Women's Development

Staff Learning and Development Opportunities for Women

Aurora Women's Leadership Programme

Aurora is a women-only leadership development initiative facilitated by Advance HE. It aims to encourage women in higher education to think of themselves as leaders and to develop leadership skills. If you are starting to think of moving into a leadership role, and have some managerial experience, the programme offers an ideal opportunity for development.

To apply, you should be in a role up to and including Associate Professor or Professional and Managerial Grade 8.

This programme will enable you to:

Learn - Tools, techniques and strategies from a team of leadership experts, guest speakers & online resources.
Develop - Leadership skills through experiential processes, reflection and conversations.
Network - Meet delegates through five live online development days with interactive breakout sessions and two action learning set meetings.
Connect - With a UK wide network and niche groups through a members only group.
Grow - Supported by a mentor within UoR.

For more detail on the programme content, visit Advance HE’s About Aurora Webpage.

Aurora is made up of a mix of development days, action learning sets and online resources, and includes mentoring by a senior member of University staff. While most sessions are run online, there are some opportunities to meet with your cohort in person, travel costs for this are to be agreed and covered by your school or department budget.

It is important that as part of the programme, you are able to attend all sessions as outlined below.

Friday 19^th September 2025 – Online – 10:00 – 12:30
Friday 26^th September 2025 – Online – 10:00 – 15:00
Friday 10^th October 2025 – Online – 10:00 – 15:00
Friday 7^th November 2025 – Online – 10:00 – 15:00
Friday 28^th November 2025 – Online – 10:00 – 15:00
Friday 9^th January 2026 – Online – 10:00 – 15:00
Friday 30^th January 2026 – London – 09:30 – 16:00
Friday 13^th February 2026 – TBC – 10:00 – 15:00

The University sponsors a number of places on the programme and applications are reviewed by a panel to decide which applicants will be given a place, and the decision of its members is final.

Please note, it is not open to individuals to apply direct to Advance HE for a place, delegates must be sponsored by the University centrally.

As part of your application, you and your line manager will each need to prepare a supporting statement.

Applicant’s Statement –

This should be a short statement of no more than 300 words covering:

What skills and knowledge you hope to gain by attending the programme.
Your leadership aspirations for the future and how you believe the content of this programme will help you to achieve them, making reference to the programme content in your response.
How you will apply your learning from the programme.

Line Manager Statement –

This should also be a short statement of no more than 300 words covering:

The applicant’s level of commitment to taking part in Aurora
How the applicant will benefit from the programme
How the programme aligns with their strengths and development needs
How you will support the applicant during the programme and with applying the leadership skills that they are developing on Aurora back at work.

If you are interested in applying for a place, please complete the Aurora 2025 application form.

Applicants will be informed by early August if they have been successful.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 27^th July 2025

Please note - By submitting an application, you and your line manager are confirming that you will commit to the full programme. This includes attending all sessions and action learning sets as well as any pre-work and post-work set in connection with each module. Due to the significant cost of the programme, failure to do so may result in the cost of your place on the programme being charged back to your School or Directorate.

If you have any questions about Aurora, the application process or Women's development, please get in touch with us at peopledevelopment@reading.ac.uk.

Springboard Women's Development Programme

Springboard is for anyone who identifies as a woman and is looking for a fresh perspective and mindset to grow their confidence, set goals, create a personal development plan, improve their work-life balance and become part of a network of like-minded, empowered women on a journey of personal development and career advancement.

The programme is made up of four one day workshops that cover separate but linked topics – from self-discovery, to embracing change, effective communication and influencing, and transformative action.

By the end of our four one day workshop series, participants will:

Elevate confidence with proven strategies, leaving any self-doubt behind. Participants radiate unwavering self-belief in every interaction.
Ditch the imposter phenomenon and embrace active self-development, learning powerful techniques to champion their own success.
Communicate with clarity and express ideas with impact. Participants will master effective communication skills to navigate any challenge with ease.
Break through barriers, unleashing their inner leader with tools for assertive action. Participants will learn to advocate for themselves and their goals without hesitation.
Build a crystal-clear vision for their future, setting attainable goals fuelled by their own motivation such as putting themselves forward for job promotions or opportunities.

Springboard empowers participants to achieve a fulfilling life and career which has a huge impact on their job performance and career prospects.

Applications for Springboard 2026 will be open in Spring 2026 and will be advertised on the Staff Portal.