The Organisational and Staff Development Department, comprises the Learning and Development Centre and the Postdoc & Fellows Development Centre. It also offers training on Safety, Equality & Diversity and a suite of Talent Development programmes.

The Organisational and Staff Development Department aims to support staff in learning new skills that may help them in their current roles and to develop capabilities that will equip them for promotion.

We would encourage all staff to make the most of these opportunities.

PROGRAMMES FOR ACADEMICS 

• FoNS Academic Leadership Programme (ALP)
• Academic Development 
• Online Resources

PLANNING YOUR DEVELOPMENT: 

• All academic staff (except Probationary Lectures) are expected to have an annual Personal Review and Development Plan (PRDP). Exact details, forms and guidance is communicated via the HoD's office.  

Support Available 

• Coaching at Imperial - Coaches work with their clients on a 1-1 basis, to help them address specific work-related challenges around people or projects, or issues relating to career development. Essentially, they help to resolve, prevent or forecast challenging situations. Coaching is a confidential and voluntary process that enables individuals to manage workplace issues in a more constructive and confident manner. 
• Advice and Councelling - all College staff and members of their family living with them can get free, confidential professional, help from Confidential Care, the College's new Employee Assistance Provider, 24 hours per day, by telephone or via the web.
• Mentoring - a widely used development tool that has proved to have a beneficial impact on effectiveness, confidence and career advancement.

FUNDING AND development Opportunities 

• Female Academics' Development Centre
• Springboard Development Progamme  - an award winning international programme which allows women to identify the clear, practical and realistic steps they want to take, and allows them to develop the skills and self-confidence to take those steps.
• Funding, Scholarships and other Opportunities not to be missed
• Women at Imperial 

• Speed Mentoring - involves 3 rounds of one-to-one mentoring, each lasting 15 minutes. Each mentee will have the chance to speak to three mentors for 15 minutes each. The aim of the session is for mentees to feel empowered to take a practical step forward.
• Additional Support - DoLS has a pool of volunteers who have agreed to provide their advice and help to support all postdocs who would like additional/specific guidance and advice on their grant applications. Please contact Lenne Lillepuu (l.lillepuu@imperial.ac.uk) in the first instance at least 6 weeks before their application deadline.
• Personal Review and Develoment Plan (PRDP) - all eligible Postdocs are required to have an annual PRDP, monitored by the Department. Additionally, should the Postdoc wish to involve a second Reviewer in their PRDP process, they may approach another PI but only if this has been agreed with their Supervisor. Appropriate Fellowship opportunities should be discussed during the PRDP. 
• Coaching at Imperial - Coaches work with their clients on a 1-1 basis, to help them address specific work-related challenges around people or projects, or issues relating to career development. Essentially, they help to resolve, prevent or forecast challenging situations. Coaching is a confidential and voluntary process that enables individuals to manage workplace issues in a more constructive and confident manner. 
• Advice and Councelling - all College staff and members of their family living with them can get free, confidential professional, help from Confidential Care, the College's new Employee Assistance Provider, 24 hours per day, by telephone or via the web.
• Mentoring - a widely used development tool that has proved to have a beneficial impact on effectiveness, confidence and career advancement.
• Online resources

Imperial Postdoctoral Development Centre offers fantastic services and support for all Postdocs and Fellows. 

Department of Life Sciences guidelines for successful completion of probation

 The Department of Life Sciences (DoLS) at Imperial College is an internationally renowned academic department. The principle aims of DoLS are to deliver high quality teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and to undertake internationally competitive research in various branches of the subject. To ensure that DoLS continues to attract the best staff and students it is essential that we continue to strive to be the best in what we do. New lecturers are appointed for a 3-year probationary period in which their performance is assessed. The procedures for probation can be found at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/hr/procedures/recruitment/lecturers. You will be assigned an academic adviser, usually a senior member of staff who should offer guidance and advice on good teaching practice, the preparation of research grant applications, the management of research projects and general procedures. Guidance notes are provided at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/hr/procedures/recruitment/lecturers/appendixb. The academic adviser is a mentor, not a line manager. He or she will meet regularly with the probationary lecturer and prepare a report for your line manager and Head of Department (HoD) at the end of each term. Your progress will be assessed at a Mid-Probation Review, which should take place in the 5th term of service, and a Final Review, which should take place in the penultimate (9th) term. Review panels will consist of (minimally) the HoD or Deputy HoD, your line manager, and your academic adviser, and may be supplemented by additional relevant academic staff.

DoLS has established guidelines on the expectations for teaching and research activities required for successful completion of probation. Since these are minimum activity levels, the expectation is that staff will comfortably exceed these standards.        

Teaching: During probation, new lecturers will be expected to lecture, give tutorials, run practical classes, supervise UG and PG research students, and be involved in examination. New lecturers will have a reduced teaching load during their first 3 years of appointment which will increment annually. The hours are not prescribed but will be sufficiently light such that a solid research programme can be established. The teaching load will be set by the Director of UG Studies in consultation with the Director of PG Studies and Directors of Masters Courses. It will not be set by other staff or line managers. Satisfactory student feedback on the quality of teaching should be attained in order to pass probation. In addition, in the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FoNS), new lecturers must complete a programme of training as a prerequisite for achieving probation. This is the FoNS Learning and Teaching Development Programme (LTDP). It is expected that the LTDP will normally be completed within 1-2 years of appointment and must be completed within the period of probation. Further details are provided at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/naturalsciences/staff/ldtp. By the end of the probationary period, lecturers are expected to be playing a full role in Departmental teaching.

Research: It is expected thatnew lecturers will establish an independent research programme within the probationary period, and establishment of this programme is a prerequisite for successful completion of probation and confirmation of appointment. Evidence for this is through research income and publication.

a) Research Income: The minimum requirement in DoLS is securing a grant from a Research Council, Charity or Industrial source. The value of the award is not prescribed, but it should be sufficient to employ a postdoctoral research associate or similar for a period of 3 years and the new lecturer should be the Principal Investigator named on the award.

b) Publication: New lecturers should publish at least 1 peer-reviewed paper from their laboratory at Imperial demonstrating high quality primary research (i.e. not a review) in an appropriate field within the 3 year period of probation. The department affirms the principle that it is the intrinsic merit of the work, and not the title of the journal in which it is published, that is of paramount importance in this assessment.

Administration/Management: New lecturers will not be asked to take on substantial administrative duties, but will be expected to participate in departmental committees and administration of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching as requested by the HoD or his/her nominee.

The Organisational and Staff Development Department provides various courses for professional services staff. It also offers training on Safety, Equality & Diversity and a suite of Talent Development programmes.

• PA & Administrator Network

The PA & Administrator Networkis as a welcoming group offering networking opportunities, plus support and development for all staff, regardless of job title, that perform a PA or administrative function as part of their role. The Network also offers a Buddy scheme for new PA & Administrative staff.

• Imperial Technicians’ Network

The Imperial Technician’s Network is for all staff in the technical job family and aims to build links, explore areas of common ground and highlight opportunities for personal and professional development. It encourages an exchange of resources, knowledge, and experience through a regular newsletter, events and a SharePoint site for technical staff which can be used to share and store relevant information or for discussion forums.