SeedWISE
SeedWISE is an enterprise programme born out of the success and demand for our flagship enterprise programme for women postdocs; RisingWISE. Specifically aimed at women DPhil researchers, we have taken the core RisingWISE aims and tailored the course for women at this important stage in their careers.
We have now opened registration for the second round of the SeedWISE programme, Starting on Monday 20th September and finishing on Monday 8th November (with a one-week break the last week of October). Full dates, times and information can be found in the 'How, When and Where' section below.
SeedWISE is tailored specifically for DPhil students who identify as women or non-binary and are working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Women are being urged to pursue careers in STEM subjects, where they often excel, but face a huge disparity in achieving success and leadership roles. SeedWISE has been developed to help address this challenge, bringing together women DPhil students from different STEM disciplines at the University of Oxford to meet with women working in industry and commerce, who face similar challenges. We work closely with industry to build mutual relationships, which aims to benefit women both working and studying in STEM roles.
SeedWISE is being run in partnership with IDEA.
The programme’s purpose is to illuminate potential industrial and enterprise career routes for women DPhil researchers. These routes will include working in or with as part of a collaboration from an academic setting large scale industrial settings, SMEs and micro businesses.
The 7-week programme will be delivered using a blended learning method chosen to fit in with researchers’ busy lives but also allowing the crucial networking and space to provide peer support. See the section 'What will the course look like?' for further information.
After an initial afternoon, the programme will revolve around 90 minute weekly clinic sessions exploring the online material interactively and developing yourself through action Learning.
The programme will include the following objectives:
- To increase awareness of the variety of industrial and enterprise careers
- To build self confidence in areas such as pitching, promoting and networking
- To give opportunities to learn from women working in a variety of settings
- To encourage an enterprising mindset irrespective of career destination
- To meet, network and encourage other DPhil students
The second iteration of SeedWISE begins on Monday 20th September and runs every Monday until the 8th November (with a one-week break at the end of October).
Please note that you will be enrolled on the course in its entirety, so will need to commit to all the sessions.
We hope to conduct the final session in-person on Monday 8th November (Covid-dependant) and the rest of the course will run virtually.
Once you have checked the dates, please book here!
DATE |
TIME |
| Monday 20th September | 13.45 - 17.00 |
| Monday 27th September | 14.00 - 15.30 |
| Monday 4th October | 14.00 - 15.30 |
| Monday 11th October | 14.00 - 15.30 |
| Monday 18th October | 14.00 - 15.30 |
| Monday 1st November | 14.00 - 15.30 |
| Monday 8th November | 13.45 - 17.00 (possible face-to-face... tbc) |
WHAT WILL THE COURSE LOOK LIKE?
SeedWISE is a blended learning programme. That means we will meet face to face (virtually in this instance) to work together and then in between sessions we have further resources for you to explore the topics.
Our fun, interactive face to face sessions will involve a mixture of speakers who have gone onto a variety of careers, group work and action learning sets. The latter is an amazing way to develop yourself and help clarify your thinking on the subject. You will be working in small groups of 4 or 5. Each person has 15 minutes ‘air time’ to present their thoughts on the topic and ask the group for help. It is a powerful way to learn as you get help but also learn from the advice to other people. Our initial and final meetings will be 3 hours long (with breaks) and the sessions in between will be 90 minutes. All events will be held over Zoom, apart from the final session, which we hope to hold in-person.
Our further resources are there for you to look at between sessions on Canvas. There are video lessons, exercises and further information for those who want to delve deeper. We anticipate this will take you no more than an hour a week. There are chats to interact with the other women on the course and a way to chart your progress through the material.
You will be part of a cohort of likeminded female DPhil students and we really do hope to build a sense of community with the group. Our session will be fun, lively and interactive and we are hoping to get everyone together towards the end of the programme if guidelines allow.
For queries please contact Louisa at: mpls.enterprise@mpls.ox.ac.uk
DR ANNE MILLER, PROGRAMME DIRECTOR FOR RISINGWISE AND SEEDWISE:
Dr Anne Miller currently manages the MPLS Enterprise Programme at the University of Oxford. Previous roles include Associate Director of ESKTN, funded by Innovate UK , and principal environmental advisor at MAKE-UK, developing and delivering environmental training for industry in partnership with IEMA, the professional institute for environmental practitioners. She has been an academic and group leader in Environmental Sciences for over 25 years, developing and delivering numerous innovative programmes in different institutions, and co-founding the Oxfordshire social enterprise consultancy EiE.
DR EMMA WILLIAMS, COURSE DIRECTOR, SEEDWISE:
Dr Emma Williams is driven by her mission for ensuring early career researchers take their next career step in a proactive and positive manner. Her business is built on her background in medical physics research and university professional services. A qualified coach she provides training, facilitation and online courses packed with creativity, empathy and challenge. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmawilliamstraining/
SEEDWISE BEYOND THE AUTUMN
We will be conducting a review after our first and second 'rounds' of SeedWISE.
If there is sufficient take-up, interest, and evidence of impact then we hope to continue to run the programme into 2022.
Please do contact Louisa at mpls.enterprise@mpls.ox.ac.uk to register your interest for any future programmes. Thank you.