The Springboard programme is an award-winning international development programme, specifically designed for women from all backgrounds, ages and at various stages in their life and careers – open to all staff who identify as women, in academic and professional services roles.
About Springboard
Springboard is a personal development programme for women, in which participants are encouraged to look at all aspects of their lives.
It offers participants the opportunity to undertake a substantial review of their work and personal life, and to take more control by making good quality decisions about the right way forward. It can help participants shape the change they want, in practical and realistic ways; by reflecting on their goals, developing their strengths, and practicing skills such as assertiveness, goal setting and workplace coaching.
The programme is run by an external consultant who has substantial experience of working with academic and professional services staff on leadership and personal development. She is certified in counselling, coaching and mentoring. The programme is designed to create a productive and collegial learning environment to support personal and workplace goals and ambitions.
If you are an early career researcher you may want to consider UNIque which is designed specifically for women researchers at the early career stage.
Why is Springboard for women only?
Extensive research in a variety of organisations shows that:
Springboard in open to all staff who identify as women in accordance with the Queen Mary Trans Inclusion Statement of Commitment.
Interested Applicants for 2025
If you are interested in participating in the Springboard programme as part of the 2025 cohort, please first check that you can attend all the dates below. Please also check that you will have time to engage with both the workbook, which is likely to require on average an hour a week of your time in addition to the course contact time, and the peer coaching commitment between sessions. As with most development, you will need to be proactive to get the most out of the course – being clear about your own aims is the first step and you will need to be able to fully commit to participating in each of the sessions without distraction.
Please note the programme will be delivered via a mix of in person, face to face (F2F) sessions being held at Dept W and online sessions held via Zoom. Please ensure you are able to commit to attending all sessions - both online and in person, and that you will be able to attend the F2F sessions in person at Dept W.
Please email a completed Springboard application form 2025 [DOC 65KB] to hr-equality@qmul.ac.uk and include 'Springboard 2025' in the subject line.
You will need to submit your application by the deadline of Friday 7 February 2025 at 5.00pm.
2025 dates:
For further information please email: hr-equality@qmul.ac.uk
Programme Feedback
“The programme has provided me with a more positive outlook that will allow me to understand what I can change/influence and provided me with tools to help do this.”
“Every guest speaker was extremely inspiring and hearing their stories in full from their perspective was extremely useful.”
“It was a wonderful experience spending a multi-day training course solely in the company of women, it was a very considerate and supportive atmosphere.”
“Springboard has helped me recognise that making time for myself is actually time for my work as it puts me in a better place to be able to deal with my work.”