Postdoc Awards

Research category (for MHLS, EPS and AHSS awards)

This award recognises outstanding research performance. It can for example relate to exceptional personal contribution to the progression of projects (innovation, problem solving, the completion of work of high quality and integrity), the publication of major papers/ patents/ relevant outputs, invited presentations at International conferences, obtaining of prizes or external funding, establishment of new collaborations, management of collaborations with external partners, contributions to impact (including engagement with policy makers and industrial partners), engagement with innovation and commercialisation, evidence of esteem from the research field etc.

Citizenship and outreach category (for MHLS, EPS and AHSS awards)

This category recognises postdoc involvement in QUB business through, for example: public engagement and dissemination of research to non-specialist audiences (public talks, festivals, events, engagement with schools, social media outreach, dissemination via mainstream media or blogs, vlogs etc…), community consultation and information, student recruitment events, committee work, the organisation of events (e.g. conferences, symposia, courses, laboratory research meetings, journal clubs, etc.), volunteering for students’ activities (e.g. chairing/judging at symposium) and other marks of administrative leadership. Being a member of a committee will be considered but emphasis should be made on the actual contribution of the postdoc to the committee rather than simple membership (i.e. actions and outcomes). Contributions to national, international or field-specific societies and committees are also relevant to this category.

In the case of AHSS nominees, this award also includes the items corresponding to the "Support" category in MHLS and EPS.

Note that this award rewards public engagement activities carried out on the side of the main research project. The development of collaborations with external partners such as industrial partners, engagement with innovation and commercialisation as well as PPI embedded within the research project (in example when the research project itself involves the community) better fit the Research category.

Support category (for MHLS and EPS awards only)

This award recognises outstanding postdoc involvement in the supervision, training and mentoring of students and fellow staff members (please highlight the quality of the supervision and not just the number of students supervised) and teaching. Substantial involvement in general lab management, Health & Safety and administrative tasks in support of the PI are also included in this category.

Note that there are too few postdoctoral researchers in the AHSS Faculty to justify three awards; the achievements described here are included in the "Citizenship and outreach" category for the AHSS nominees.

Who can be nominated?

• Each nomination must be for an individual postdoc
• Nominees should be current postdocs (Research Assistants with a PhD, Research Fellows, Senior Research Fellows, holders of a non-clinical early-career postdoctoral fellowships, or similar AC1 to AC3 Research staff with a PhD) at Queen's
• Vice-Chancellor Fellows, Illuminate fellows or holders of fully independent fellowships (as defined by the list of fellowships category C and D receiving institutional support) are not eligible but should consider applying for the 'Early Career Researcher' category of the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Prizes
• The postdocs nominated should still be employed at Queen’s in September 2022 (to allow the award to be paid to their salary)
• Postdocs who won one of the postdoc awards in the previous year cannot be nominated in the same category the following year (see previous winners on the website)

Who can nominate?

• Any Queen’s staff member (PI, Postdoc, technical staff, administration staff…) can nominate a maximum of one postdoc per category. Use separate forms for each award
• PhD candidates can nominate postdocs in the Exceptional support category only
• Postdocs can self-nominate, but only in one category
• If several people wish to nominate the same person, they can choose to write one nomination together (and list all their names as ‘nominators’) or to write individual nominations. Please do not have separate individuals submit the same copied/pasted nomination

• The nomination should include an abstract summarising your main reasons for nominating the postdoc and a list of maximum 10 ranked achievements supporting your nomination (to be provided on the appropriate Faculty nomination form)
• The activities which qualify must have been carried out (or be planned) within the academic year, between September 2021 and August 2022 (included)
• Use specific facts and examples of achievements supporting the nomination (for example including circumstance, action/personal contribution, result and impact of the action if relevant). Only concrete contributions that happened within the time-frame will be taken into consideration. Nominators can ask the postdoc for details if needed
• Ensure the achievements you provide are relevant to the category you have chosen. The categories’ descriptions above indicate the type of eligible achievements. Note that not all the elements listed are required and that the list is not exhaustive
• Please do not include facts that would clearly align with another category as they won’t be considered by the panel (for example, do not include papers published for the citizenship category)
• Rank the achievements, starting with the one you consider the most important
• If relevant, you can highlight at the end of your nomination some specific circumstances that you feel the panel should be aware of, for example if the individual you are nominating was on leave for part of the eligible time-frame or works part-time

• Download and complete the form corresponding to the Faculty of the nominee, respecting the instructions above
• Send the completed form as a word document to the PDC (pdc@qub.ac.uk), Subject: MHLS, EPS or AHSS (as relevant) Postdoc awards, before 08/07/2022
• The PDC will acknowledge reception of your nomination. If you do not receive a confirmation within two working days, please get in touch to ensure your email was actually received

Download the MHLS nomination form

Download the EPS nomination form

Download the AHSS nomination form

• Each nomination will be evaluated by a panel including the Faculty Dean of Research or nominee, the Head of the PDC, a Faculty academic and a member of the Research and Enterprise directorate working with the Faculty
• If a large number of nominations is received within one category, the panel may decide to also award a reasonable number of ‘highly commended’ mentions in addition to selecting a winner. The winner will receive £300 on their September salary (£300; will be taxed as appropriate)
• Winners will be announced during National Postdoc Appreciation Week (19-23 September 2022); place and time of the announcement will be communicated to the nominators and nominees
• The results will be displayed on this website (MHLS nominees, EPS nominees, AHSS nominees)