P7 - Leadership starts at the student level

A competitive scientific culture and environment means that students must take every opportunity to further develop their skills. The challenge is to assist developing PhD students achieve a balance between research-intensive training programs, career development and transferrable skills acquisition. At the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, we have created a model for PhD training that includes: 1) Postgraduate Program Requirements, including support for the research project, progress review and supervisor management; 2) Mentoring, internships, research seminars journal clubs, and conferences to promote interdisciplinary and international exposure; and 3) Professional and Career development that explores transferrable skills such as communication and leadership, as well as career planning opportunities. Embedded in this model is the focus on promoting students as leaders by allowing them to not only participate, but to plan and run their own workshops. This approach allows our research students to develop a higher degree of independence and leadership during their candidature to enhance preparation for a competitive job-market by broadening their career options.