Supports for Female Staff

University of Galway offers a wide variety of supports to women returning to their careers after leave. Outlined below are a number of supports available

Mentorship and Coaching

Aurora – Women’s Leadership Development Programme
Vista Programme Vista Programme
Institutional Mentorship Scheme open to all staff
Institutional Coaching Scheme open to all staff
PMDS/"Performance for Growth"

Maternity/Carer’s Leave Supports

Grants to Support Academic Staff Following Maternity/Carer’s Leave

1. QA151 Research Grant for Returning Academic Carers

Up to €10,000 to support all academic grades to re-engage with their research upon returning from long-term leave
Available on an ongoing basis all year round
Non-competitive grant

2. Mid Career: Capacity Building Grant ‌‌

Academic staff who took an extended period of leave connected with caring with a grant of €5,000
To help mitigate the impact of extended leave on research activities
In 2020/21, eligibility was extended to PD Researchers/Research Fellows
Competitive grant

3. Advanced Career: Research Consolidation Grant

€3,000 for female SLs to consolidate research development
Phase 2 of the Promotions Project

4. Training for Line Managers

Managers Matter: Leading Modern Families which helps managers to support staff going on/returning from maternity or carer's leave and staff with caring responsibilities

5. Support for those returning from maternity/adoptive leave

Maternity Matters: Return to Work- A workshop to assist with the transition back into the working environment after maternity/adoptive leave.

Career Development and Promotion

1. LiFT Programme to develop leadership skills and enhance personal development

8-10 week programme, about 30-40 minutes a week.
Participants engage in a small roundtable group either online or blended and complete a 8-10 part leadership development programme covering several values.

2. The Learning and Development Office organise a range of courses offered on a regular basis including:

Bitesize Learning Sessions: Teamwork
Bitesize Learning Sessions: Strength Based Coaching
Bitesize Learning Sessions: IT Shortcuts and Tools
MS Teams / One Drive / SharePoint Training

3. FEP (Further Education Policy)

A funding programme to which staff can apply for support when undertaking a part-time programme of study.
A certain number of courses will have fees waived for staff. Applicants should apply to their course of choice first, before applying for FEP support – to ensure a space is held on your chosen course. Once FEP funding has been approved, the staff member can then confirm their place on their course. If a place has not been reserved and the course is full then FEP approval can be carried over to the following year (provided that it is the same course).
Applying for a course and applying for FEP funding are two separate processes. Approval for FEP support does not guarantee a place on a course.
Certain programmes have a limit on numbers so may operate on a first come/first served basis.

4. LinkedIn Learning Content Recommendations

Career Plans

What is a career plan?
Create your career plan
Long-term career planning
Create a focused career plan
How to plan your future career

Goal Setting

Goal setting
How to use SMART goals
Setting goals
Why goal setting works

Professionalism

Be a professional
Building professional relationships
Dressing for success
The importance of professional empathy
Reviewing Your Professional Goals

Work Experience

Work experience
Showcase professional work experience
Add your work experience

Job Search

Using a job search agent successfully
Using a jobs list
The state of job search today
The top five job search tips
Helpful resources for remote job searching
Stay motivated in your job search
Search for jobs
The job search
How informational interviews fit into the job search process

Job Application

How to apply for jobs online
How to personalize a job application
Your CV layout
Creating a great resume
Update your CV or résumé
US CV (curriculum vitae)
Other CV types
Always have your resume/CV ready
The fundamentals of an awesome resume
Resume formats & layout
Crafting a cover letter
Writing a cover letter
Writing resumes and cover letters
How to write an effective cover letter
The resume and cover letter
The anatomy of a killer cover letter
Other CV types

Interviews

Preparing for interview
Prepare for the interview
Preparing for the interview
Prepare for a formal interview
Prepare for your job interview
Phone interviewing
Facilitating focus groups and interviews
Preparing for interviews across print/online/blog
Presentation skills
Improve your verbal presentation skills
Communication skills
Communication skills for the phone

Resilience

The resilience mindset
Resilience
Developing resilience
Resilience in life and work
The importance of resilience
The six resilience pillars
How to develop resilience
Start your resilience journey
How resilient are you?
Building in resilience
Tips for main

Information on how to access LinkedIn can be found here.

5. Big Interview provides a full training course and powerful A.I. practice tool to help you create the best possible interview answers as well as a good interview presence.