Chief Executive, Dr Katie Perry’s recap of the Daphne Jackson Fellows Day in York

At the beginning of November, the Principal York played host to an extraordinary event that brought together former and current Daphne Jackson Fellows for a day filled with networking, collaboration and training opportunities. Our inaugural Fellows day showcased the remarkable achievements and shared experiences of individuals who have embarked on a unique journey to re-enter their research careers.

Chief Executive of the Daphne Jackson Trust, Dr Katie Perry shares her thoughts on the event:

“For me, the highlight of the event was the opportunity for Fellows, both past and present, to connect and forge meaningful relationships. The atmosphere buzzed with enthusiasm as researchers from various backgrounds and stages in their careers came together, creating a supportive community across disciplines. Conversations flowed, ideas were exchanged amongst inspiring returning stories. For the Trust, this emphasized for us the power of a shared mission in the wonderful community we find ourselves in – together advancing diversity and excellence in research.

There was a welcoming dinner on the first day where former Fellows were given the opportunity to share their story, the next day included training by Pete Bailie from Vox coaching on “Confident Networking and Personal Impact”.

The Daphne Jackson Fellows Day in York was a testament to the Daphne Jackson community, which we look forward to building on this network of inspiring individuals. The event not only provided a platform for networking and training but also served as a celebration of diversity, resilience, and achievement across STEM, social sciences, arts and humanities.

“It is clear that the Daphne Jackson Fellowship continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of returning to research by empowering talented individuals to reach new heights and re-direct their career path. The team and I look forward to hosting more Fellows Days in the future. Thank you to our Trustees, hosts and sponsors that could make the day, our wonderful former Fellows for taking the time to share their advice and journeys, and thank you to Deirdre McMahon our events team and the rest of the #DJTteam…these events couldn’t happen without them.”

Dr Yuden Ren at the University of Cambridge, sponsored by the Royal Society comments; “It was an event full of inspirations, hearing stories from other Fellows! The Networking and Personal Impact course led my learning journey to recognise the valuable soft skills, practise and improve them in the future. It made me feel less lonely and less odd, more confident and more connected to other fellows, especially to the other mum scientists.”

Help us to continue to support research returners by doing these three things:

1. Tell three people about Daphne Jackson Fellowships.
2. Ask research funders how they are supporting returners…and if they aren’t, put them in touch with us!
3. Find out more about how our Fellowships make a difference by reading our Impact Report and by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.