UCPH Forward
UCPH Forward offers an intensive talent development for UCPH researchers (advanced postdocs, or young professors at all levels) who demonstrate extraordinary scholarly excellence, creativity, talent, motivation, and the courage to bridge disciplines.
Candidates will be accepted by competitive application. Although holders of Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships, ERC starting or consolidator grants or similar competitive awards as well as early career Tenure Track employees are encouraged to apply, these are not mandatory requirements for being accepted.
A unique network and individual mentoring
The participants will find themselves in a network of the most dedicated UCPH junior researchers with whom to share ideas and ambitions and participate in exclusive talks and debates on a variety of relevant topics with select representatives from the Danish and international academic, industrial, social, commercial, and political sectors.
Content and gains
Each participant will draft a personal and professional milestone plan. The milestone plan will include:
- Applying for major funding, e.g. ERC grants.
- Publishing in high impact journals
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration within or outside of UCPH
- Improving personal performance, authority, appearance and credibility.
Other themes to be explored in the training are international fundraising, entrepreneurship, research management as well as leadership. In this regard the participant will learn how to direct their own research programmes, grants, and teams, while also being aware of and coping with issues such as work-life / conflict.
At the end of the programme, participants will have produced an individual research plan including a strategy for funding applications, publications and outreach activities. They will also draft a development plan for their academic field. They will have also created a strong, valuable and diverse peer network with other talents both across UCPH, and with highly experienced research leaders.
Leadership and anchorage
The establishment of UCPH Forward was decided by Rector Henrik Wegener and the deans of research in 2017. The programme was designed and originally created by professor Marie Louise Nosch from the Saxo-Institute, professor Jens Hjorth from the Niels Bohr Institute and organisational psychologist Ulla Viskum from Shared HR. In 2023 the management team will both continue to maintain Professors Nosch and Hjorth, but will also be expanded to include professors Marianne Nissen Lund of the Department of Food Science and Tom Gilbert of the Globe Institute.
24 messages on a sustainable career in research at UCPH
Is well-being compatible with the elite and being talented? Can the highly competitive world of science encompass both mental and physical balance, mindfulness, music and focused thinking?
In this booklet, we illustrate how 24 ambitious and highly talented researchers address the combination of competitive science and work-life balance in their daily lives: