Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

This half day course is suitable for post-docs from MSD and MPLS who are interested in becoming a Principal Investigator.

Are you considering becoming a PI?

What does it mean to be a PI and what are the routes to becoming one?

The session will explore the perspective of the funders and of departments. Both are critical in enabling the transition from postdoc to research independence. There is no single route to becoming a PI at Oxford, so the session focuses on what you can do to increase your chances of making the most of any opportunity that arises and of what you might need to do to create such an opportunity.

It also looks at what the life of a PI is like, drawing heavily on research that Oxford Learning Institute did in 2015 on the transition from DPhil to PI and using the words of those who have made that transition. There is no set of steps or rules that guarantee success, so the emphasis is on exploration and on learning from those who made the transition, and from each other. There is an element of ‘Are you sure this is what you want?’ as we look at the first year or so in the life of a PI and the challenges they face to keep going.”