Talented former researchers who wish to return to STEM research after a career break of at least two years are urged to apply for Brunel University London's latest Daphne Jackson Fellowship.
The successful individual – from a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths background – will secure a challenging research project in a supportive environment as part of a three-year, part-time (0.5 FTE) Fellowship.
Each year, at least 100 hours of retraining will be available as part of an individually tailored programme aimed at re-establishing professional expertise and enhancing both personal confidence and future career prospects.
Hosted at and sponsored by Brunel, the Fellowship is made possible by the university's partnership with the Daphne Jackson Trust, which aims to remove barriers for researchers who have taken career breaks due to caring responsibilities, illness or other reasons. With over 360 fellowships awarded throughout UK universities to date, the Daphne Jackson Trust has an excellent success rate of returning its fellows to the STEM workforce.
Back in 2014, mathematician Dr Elena Boguslavskaya was looking for a way to return to academia after a career break when she spotted an advert for a Daphne Jackson Fellowship at Brunel.
"My research career started with my PhD at the University of Amsterdam," she explained. "Following this, I was a University Research Fellow at City, University of London, until 2007.
"I saw that the Daphne Jackson Fellowship would be a perfect opportunity for me to get back to my research career." So she applied – and was successful.
With a background in probability theory, Dr Boguslavskaya got her teeth into a research project to develop an alternative method to solving optimal stopping problems – such as identifying the best strategy for cashing in stocks and shares to get the highest profit.
"The support from my academic supervisor at Brunel and from the Daphne Jackson Trust was really useful," she remarked. "From comments on my application to psychological support."
After her two-year fellowship ended, Dr Boguslavskaya was successful in applying for a permanent role as a maths lecturer at Brunel, where she still teaches and conducts research.
And what advice would she give people who are wondering whether a Daphne Jackson Fellowship is right for them? "Don't be afraid to be brave."
Read more about the Daphne Jackson Fellowship.
Reported by:
Joe Buchanunn,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268821
joe.buchanunn@brunel.ac.uk