Welcome to the core of our conference, where a diverse array of sessions awaits to cater to your career progression needs. Whether you're just beginning your journey in research or you're an experienced professional seeking new insights and guidance, we have something for you.

You have the opportunity to choose sessions that align with your career progression. While sessions are suggested for early-career or mid-career researchers, this is merely a guide; all delegates are welcome to choose any session that interests them. Here’s a glimpse of what we have in store:

Session Information

Clinical Academic Route and Research - Question time panel on clinical academic careers and research

Panel: Dr Ian Simcock (Chair), Prof Helen McNair, Dr Carolyn Costigan, Dr Ruth Reeve

Suitable for - All

This session aimed to explore the clinical academic career route specifically tailored for radiographers, highlighting pathways, opportunities, and the importance of bridging clinical practice with academic research.

The session will address a range of topics that are commonly seen when developing a career in research within Radiography and will include:

  • the challenges of clinical-academic and research roles within the workplace
  • understanding the clinical academic route
  • different and potential career pathways for clinical academics
  • research skills development
  • working alongside other teams/professions and skill utilisation
  • developing and advancing your research career
Crafting Your Professional Narrative – Increasing Your Visibility

Speaker: Dr Ines Perpetuo

Suitable for - All

You know who you are, your interests and research ambition, but how do you communicate them to others?

This session aims to strengthen your ability to promote yourself and your research ambitions to colleagues, collaborators, potential supervisors, and funders.

This workshop will have some interactive aspects as we will work on short pitches with the aim of getting people to the stage of wanting to know more about you.

Embedding and Using Research in Clinical Practice (starting guide)

Speaker: Professor Natalie Pattison

Suitable for - All

This workshop is aimed at people who want to apply research into practice, begin adopting research and consider how to embed research in their everyday practice.

Learning outcomes:

  • To understand where to begin in using research in clinical practice.
  • To know where to go to look for appropriate research evidence.
  • To know the distinction between engagement and involvement in research, and understand how you can get involved.
  • To consider how to ensure projects have a clinical impact.

We will consider how to influence your local work culture to help adoption of research, how you can use your clinical curiosity and apply this in research questions, develop the evidence base and apply findings into practice.

We will examine:

  • resources available to support engagement and embedding of research such as ARC, CRN, NIHR Learn communities;
  • the drivers for research and evidence, and how to use these to argue the case for protected time and
  • knowledge transfer and mobilisation and where to go for implementation support.
Grant Writing: Making Your Ideas Wonderful and Fundable

Speaker: Dr Theo Akudjedu

Suitable for - Mid-career researchers

The session will aim to cover key elements that both grant reviewers and funding panels/committees consider crucial in a grant application.

It will provide specific tips and guidance for turning a research idea into a wonderful and fundable grant application.  

Preparing a Doctoral Fellowship Application

Speakers: Professor Heidi Probst, Dr Jonathan McConnell, Dr Nicholas Courtier, Jessica Eaton

Suitable for - Early-career researchers

In this session the focus will be on how to prepare for a doctoral training bursary or doctoral fellowship award.

Securing funding for doctoral training can be a game-changer. Whether it’s providing buyout of clinical or academic responsibilities to fully immerse in your doctorate, or covering costs for PPIE and other project expenses, the support can truly propel your research forward. However, the competition for bursaries and fellowships is fierce. To stand out, crafting a compelling and robust application is essential. This is your chance to shine and make a significant impact with your research journey!

Key topics within the session will include:

  • Jessica Eaton shares her experience of navigating through the funding opportunities available to early career researchers
  • Insight into what panel members and reviewers are looking for in a doctoral fellowship application
  • How to choose the most appropriate supervisors for your proposed study
  • How to choose a mentor for career planning during and beyond the doctoral fellowship
  • The importance of PPIE in the fellowship application 
Writing a Dissemination Plan

Speakers: Professor Heidi Probst, Dr Jonathan McConnell

Suitable for - All

Join us for an exciting session where we'll dive into the world of research dissemination! We'll uncover the vital role a dissemination plan plays in amplifying your research impact and explore an array of dynamic frameworks to guide you in crafting a powerful dissemination strategy. Whether you're looking to reach a broader audience or maximise your research's influence, this session is designed to equip you with the tools and insights you need for success.

Key topics within the session will include:

  • Theoretically informed dissemination frameworks,
  • Defining the relevant stakeholders and audiences for the research,
  • Different modalities for dissemination from traditional peer-reviewed journal articles, or conference presentations, to less traditional approaches.

Each session is designed to equip you with practical skills and knowledge to advance your career. You'll choose your sessions upon arrival, so think about what will most benefit you and your professional goals. We look forward to seeing you take full advantage of these opportunities!

Registration closes on 19 February 2025. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so early booking is advised to avoid disappointment. 

Contact us

The CATO Team and Radiographers Incubator work on a Hybrid model, combining days in the office with days working from home – the best way to reach us is by email.

cato@imperial.ac.uk
radresearch@imperial.ac.uk

+44 (0)20 3313 7397