Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2013) 31 YE1.5 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.31.YE1.5

SFEBES2013 Young Endocrinologists Session Maintaining your endocrine career despite what life throws at you (6 abstracts)

Daphne Jackson Fellowships offer returners the chance to re-establish a research profile after a career break

Katie Perry


The Daphne Jackson Trust, Guildford,Surrey, UK.


This presentation will describe the barriers, the business case and the benefits of employing returners to science, engineering and technology (SET) careers by the only organisation in the UK solely dedicated to returning scientists to careers. The Daphne Jackson Trust is an organisation that offers Fellowships to men and women who have taken a career break from science, engineering or technology. With falling numbers of graduates entering SET careers, employers in both academia and industry can no longer afford to ignore the fact that scientists who take a career break often do not return to their old jobs. This has serious implications for the cost of recruitment and training of staff and, overall, is affecting the competitiveness and productivity of many Universities and companies in the UK and Europe. Scientists often feel unable to return due to a wide variety of reasons: lack of part-time or flexible posts, difficulties with childcare, unpleasant and outdated working environments, lack of career progression, secretive and unfair recruitment and promotion procedures, to name but a few.

In fact, it can be almost impossible for many to return without the help of a Daphne Jackson Fellowship, as it offers the opportunity to re-establish scientific credentials and obtain a recent research record whilst retraining and renewing skills that are essential for a future career. The Trust has a 96% success rate in returning Fellows to SET based careers and these returners have much to offer their employers. Not only are they fully qualified for the role in the first place but their career breaks have often heightened the skills required by top class employers: time management, flexibility and adaptability, conflict resolution and working under pressure. It is time that all Universities and Companies became engaged in schemes such as that offered by the Daphne Jackson Trust.

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