Post Doc Society Committee Meeting Minutes

Meeting: / Invited:
Underlined = in attendance / Amanda Barnes AB, Liz Rylott LR, Fiona Frame FF, Tim Ganderton TG, Simon Baker SB, James Fox JF
Ellie Purser EP, Roxana Teodor RT, Tim Doheny-Adams TD, Andrew Suggitt AS, Audrey Roman AR, Thilo Winzer TW, Georgina Palmer GP / Date: / Monday 13th February 2017
2pm / Apologies: / Tim Ganderton TG, Fiona Frame FF / Venue: / Williamson Rooms
Discussion Point / Outcome / Action required
Welcome to any representatives attending / Welcomed Andy Suggitt / None
Check minutes from 4th Nov 2016 meeting / 1) Feedback for internal candidates is to become standard and consistent (EP)
2) Pods on T2 available for postdoc delivery of tutorials (in addition to T005)
3) Min working temp is 17°C / 1) Feedback to EP directly if instances of feedback not given to internal candidates
2) Contact person who booked out all pods if getting one is an issue
3) Contact infrastructure/estates if temp in working area falls below 17°C, consider working from home if uncomfortable
Wellcome Trust removes “years post PhD” limitations from Fellowhip applications Feb 2017 - advertise any further than website? JF / This is positive, should be advertised further / JF to email the postdoc list with this news
PostDoc reps on committees: open slots and recent new comers. Are we receiving (any)enough feedback from committees? JF / Not receiving much feedback from several committees but important feedback is received, particularly from SB on research committee / Encourage feedback
Replacement for James Fox on PostDoc Soc Committee & someone to do website & new PostDoc rep for health & safety committee JF / 1) Jen Hidley has taken up the RA rep position on Ethics Committee due to experience with HTA in JBU.
2) AB to deputise for TD-A whilst he is temporary teaching fellow on equality committee
3) AB to join environmental performance group
4) LR to remain on Concordat despite being on committee for longer than 3 years as requested by chair
5) SB has served 3yrs on Research Committee so is standing down
6) Need reps for Research Away day committee, Making the difference, H&S & PostDoc Soc committee / 1) JF to add JH to rep position on website
2) AB to minute that she is temporary rep for PostDocs at next committee meeting
3) AB to email Jenny Purcell to join environmental performance group
4) LR to stand down from Concordat at appropriate time if another RA would like to be on this committee
5) LR to replace SB on research committee, LR/SB to contact chair of committee, JF to update webpage
6) LR to email community about vacant positions, JF to send LR details of what the H&S committee involves
7) JF to maintain website until new committee member is trained
MRC New Investigator Research Grants session on it - Pegine and Dmitris has offered to give Post Doc talk about getting their grants AB / This is a good idea, Will Brackenbury and Paul Pryor also had fellowships. Paul Hogg is only current fellow at York. Jen Potts is supportive for these initiatives. Discussed that this was medical/biochem focussed and would like to have representation from fellows in receipt of otherbut other funding bodies have different schemes and nobody at York has/has had them. TG had information on what chemistry dept. is doing to encourage fellows / AB to email Dimitris and Pegine
Update on promotion process and redundancy flow chart from EP: can we make our own flow chart based upon HR’s but hosted on our website? Design in meeting? / Flowchart to be devised with EP, some parts of current chart are redundant: SB noted that RA’s know redundancy is coming! / EP to continue drafting flowchart and will send to PostDoc Soc committee for feedback
Next coffee & cakes? Date: doodle poll? Sponsors: Fisher/Eppendorf again? Aim was to increase attendance, this appeared to be achieved, any link to provision of doughnuts? / Doughnuts were seen to be a good idea, LR also commented that she had advertised significantly. Try to repeat next time. / Add EP to mail list for coffee and cakes
PDSC Next meeting? / End of April or May 2017 / SB to create doodle poll
Other business? / 1) EP mentioned mentoring scheme available
2) Beacon activities and good news stories should be advertised
3) Culture survey will be circulated shortly, EP as if PostDoc Soc could advertise and encourage PostDocs to complete – important for Athena Swan application
4) Need to readvertise Summer Studentship scheme
5) EP reminded that there is a £4000 budget for training / 1) EP to email about focus group for mentoring, JF to provide link on Biol PostDoc Soc website.
2) Postdocs to email activities/stories to EP
3) Resend email about Culture survey when circulated
4) JF to re-send email from Jane McCarthy
5) JF to add “training budget available” contact EP on PostDoc Soc website

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