Content note: In this episode we focus on a new project to engage and celebrate postdocs at the University of Leeds: Pathfinder

🚩 What Is Pathfinder?

Pathfinder isn’t just an email in your inbox – it’s a project built on co-creation. Produced by Ruth Winden (Careers with Research Consultant) and Dr. Susan Donkin (Project Officer) from the Researcher Development and Research Culture Team in (OD&PL), alongside your invaluable feedback, Pathfinder aims to be more than an information portal. It’s a tool to:

• Keep you informed without overwhelming you
• Give postdocs a bigger, bolder voice
• Spotlight postdoc successes and challenges
• Connect research leaders and colleagues with all that postdocs have to offer

✨ Celebrating Success (Big & Small!)

We believe every achievement deserves recognition. Whether you’ve secured a fellowship, finished your first 10k charity run, or made a sideways career move, your story matters. But we’ve learned that “success” can feel like a loaded term, and that not everyone wants to step into the spotlight.

Your voice is key – that’s why we’re making it easier than ever to get involved:

• Nominate a postdoc peer: Know a colleague who deserves recognition? Email us and we’ll do the rest.
• Suggest yourself: Nervous? We’re friendly! Chat with us, or even share your story anonymously if that feels more comfortable.
• Calling all PIs: Have some wisdom or an inspiring story? Share advice, challenges, or answer “What do I wish I’d known as a postdoc?” Your perspectives are invaluable to our readers.

📬 How Pathfinder Comes Together

• Short, sharp updates: Skim in five minutes; deep-dive if you want more.
• Resource round-up: Quick links to professional development, opportunities, and reminders. Even if you’ve seen them before, with postdoc turnover, a refresher never hurts.
• Regular themes: Our upcoming issue shines a light on ECR and postdoc representatives – the unsung heroes of academia.

📈 Pathfinder By the Numbers

We’re thrilled by the response so far:

• Almost 1,000 subscribers!
• ~50% open rate (that’s huge in the newsletter world!)
• People are talking, reading, and starting to contribute!

Your feedback helps us improve. Drop us a line anytime—tell us what you love, what you’d change, or what you want to see next.

🛠️ Lessons Learned & Tips Shared

• Meet people where they are: Email works best for our busy postdocs!
• Relationships matter: Referrals and nudges from the production team and colleagues help fuel participation and build community.
• Planning is our secret weapon: Our content calendar keeps us organized and responsive.

Patience pays off — Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a vibrant research culture. Each month, your engagement and input shape this initiative.

📢 Ask Contributors To Get Involved!

Want to suggest a theme? Highlight an amazing project? Ask a burning question? Email us, nominate a friend, or just say hello! If we don’t hear from you, we might come knocking (gently, we promise).

We hope that Pathfinder will become a vital part of our postdoc community here at the University of Leeds. Together, with our postdocs, we’re shaping a collaborative, supportive research culture at Leeds – one that recognises every voice.

For questions, stories, or suggestions to do with Pathfinder, please get in touch with Ruth (r.winden@leeds.ac.uk) or Susan (s.donkin@leeds.ac.uk).

Our Pathfinder editions are only accessible internally, to Leeds staff members. But if you'd like to see an example, we are happy to email you a copy so you can get a feel of what it looks like, visually and content wise!

A few explainers and definitions:

OD&PL: Organisational Development & Learning, at the University of Leeds

PI = Principal Investigator

Resources:

Our Researcher Development & Research Culture website

Connect with the host and guest of this podcast episode:

LinkedIn 🔗

Ruth Winden, Careers with Research Consultant, Researcher Development & Research Culture Team, OD&PL, university of Leeds

Dr Susan Donkin , Project Officer, Researcher Development & Research Culture Team, OD&PL, university of Leeds

🎧 All our episodes can be accessed via the following playlists:

• Researcher Development with Emma Spary (follow Emma on Bluesky and LinkedIn )
• Research Professional    
• Research Talent Management  
• Research Impact with Ged Hall (follow Ged on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Open Research with Nick Sheppard (follow Nick on Bluesky and LinkedIn) 
• Research Careers with Ruth Winden (follow Ruth on Bluesky and LinkedIn) and Taryn Bell (follow Taryn on Bluesky and LinkedIn)

Follow us on Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social (new episodes are announced here), @openresleeds.bsky.social, @researchcultureuol.bsky.social 

Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (new episodes are announced here)

If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk

OD&PL: Organisational Development & Learning, at the University of Leeds