All posts by Katia Rahman

Summer Vacation Research Competition 2023 – for PDRAs, RAs and Research Associates

Are you a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA), Research Assistant (RA) or Research Associate interested in developing your project and people management skills? Did you know you can apply to run your own independent project and win funding worth up to £2500 to work with an undergraduate intern for 4-7 weeks on your research?

The Summer Vacation Research Competition (SVRC) will run for the sixth time in 2023 with funding available for 12 different summer vacation research projects to be led by PDRAs, RAs or Research Associates, each of which could be associated with a particular Division and/or Signature Research Theme. (Please note that this year two SVRC opportunities will also be offered to Professional Services (PS) staff for the first time.)

The competition models grant writing and application processes, allowing you to design an independent research project, gain a mentor, receive training and be involved with shortlisting, interviewing and managing a RA, project and budget. The SVRC gives UG students, particularly those from Widening Participation backgrounds, an opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects and gain valuable paid work experience.

Feedback from postdoc participants is extremely positive with one commenting: “This experience has been invaluable and has made a massive contribution to my development as an early career researcher. I feel more confident in writing funding applications, recruitment, supervision, and leading research independently.” Learn more about the competition and hear from other winners by viewing the recording of the ‘Valuing, supporting and developing our postdocs’ event – please access the link via KentNet (Kent staff login required) and scroll down – the SVRC element begins at 00:25.

Reflecting on the benefits of participation, Dr Jennifer Leigh, the event’s co-founder with Dr Helen Leech, said:

“This competition is an opportunity for PDRAs to develop their grant writing skills and gain experience in a supportive environment – from designing an independent project, applying for funding, and then managing that project from start to finish. They get to lead on shortlisting applicants, manage a budget, and report on findings. It’s been inspiring to see how many previous winners have found success and are flourishing in their careers.”

Details of how to apply, including the application form, are available via KentNet (Kent staff login required). The closing date for applications is 10 February 2023.

An informal virtual Q&A session about the competition will take place on 12 January, 2023 from 1-2pm and PDRAs, RAs, Research Associates and PS colleagues are encouraged to attend. Further details including the Teams meeting link are available via KentNet (Kent staff login required) or please email svrc@kent.ac.uk with any queries in the meantime.

Good luck with your application!

 

Is the cost of living affecting you?

At the University of Kent we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to support you wherever we can. With the cost of living crisis, Kent Union and the University of Kent, in partnership with The Food Foundation, have launched a survey to understand how the cost of living crisis has impacted students and figure out how we can best support you during your time at Kent. The information gathered will help identify the most vulnerable groups of students and the aspects of university life you are most struggling with so we can provide you with tailored support. The results will inform the actions we need to put in place towards achieving the University of Kent’s civic mission to promote food justice, tackle food insecurity and become the world’s first Right to Food University.

You can fill out the survey here.

Taking part in this survey gives you the opportunity to enter our randomised prize draw which will take place once the survey closes. The prizes up for grabs include:
• 6x Co-op vouchers worth £30 each
• 1x Kent Clothing hooded sweatshirt
• 1x meal for 2 at Woodys
• 1x free entry package for the winner and a friend to The Venue
• 25x vouchers for a free tea or coffee at the Library Cafe
• 15x Kent One card credits worth £20 each

Your voice matters and we are here to support you throughout these difficult times.

If you are affected by any of the topics covered in this survey, you can find support here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/student-support.

If you would like support with money advice, you can find advice here: https://kentunion.co.uk/here-for-you/advice.

For further information on how Kent Union and the University of Kent are supporting you during the cost of living crisis, check out the Cost of Living Support page.