Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP)
Prepare for a career in academia through a year-long series of seminars.
The 2025 ACAP cohort with course facilitator Amy Chan (Associate Professor in Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences).
ACAP 2026
Applications for the 2026 Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP) open in August 2025.
More information will be made available closer to the time.
What is ACAP?
The Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP) allows candidates to explore key aspects of academic life, build interdisciplinary relationships with academics across the University, and get a head start in the academic job market.
ACAP has two major elements:
- Orientation Morning is an opportunity for participants to get to know each other. Held during Orientation Week, it provides an introduction to the programme and prepares participants for their role in the regular seminars.
- Regular seminars are co-facilitated by participants and cover key aspects of academic careers such as research, teaching and professionalism. Where relevant, careers external to academia will also be discussed.
Please note:
- Tuition is funded by the Academic Career Advancement Award.
- Your supervisor will need to endorse your application, and will be notified when you apply for the programme.
- There is a competitive selection process where priority is given to mid-phase doctoral students who have completed their provisional goals. You must have been confirmed by 1 February in the year in which you join ACAP, and your final submission date must not be before November of the same year. Due to the high number of applications, meeting these criteria does not guarantee you a place.
- Due to limited availability, participants will only be accepted into either the Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP) or the Doctoral Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme (DELP).
- Participants must be prepared to attend all seminars at the Kate Edger Information Commons (KEIC) on City Campus, and co-facilitate a seminar on one of the topics listed below.
ACAP 2025
Wednesday 26 February (9am-1pm)
Orientation: Planning your ACAP Year
Meet other ACAP participants, get an introduction to the programme, and prepare for your role in the regular seminars.
Wednesday 5 March (10am to 1pm)
Presentation Skills
Giving a great presentation is key to getting your message across in a variety of both academic and industry contexts.
Wednesday 19 March (10am to 1pm)
Becoming an Academic
Get started in academia with confidence. We will discuss adapting to the University environment as an early career academic and examine resources that will help you to plan your entry pathway.
Wednesday 2 April (10am to 1pm)
Academic Citizenship
Engaging with opportunities to be an active citizen of your institution and the wider educational community can be rewarding. Explore the University as an organisation, including its structure (departments, faculties and centrally) and the purpose of committees. Understanding the key policies that impact on research and teaching is essential for maintaining academic integrity.
Wednesday 16 April (10am to 1pm)
Student Engagement
When students are engaged in learning, their focus and motivation increases. Discuss ways to develop meaningful learning experiences in a variety of environments: small classes, large lectures and online spaces. Explore the impact of assessment methods on student engagement.
Wednesday 30 April (10am to 1pm)
Innovation in Teaching
Educators innovate teaching practices to improve student learning outcomes. What is innovation in teaching and why is it important? How can teachers and students create innovative learning spaces? How can we look at teaching problems differently in order to solve them? What does the future hold for learning?
Wednesday 14 May (10am to 1pm)
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Understanding how to research your teaching will improve your practice and contribute to the growing field called the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SoTL). Explore the SoTL process of researching teaching and learning within the disciplines and learn how to develop questions that can be researched.
Wednesday 28 May (10am to 1pm)
The Teaching Profile and Evidence
Now is the time to begin developing your teaching profile. Discuss approaches to developing an academic CV and a teaching profile that will underpin applications for employment and promotion. Understanding the impact of teaching is essential for student success. Therefore, a key element of the teaching profile will be the evidence that shows the impact of your teaching. Explore methods for gathering that evidence and writing it up.
Wednesday 16 July (10am to 1pm)
Getting Research Funding
Securing research funding is a challenging but crucial part of being a researcher, so we’ll explore the process for early career researchers. We will cover identifying funding opportunities, knowing when to apply, creating a funding plan, identifying a mentor and/or collaborators, the keys to writing a successful application and what to do if your application is rejected.
Wednesday 30 July (10am to 1pm)
Getting Published
Writing and publishing a journal article is about to get a whole lot easier! Understand the review process, the role of journal editors and reviewers, and how to respond to reviewers’ comments. Identify the most appropriate journals for your research area and the potential resulting impact on your research profile.
Wednesday 13 August (10am to 1pm)
Broader Dissemination of Research
Disseminating your research to a wider audience can provide opportunities for collaboration. Explore strategies for networking and presenting at international forums, engaging with the public through media and social media, and partnering with government, iwi and industry.
Wednesday 17 September (10am to 1pm)
The Research Profile and Evidence
Now is the time to begin developing your research profile. It will underpin your applications for employment, funding and PBRF (Performance Based Research Fund) reporting. Explore strategies for developing a long-term research plan for academic and industry-based careers and for contributing to the wider research environment.
Wednesday 1 October (10am to 1pm)
Career Planning
To ensure success, you need a plan. What does the job market look like for PhDs? How do you go about getting the job you want? Explore ways of representing yourself well in applications for postdocs or for academic, professional or industry jobs.
Wednesday 8 October (10am to 1pm)
Reflection and Graduation