DGS - Graduate School Day

Donders Graduate School Day at Radboud University

The annual Donders Graduate School Day organised for PhD candidates and CNS students will happen on 18 September 2025, with several transferable skills workshops provided for individual growth.

Programme DGS day - 18 September 2025

• 12:00 – 12:30 Registration
• 12:30 – 13:30 Welcome and plenary session by Yvonne Kuiper and guests
• 13:30 – 14:00 Break
• 14:00 – 15:30 Workshop round 1
• 15:30 – 16:00 Break
• 16:00 – 17:30 Workshop round 2
• 17:30 – 20:30 Dinner

Plenary session:

By Yvonne Kuiper and guests Blanca Spee and Amy de Roubaix

In this plenary session, we will hear multiple examples on outreach, citizen science, and creating impact in creative ways, such as the ADHD escape room, art and Parkinson, and the Donders Citylab.

Blanca Spee

Investigating Experienced Changes in Creativity in People with Parkinson’s Disease

Although Parkinson’s disease is usually associated with motor and cognitive decline, many people report surprising increases in creativity, especially in the visual arts and daily activities. In our project Unlocking the Muse at the Art Inquiry Lab, we combined medical science with the arts and developed co-created therapy programs to understand these changes and design supportive interventions. This work not only reveals novel insights into the relationship between neurodegeneration and creativity, but also highlights the value of co-creation in developing meaningful and person-centered care.

Amy De Roubaix

After completing her PhD in Health Sciences in Belgium, Amy De Roubaix moved to the Netherlands to join the research group of Martine Hoogman as a postdoctoral researcher. In her current work she explores the concept of neurodiversity and investigates strengths in children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD).

Workshops:

Workshop 1: Networking

by Wencke Kieft

Many people claim that networking is important, especially if you’re looking for a (new) job. But you are wondering: “where to start and what to do?” And maybe you have no clue on what is appropriate and what is not. If you like to know more about networking, but still have a few questions or doubts, then join this workshop.

Workshop 2: Impact

by Francien Mels

How can societal impact work for you - and your research?
Your research is your top priority. But what if creating societal impact didn’t compete with that - what if it could support your work? Whether it’s about clinical implementation, shaping educational tools, or developing open-access resources, your research might be more socially relevant than you realize. At the same time, we know that “impact” often feels vague, time-consuming, or like just another box to tick. In this interactive session, Francien Mels from the Knowledge Transfer Office will help you explore what meaningful impact can look like - on your terms. Together, we’ll look at real examples, identify relevant users and stakeholders, and talk about navigating the balance between open and closed science in ways that align with your goals.

Let’s rethink impact - your way, and in service of your science.

Workshop 3: Poster design

by Sarah Dresden, Radboud In'to Languages

What attracts an audience to my poster? What makes them look at it longer? How can I present my results in an easy to understand way? During this short workshop you will learn

• what makes a poster attractive
• what information to include, but especially what to exclude
• how to present text, pictures and graphs
• how to make your poster self-explanatory
• how to make use of colour schemes

In groups you will evaluate existing posters and you are welcome to bring your own (colour-printed on A4 paper) to receive feedback from your peers and your instructor.

Workshop 4: Defending your dissertation

by Caro Struijke, Radboud In'to Languages

You are nearing the end of your PhD track. The defense is approaching. Are you looking forward to it or are you dreading it? Are you afraid you will get questions you won’t be able to answer? During this workshop you will learn what to expect during the defense, how to prepare, how to answer any challenging questions, how to feel in control, and how to turn the defense in something you will actually enjoy.

Workshop 5: Navigating the Publication process: From submission to Acceptance

This workshop will cover the key stages of the academic publication process, including how to select the right journal, discuss authorship roles and responsibilities, and effectively navigate peer review. The session will also cover strategies for writing a strong rebuttal letter and responding to reviewer comments constructively.

Workshop 6: Bring your research to life: interactive workshop with Donders Citylab

by Yvonne Kuiper (Societal Impact and Science Communication Officer) and Dirk-Jan Melssen (Public Outreach Officer)

In this hands-on workshop, you will learn to turn complex scientific ideas into engaging, interactive demonstrations that captivate and educate. We will cover the essentials of effective science communication before you start designing your own demo, experiment or game aimed at any audience ranging from school children to curious adults. Working individually or in teams, you will design a practical science demo ready to use. The best ideas may even become part of the Donders Institute activities at open days, Brain Awareness Week, schools or the Brain Museum.

Workshop 7: InScience - Science films and visualization of research - Fully reserved

by Romy Holweg, InScience

How do you make visible what your research is about, why it is important and what added value it has? Film is an excellent tool for this because of its ability to visualize certain abstract concepts and theories. During this inscience workshop, you will delve deeper into the subject of science film and think about how you can visualize your research. InScience International Science Film Festival Nijmegen is one of the biggest science films festivals in Europe. The program most importantly consists of an overview of the best science films of the year. InScience offers a broad program, with talks, film debates, Q&A's, meetings, and expositions on the cutting edge of science and art. During InScience, Nijmegen is changed into a meeting place for filmmakers, scientists and the audience for exchanging new insights.

Coaching sessions

Instead of the workshops above, you can also sign up for short 15 minute coaching sessions with one of the coaches below. Even though 15 minutes appears short, in previous years it proved to be valuable to be able to have such a coaching session. Note that you will only be assigned to a coach during one of the workshop rounds, so we recommend to also indicate what workshop(s) you would prefer and not only select the coaches.

Coach 1: Sophie Raaijmakers

Sophie Raaijmakers is Career Officer from the Career Service department and can help with improving your CV, motivation letter or LinkedIn-profile, practice a job interview question or you can brainstorm with her about your career questions (what do I want? What can I do? Where/how do I find vacancies? Etc). It’s useful to bring your laptop and a vacancy text if you want advice on your application.

Coach 2: Harriët Reker

Already for many years I enjoy my work as a coach, career coach and trainer for Radboud University HR Division - Strategy Policy Development. On 28th June we can discuss topics such as your next step in your career, how to present yourself, personal leadership, stress, communication with your supervisor, diversity equity and inclusion or whatever topic you would like to discuss.

Coach 3: Sara Fabbri, CNS coach - Fully reserved

Two years ago, Sara Fabbri, PhD in Cognitive Science, has left her academic position as Professor of Psychology to support academics in their well-being and career choices. Since then, she has consolidated her coaching position, for example creating her own Individual Coaching Course for CNS master students and founding the coaching company Minds for Science for which she coaches PhDs and Professors. As career and well-being coach, you can talk with Sara if you have doubts about your present or future career but also if you would like to improve your quality of life by addressing issues such as stress, work-life balance, overthinking, perfectionism, procrastination, and lack of confidence.

For more info contact dgcn [at] donders.ru.nl (dgcn[at]donders[dot]ru[dot]nl)