Training and Development Workshops for Research Students

Training and Development Workshops for Research Students

This is the preliminary programme for 2009-10 (please note lunch is normally provided for sessions beginning at 12:45):

Tuesday Oct 20, 12:45-2:15 (CC007) - Finding Research Funding
This workshop provides an overview of research funding bodies with a primary focus on the UK but with some consideration of EU and other international funding bodies.  It does not look specifically at funding for PGs but will be useful for all research students looking to develop a clearer sense of the research landscape and particularly useful for those research students nearing the end of their research degree who might be thinking about postdoctoral opportunities in research.

Thursday Oct 29, 12:45-2:15 (CC008) - Costing a Research Project
This session follows on from the session on finding research funding and deals with the key issue of identifying and costing the resources needed for a research project.  It will deal with the issue of Full Economic Costing (FEC) and will look at what costs different bodies/organisations are willing to fund.  This session will be useful for all research students in developing their knowledge of the research landscape but may be particularly useful for those who are looking at postdoctoral opportunities in research.

Thursday Nov 5, 5:15-6:45 (EE1100) - Making Progress
This session looks at strategies that research students can adopt to ensure that they remain motivated and stay on track with their research degree.  It will be useful for all students but may be particularly so for part time students who are struggling with juggling work and/or family commitments with their MPhil or PhD.

Thursday Nov 12, 12:45-1:45 (CC007) - CV Workshop
This workshop will look generally at good practice in putting together a CV but will have a particular focus on developing a CV when applying for academic or research positions.  The session will be useful for all students but especially for those nearing the end of the research degree process who are looking to enter/re-enter the job market.

Thursday Nov 19, 12:45-2:15 (EEG027) - Putting Together a Research Funding Bid
This is the third of three sessions focused on research funding and will set out good practice in writing a research funding application, drawing on guidance provided by for example the Research Councils and on the experience of staff who have succeeded and/or failed in making a bid.  This session will be useful for all research students in developing their skills as a researcher but may be particularly useful for those considering an academic or postdoctoral research career.

Thursday Nov 26, 5:15-6:45 (PL1007) - Academic Writing
This workshop will look at helping students to develop their academic writing style.  It will look generally at issues such a structuring an argument and ensuring readability but will also consider discipline specific styles and issues.  This session will be useful for all research students and will build on and develop approaches discussed in RTP401.

Thursday Dec 3, 12:45-2:15 (EEG027) - Developing Your Publication Profile
This session provides guidance on both planning for publication and writing for publication.  It looks at identifying where you might publish – for example, which journals to target – and how you can improve the chances of your work being accepted for publication.  There is an increased expectation that those entering into an academic or research career after completing a PhD will have published journal articles or book chapters during their research degree so it is vital for research students to develop at the outset a publication strategy.  This session is therefore valuable for all research students regardless of which stage they are at with their research degree.

Thursday Jan 21, 5:15-6:45 (PLG011) - The Viva
This session looks at the conduct of the average viva voce – the oral examination of your thesis.  It also considers how you can prepare for the viva and thinks about the kind of questions that you might be asked.  This session might be particularly valuable for those approaching examination but will be useful for research students at any stage of their MPhil or PhD.

Wednesday Jan 27, 12:00-4:00 (PL 1007) - Research Conduct and Ethics
This workshop considers how a researcher should conduct him/herself and specifically focuses on the ethical issues that might arise in the course of a research project that involves human subjects/participants.  It also considers through the use of case studies how you might rethink your research design to ensure that you address these issues.  It will be useful for all research students but particularly those at the beginning of their project.

Thursday Feb 4, 12:45-1:45 (PLG011) – Networking (cancelled)
Getting to know the right people can be central to developing as a researcher and for your future career prospects.  Identifying and talking to academic experts and fellow research students at a conference, for example, might provide you with oppor This session looks at developing the skills you might need, for example, at a conference to ensure that you meet fellow researchers

Tuesday Feb 9, 12:45-1:45 (PLG011) - Funding for Early Career Researchers
This session focuses specifically on funding opportunities available for those who have recently completed a doctorate and considers strategies for winning this funding.  Thus while useful for all research students it is or particular use for those nearing completion of their PhD.

Thursday Feb 18, 5:15-6:45 (PLG011) - Structuring your thesis
This session provides advice and guidance on how to structure your thesis both overall and internally.  It considers traditional structures such as the so-called Science-model but also considers alternative approaches for structure.  The session will also get students to think about metaphors for their thesis structure and how they might use such metaphors to guide their reader through.  This session will be useful for research students at all stages of their research degree.

Thursday Apr 15, 5:15-6:45 (PL1007) - Keeping up-to-date
For many students the first few months of their MPhil or PhD are spent undertaking a rigorous review of the relevant literature.  But this is not a one-off process as over the course of a research degree new work will emerge that may change the ‘state of the question’ in their field.  It is therefore vital that students develop a strategy to ensure that their work is kept ‘up-to-date’.  This session looks at how students can make use of journal alerts, RSS feeds, databases and other more conventional methods to ensure that their work keeps up with the changing research landscape in their subject area.  This session will be useful for all students.

Thursday May 6, 9:30-3:30 (tbc) – PT Researcher Workshop
This is part of the Vitae PT Researcher programme.  The session is delivered jointly by staff from Worcester and the University of Gloucestershire and is open to all part time research students studying at a Midlands University.  Further details will be added shortly.