Cindy Li

Cindy joined the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS) in April 2021. Before joining MAPS, she worked as the Scientific Project Manager for a CRUK funded, 5-year programme. This said, Cindy isn’t new to UCL and has been with the UCL for over 10 years, previously working at the UCL Cancer Institute.

Cindy works as the Faculty Research Coordinator at MAPS and like many new staff members, has been working remotely ever since she started. Despite meeting many colleagues online, Cindy’s keen to meet them in person one day on campus.

Cindy’s role involves working across different departments and research areas promoting the faculty’s focus on interdisciplinary collaboration. She helps colleagues with research funding opportunities and grant applications.

When asked about her work Cindy responded:

I enjoyed my current role very much. My previous job focused on an individual programme whereas my current role requires me to look more broadly at the whole landscape.

Currently, Cindy is supporting numerous grant applications including two large grants. She is also working on creating some faculty guidance documents such as setting up an impact studentship and costing templates. Cindy is also compiling a research induction booklet for new colleagues, based on her time spent given research inductions, signposting new staff and introducing them to the UCL structure of research support.

Cindy is also looking to promote future collaborations across faculties and is currently working on organising a series of focus groups, matching up Faculty expertise with colleagues from the UCL Medical School.

I enjoy especially bringing the departments together to share and collaborate. As the saying goes, you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together!

As well as large projects, Cindy is happy to help support any research-related matters and encourages any staff that need help with funding alerts, grant applications, organising events, looking for collaborators, or anything else to get in touch.

Cindy spent a year in Belfast finding the English city much quieter than her former residence in Beijing, before moving to London over ten years ago. Cindy loves London and is a fan of walking along the river and visiting all the green spaces. Although it’s not a very big green space, Cindy also spends a lot of time in her garden and is an avid gardener.