to improve hip fracture care. In practical terms, it has given me experience in managing a project budget, timeline and deliverables while also providing flexibility to pursue training in project management and specific research methods. The ARPP Fellowship has a focus on professional development which I particularly value, and I have been supported with this by my mentor and the UCD Research Careers team."

Dr Ming Zhao, SFI Research Fellow, School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, University College Dublin Ming spent two years in UCD as a Postdoctoral Fellow Level II in the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering and was then awarded the SFI Industry RD&I Fellowship in 2021.

"Being an award holder of the SFI Industry RD&I Fellowship 2021, I had the great opportunity to collaborate with one of the biggest dairy industry partners in Ireland and to propose a framework of activities aimed at developing and employing Process Analytical Technology (PAT) for dairy processing applications while increasing future collaborative opportunities between academia and industry. This research has a direct impact on enhancing in-line quality control of dairy processing in the dairy industry with strong potential to reduce energy consumption and produce more consistent final products. Therefore, this research work will also help the wider Irish dairy industry to achieve the overall goal of becoming a favoured supplier for high value-added foods and growing export markets in the face of tough international competition. This project will be a stepping stone for long term collaboration between academia and industry. My expertise in PAT and the experiences gained in dairy processing from this project will facilitate the establishment of a collaborative partnership between academia and industry including other food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries for future collaborations in the research and development of dairy PAT.”

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

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Previously Successful Researchers

Networking for Success Networking can be described as the process of building and maintaining a network of contacts and relationships.

From our experience in UCD Research Careers, Early Career Researchers often get their next job from their current network. Developing relationships in your current role can have a direct impact on how you transition into your next role.

Knowing how to network professionally will make it easier to form valuable connections and increase your chances of receiving new opportunities throughout your career.

Here are our top tips for successful networking: 1. Come prepared Prepare a brief introduction about yourself, also known as your ‘elevator pitch’. This should be a couple of sentences explaining who you are, what you do and what makes you unique. It should be interesting, memorable and succinct. Practice it out loud, this will ensure your delivery is smooth.

Remember to keep it short, no longer than 30 seconds.

2. Be strategic When attending a networking event, understand what you are there to do and focus on making a few solid connections. Start by targeting 2-3 people. Remember, people can sense when you are simply speaking with them to get their business card and go. These short interactions may not be memorable and therefore work against you.

3. Present yourself with confidence Initiate conversations with others, offer a firm handshake if appropriate, stand up straight and maintain eye contact throughout the conversation. These forms of non-verbal communication demonstrate confidence and can make it easier to maintain a conversation. If you’re wearing a nametag, point to it. Try to relax and smile, it helps to build rapport. Remember first impressions can be lasting impressions.

4. Ask questions and listen A conversation is a two-way process and involves both asking questions and listening. Ask open-ended questions and listen to the answers with interest, then build on them with your response. Remember that networking is about building relationships, not just making contacts.

5. Stay Connected Stay in touch with your network and always follow up (the next day) and say thank you. The networking process does not end when the event or meeting is over. Make sure to give and receive contact information. Following up with your network continues the relationships and preserves those connections. For example, if you are on LinkedIn, personalise the note field in the invitation to remind the connection of where you met.

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Previously Successful Researchers

MyCareer MyCareer is our careers management platform and a one stop shop for enhancing your employability skills.

MyCareer is packed with interactive tools, e-learning content and the latest job opportunities. You can track employers and set your preferences, you will be emailed directly as soon as matching new jobs are posted. It is designed to help you navigate today's job market and move your career forward with confidence.

This online career management platform has a dedicated Early Career Researcher landing page, specifically created for Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD Graduate Researchers where you will find information on events, career guidance and 1-2-1 career appointments.

You can access MyCareer via UCD Connect or the UCD Careers Network website.

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THE RESEARCH CAREERS TEAM The Research Careers Team is made up of a small group of people working between UCD Careers Network and UCD HR People Development & Organisation Effectiveness and working closely with the team in UCD Research & Innovation.

For more information on Postdoctoral supports, take a look at the UCD Research Careers website: https://www.ucd.ie/researchcareers/ For more information on PhD Graduate Researcher supports, take a look at the Careers Network website: https://www.ucd.ie/careers/

YOUR KEY CONTACTS ARE:

Alanna O'Sullivan, Research Careers Manager UCD Careers Network alanna.osullivan@ucd.ie

Tara Hughes, Careers and Skills Consultant for Graduate Researchers UCD Careers Network tara.hughes@ucd.ie

Ann McCarry, Career Consultant UCD Career Network ann.mccarry@ucd.ie

Qiong Zhang, Researcher Development Specialist HR People & Organsiation Development qiong.zhang@ucd.ie

Stay Connected with Us

@ucdrscareers UCD Research Careers (PostDocs) researchcareers@ucd.ie

University College Dublin Ireland’s Global University

Stay Connected with Us @ucdrscareers

UCD Research Careers (PostDocs)

researchcareers@ucd.ie