This week, the Advancing Plant Health (APH) Institute Strategic Programme (ISP) hosted ‘A Celebration of Careers in Plant Health’ event, showcasing a range of careers in academia, entrepreneurship, industry and policy. Professor Mark Banfield, APH ISP Lead at the John Innes Centre, and Dr Eleri Tudor, APH ISP Programme Manager at the John Innes Centre, reflect on why events like this are more vital than ever for student and postdoctoral scientist communities.

“Historically, the Advancing Plant Health Institute Strategic Programme has hosted an event for programme members once a year. The event has always included a focus on careers, but usually those in academia,” Mark said. “Inspired by participant feedback, we wanted to do something different. Working with our PhD and postdoc communities, this year we developed an event programme where career pathways beyond academia could also be showcased.”  

Eleri continued: “As an institute, we often say we are ‘training the next generation of scientists’. While this is true, the 2026 “What do researchers do?” report published by The Careers Research and Advisory Centre found that the proportion of PhD graduates remaining in UK academia has fallen significantly over recent years.” 

By analysing the job outcomes of 10,690 students who gained a doctoral degree in 2022-2023, the study concluded that PhD graduates ‘continue to be highly employable’ with less than three percent unemployed 15 months after graduation. However, only 35 percent of PhD graduates in the Biological Sciences were working in academia. For postdocs the number is even less, with some reports suggesting only 10 percent find a permanent academic role. 

“Our PhD students face the prospect that their first job after graduation may not be an academic one, whilst our postdocs are met with the similar possibility that they will not stay in academia for their whole career. I think this is a positive thing, but it can be difficult to see how your specialised skills and knowledge would fit in a world outside academia” said Eleri. “Seeking career advice from individuals working in a sector outside your own can help translate the specialised skills you have into marketable ones, that potential employers see as transferable. It’s also a great way to learn about career pathways beyond those around you.” 

The APH sponsored event, hosted in the John Innes Conference Centre, included four sessions with speakers representing careers in entrepreneurship, academia (research institutes and university), industry, and policy. The event was open to everyone at JIC and TSL ,and nearly 100 of the research community registered to attend. The event ended with a networking lunch which provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to directly connect with our speakers, to gain industry insights and explore potential job opportunities and alternative career pathways in a low-pressure environment. 

Eight speakers, four career pathways, and invaluable insights 

• Collaboration leads to success -all of our speakers highlighted that collaborative efforts lead to superior results, compared to individual actions alone.  

• Network intentionally – put yourself out there! Go to the conference, send the email, pitch your science to someone, make yourself known in your community. This comes with practice, but the more you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, the easier it gets. 

• Do what excites you – many of our speakers talked about how their career paths have been shaped by their own motivations. If you’re not enjoying your work anymore, reflect on why. Think about what you enjoy, and don’t be afraid of failing. 

• Develop and maintain connections along the way – you never know where their support and guidance might lead you. 

PhD and postdoc opportunities at JIC 

The number of PhD graduates globally has grown significantly over the past few decades, but the number of academic jobs available have not kept pace. Through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership all JIC students complete an internship via the Professional Internship Programme (PIPS) or a CASE placement with their industry partner. 

Placements provide students with a strong set of transferable skills such as effective networking, presenting, collaboration and knowledge exchange. They gain experience of working across different disciplines, improving their employability. 

Mark concluded: “This event is another great example of how we can prepare our students and postdocs for the next stage in their career, be it in academia or outside it. JIC, and our partners at TSL, have the privilege of training scientists to become the next generation of working professionals. The broad range of plant health careers available is something to be celebrated, and our speakers, who have been generous with their time, have brought these opportunities to life by sharing their career stories with us.” 

 

Thank you to the speakers: Dr Adam Bentham (Durham University), Dr Angela Chaparro-Garcia (Tropic), Christopher Darby (Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development), Dr Eva Gordon-Sharpe (JIC), Dr James Canham (GetGenome), Dr Lola González-Penadés (RAGT), Dr Phil Carella (JIC) and Dr Robert Green (QuberTech).  

Thank you to the organisers from: 

• The John Innes Centre: Alba Pacheco-Moreno, Eleri Tudor, Mark Banfield, Nathan Williams, Roger Berwick.  

• The Sainsbury Laboratory: AmirAli Toghani, Daniel Lüdke, Laura Turchi, Mia Cerfonteyn, Sara Dorhmi. 

Advancing Plant Health is an Institute Strategic Programme aiming to deliver new solutions to promote beneficial interactions, and disease or pest resistance in crops of both national and global significance. It is a partnership between the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, funded by the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) grant numbers BB/X010996/1 and BB/Y002997/1.