The UEL Researcher Development Programme is a suite of skills development workshops and online resources designed to meet the needs of research students and staff at UEL.
The RDP is managed by Dr Caroline Dunmore, UEL's Researcher Development Manager. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the RDP, please contact Caroline on c.dunmore@uel.ac.uk.
The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) has been designed by Vitae, the national organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of doctoral researchers and research staff. The RDF sets out the knowledge, behaviours and attributes of effective and highly skilled researchers appropriate for a wide range of careers.
The RDF is structured in four domains, which encompass what researchers need to know to do research, to be effective in their approach to research, when working with others, and in contributing to the wider environment.
Domain A: Knowledge and intellectual abilities
The knowledge, intellectual abilities and techniques required to do researchDomain B: Personal effectiveness
The personal qualities and approach required to be an effective researcherDomain C: Research governance and organisation
The knowledge of the standards, requirements and professionalism required to do researchDomain D: Engagement, influence and impact
The knowledge and skills required to work with others and ensure the wider impact of research
The Researcher Development Statement is an evolution of the Research Councils’ Joint Skills Statement (JSS) and replaces the JSS as the key reference statement for the development of postgraduate researchers’ skills and attributes and researchers employed in higher education.
Follow this link for more information about the new Researcher Development Statement.
Follow this link to see the previous framework, the Joint Skills Statement.
To book a place on a workshop, please e-mail Dr Caroline Dunmore on c.dunmore@uel.ac.uk. When booking, please be sure to state your School and job title / PGR programme as well the workshop you would like to book.
Spring 2013
Mon 28 Jan 10 to 4.30 |
Teaching Skills for PGR Students Julian Hargreaves |
Docklands EB.1.07 |
Tue 5 Feb 1 to 4.30 |
Preparing For Your Viva Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Alan White |
Docklands EB.1.39 |
Wed 6 Feb 2 to 4.30 |
Regulations on PGR Supervision Merlin Harries |
Docklands EB.1.39 |
Thu 7 Feb 10 to 1 |
Funding Bid Clinic: Improving Your Bid Success Rate - Prof John Wakeford | Docklands EB.1.39 |
Thu 7 Feb 2 to 5 |
Funding Bid Clinic: Improving Your Bid Success Rate - Prof John Wakeford | Docklands EB.1.39 |
Tue 12 Feb 10 to 4.30 |
Being an Excellent Communicator Dr Caron King |
Stratford ED.2.03 |
Thu 14 Feb 10 to 4 |
Teamwork Skills for Researchers Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Wed 20 Feb 2 to 4.30 |
Regulations on PGR Examination Merlin Harries |
Docklands KD.1.29 |
Fri 22 Feb 10.30 to 4.30 |
Writing Effectively for Publication Dr Steve Hutchinson |
Stratford ED.4.02 |
Fri 1 Mar 10 to 5 |
Collaboration, Impact and Media (Open Central) - John King |
Senate House |
Mon 4 Mar 2 to 5 |
Time Management for Researchers Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Wed 6 Mar 1.30 to 5 |
Best Practice in PGR Examining Prof Tony Fell |
Stratford RB.1.15 |
Thu 7 Mar 10 to 1 |
Being an Ethical Researcher Prof Neville Punchard |
Docklands EB.1.39 |
Mon 11 Mar 10 to 4.30 |
Being a Resilient Researcher Dr Caron King |
Stratford ED.4.02 |
Wed 20 Mar 10 to 4.30 |
Effective PGR Supervision Prof John Wakeford |
Stratford ED.4.03 |
Wed 10 Apr 2 to 5 |
Negotiating and Influencing Skills Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Thu 11 Apr 2 to 4.30 |
Regulations on PGR Examination Merlin Harries |
Stratford ED.2.04 |
Mon 22 Apr 10 to 4 |
Writing Articles for Publication in Peer-Reviewed Journals - Josie Dixon | Docklands EB.1.39 |
Mon 29 Apr 10 to 1 |
Assertive Communication Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Wed 1 May 12 to 2 |
Managing Your Research Data Stephen Grace, John Murtagh & Sarah Jones |
Stratford RB.G.13 |
Wed 1 May 2 to 5 |
Making the Most of Academic Conferences Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Thu 2 May 12 to 2 |
Managing Your Research Data Stephen Grace, John Murtagh & Sarah Jones |
Docklands EB.1.39 |
Thu 9 May 9.30 to 1 |
Preparing For Your Viva Dr Caroline Dunmore and Caroline Lake |
Docklands EB.1.39 |
Wed 15 May 10 to 4.30 |
Networking for Researchers: Developing Your Professional Reputation - Dr Caron King |
UCL Bloomsbury |
Fri 17 May 10 to 4.30 |
Supervisory Strategies for Developing Effective PGR Students - Dr Steve Hutchinson | Docklands EB.1.39 |
Mon 20 May 2 to 5 |
Public Engagement Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Thu 23 May 10 to 1 |
Presenting Your Research Dr Caroline Dunmore |
Docklands EB.1.39 |
Thu 30 May 10 to 1 |
Time Management for Researchers Dr Caroline Dunmore and Dr Jo Cordy |
Queen Mary Mile End |
Workshops designed specifically for doctoral researchers
Starting Your Doctoral Research A half-day workshop designed for MPhil/PhD students just starting their programme and for Professional Doctorate students just starting the research element of their programme. We will explore what a doctorate entails (i.e. what your examiners will be looking for), planning and time management, the resources and networks you can use to support you, how to get the best out of your relationship with your supervisor, and how to develop your research skills. This workshop is a high-level introduction to the main issues you will need to think about when embarking on doctoral research.
Strategies of Highly Effective Doctoral Researchers "It is not enough to have a great mind. The main thing is to use it well." (René Descartes.) Do you want to find out more about: managing your research; communicating effectively with your supervisor; strategies for thesis-writing and viva success; plus some fresh ideas about motivation and getting the best from yourself? All in one day! This session might cover: project management for doctorates; time management for research and writing; communicating with your supervisor and managing the student-supervisor relationship; completion of the doctoral thesis and the viva; motivation, creativity and personal effectiveness. It certainly will be all about the things that matter to you and your projects. It depends on what you want. So come along with questions and ideas and we'll work with your agendas, not a pre-scripted set of slides.
Teaching Skills for PGR Students A one-day workshop designed for postgraduate research students who are new to teaching. We will cover the basics you need to face your first class with confidence. Topics covered include session planning, icebreaking, lectures, seminars, marking and assessment. There will also be space to look at individual concerns. If you teach up to eight hours in a semester you are strongly advised to book onto this workshop.
Writing Your Thesis A half-day workshop for postgraduate researchers. We will start by discussing what a thesis needs to do and what your examiners will be looking for, and examine how successful theses tend to be structured. Then we will consider some project management approaches to help you organise your work and plan your time. Finally we will explore some techniques to support you in generating the actual writing, as well as looking at how you can help yourself cope with the stress associated with completing a thesis.
Preparing For Your Viva A half-day workshop suitable for postgraduate research students who are approaching their viva. By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to: understand the purpose, structure and possible outcomes of the viva; identify the key preparatory tasks they should carry out before their viva; and increase their confidence levels regarding what their experience of the viva will be like.
Workshops for all researchers
Academic Writing For Publication This is a one-day workshop for early-career researchers and doctoral research students who have little or no experience of academic publishing.The emphasis will be on publishing your research and scholarship, and in the workshop we will look at the nature and demands of academic publishing and how you can prepare and submit a paper to a chosen journal. We will consider how to conceive and assemble a manuscript, how to draft and edit it, placing an emphasis on becoming a critical and productive serial writer who uses evidence-based argument.The objective is to make your writing sit comfortably with the other demands on your energies.The session will involve presentations, discussions, small group work and exercises on critical reading of published papers and the active writing of a first draft of a paper you would like to publish.Do come prepared to talk and write about your research and your ideas.
Assertive Communication A half-day workshop suitable for postgraduate research students and early-career researchers. An understanding of what is really meant by assertive communication is fundamental to improving your ability to work effectively with colleagues. This workshop introduces techniques designed to help participants communicate clearly and confidently and build effective working relationships within the research environment.
Being a Resilient Researcher A one-day workshop suitable for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers who want to learn more about how we can maintain our motivation in a demanding academic environment. It is natural for researchers to feel the pressure, since the research process is challenging in its very nature, and many colleagues have to balance time spent on research with the demands of teaching and other responsibilities. So in this workshop we will explore the concept of resilience: the set of skills and attributes that allow people to do really well in situations that can sometimes cause others to flounder. Participants will learn about the ten key characteristics of resilience, and some of the techniques you can use to increase your resilience in the context of taking control of your working day, your outputs and your working relationships.
Being an Ethical Researcher This half-day session is suitable for all research staff and postgraduate research students and provides an introduction to UEL’s ethics policy and procedures. The information covered is essential for researchers whose research involves human or animal participants, and for academic staff responsible for supervising students whose experiments involve human or animal participants. The session explains how the Research Ethics Committee operates, and offers several case studies for consideration; examples of good practice are identified and discussed.
Being an Excellent Communicator A one-day workshop suitable for researchers and administrators who want to learn about how we can improve the effectiveness of our interpersonal interactions and the impact we make on colleagues. We will look at the fundamentals of good communication skills and how to use them to create and maintain effective working relationships. We will explore how to express ourselves effectively, especially in difficult relationships, and how to communicate convincingly even when emotions are running high. We will also look at how to influence individuals and groups towards achieving an acceptable outcome for all. Participants will leave the session with techniques for defining the outcome they require from interpersonal interactions and achieving it most effectively, recognising the position that others are taking in their interactions and knowing what to do when communication goes wrong.
Developing Your Professional Reputation A one-day course suitable for early-career researchers and postgraduate research students. The course will explore the elements that make up a researcher’s professional reputation and identify where you should focus your efforts to enhance them. We are all aware that life in the academic environment can be very challenging, with the need to balance time spent on research with the demands of teaching and other activities, so this course is designed to help you boost the impact of your research and your CV without taking precious time away from delivering on your commitments.
Funding Bid Clinic: Improving Your Bid Success Rate This half-day workshop is your opportunity to get feedback on a funding bid you are currently working on. The workshop is primarily aimed at colleagues who have some experience of writing bids for research funding, but is also suitable for early-career researchers who have attended the Funding Fundamentals workshop and are interested in learning about good practice in bid-writing by means of reviewing colleagues’ bids. Participants can bring along copies of a funding bid they are working on, either a bid still in draft or a bid that has been unsuccessful. Three or four bids can be considered in the workshop, and participants will work in small groups to analyse their strengths and weaknesses. Expert advice will be offered by the workshop leader. When booking a place, please indicate whether or not you plan to bring along a bid for review; if you are bringing a bid, then you need to e-mail an electronic copy in advance. All bids will be treated in confidence and copies will be returned to the author at the end of the workshop.
Funding Fundamentals: Getting Started with Research Funding This one-day workshop is designed for researchers who are relatively new at bidding for research funding. We will discuss what you need to consider before making an application for research funding: how to develop your research idea, how to engage collaborators, how to identify potential funders and so on. We will also discuss how you should go about making an application, and what to do if your application is unsuccessful. Participants will be invited to submit a brief outline of a research idea they currently have in mind (maximum one page, and just a paragraph will do); six or so of these will be selected to be used in a group exercise to work up initial research ideas into plans for funding bids. All outlines will be treated in confidence.
Impact and Research Communication Skills This one-day workshop is designed primarily for academic staff but is also suitable for postgraduate research students nearing completion. The workshop focuses on how to identify and communicate the impact of your research in the light of the demands of the Research Excellence Framework and funding criteria for RCUK. You will be helped to develop the skills necessary for effectively communicating the significance of your work, particularly to non-specialists outside the immediate environment of your subject area. These skills are relevant to a wide range of activities in your career as a researcher, including funding bids, conference presentations, publications, job applications and all forms of contact with the media. There are practical exercises and opportunities for discussion throughout the workshop. Participants are required to provide a short outline (no more than one page) of their current research project when booking their place.
Making the Most of Academic Conferences A half-day workshop designed for students and staff who have not yet had much experience of attending academic conferences. We will discuss how to plan for attending a conference, what to expect when you get there, and what to do after the conference in order to make the most of your experience. We will also look at presenting conference posters.
Managing Your Research Data This two-hour workshop (which includes lunch) is for research-active staff and research students who want to strengthen their management of research data. Funders, publishers and the wider public are all expecting data generated or used in research to be managed well and shared appropriately. UEL is committed, through its recent Research Data Management Policy, to ensuring that researchers are supported to comply with these growing expectations. Good research needs good data, and good practice in data management will save you time and effort and will strengthen the case for the impact of your research. This workshop, run with experts from the Digital Curation Centre, will share good practice through presentations, discussion and exercises, and will cover writing Data Management Plans. There will also be an opportunity to book a 10-minute data clinic after the workshop to talk through specific questions about your research data.
Managing Your Research Project A one-day workshop designed primarily for doctoral researchers, but also suitable for other researchers currently responsible for managing a research project. In this workshop, participants will learn about the key principles of project management and use them to develop a comprehensive plan for their research project. The plan will include contingency, risk management and stakeholder activities and reporting requirements, as well as the technical and project management activities needed for successful delivery of the project. Participants will leave the workshop with their plan and an understanding of how to continue to manage their research project effectively.
Negotiating and Influencing Skills A half-day workshop suitable for postgraduate research students and early-career researchers. This workshop explores the various styles of negotiation that have been analysed and gives you an opportunity to identify your natural preferences when seeking to influence colleagues. By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to: recognise the importance of listening and understanding the other person’s position; identify and employ the approach that will be most effective in a given situation; improve their chances of achieving successful outcomes when dealing with colleagues.
Presenting Your Research A half-day workshop suitable for early-career researchers and postgraduate research students.We will consider the essential elements of giving a good presentation, first preparation and then delivery. We will look at the different types of presentation that researchers are called upon to give and explore how to structure your presentation and how best to use Powerpoint as a visual aid. We will also look at the effective use of voice and body language and how to handle nerves. If participants require it, we can set up a subsequent opportunity for them to give presentations on their research and receive constructive feedback.
Public Engagement A half-day workshop for research staff and postgraduate research students. We will explore what is involved in presenting your research to a general audience rather than an academic audience. We will start by examining what are the potential benefits to researchers of getting involved with public engagement. Then participants will have the opportunity to practise talking about their research in a journalistic context. Finally we will consider what is involved in designing a successful public engagement event.
Teamwork Skills for Researchers A one-day workshop developed in collaboration with Queen Mary, University of London. We will explore some theory and undertake some activities relating to how people interact in teams. You will have an opportunity to reflect on your behaviour and its impact on others when working in different groups and on different tasks. You will leave the workshop with an enhanced understanding of how to develop and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, peers and other colleagues.
Writing Articles for Publication in Peer-Reviewed Journals This one-day workshop is designed primarily for academic staff in the humanities and social sciences but is also suitable for postgraduate research students in those disciplines. This workshop is for you if you want to improve your strike-rate in getting articles published in peer-reviewed journals and if you are currently working on an idea for an article. The workshop will give you practical advice on presenting a scholarly argument, thinking about your readership, and how to define and highlight your contribution to the field.It also includes valuable insights into what journal editors look for, the peer-review process, and the production and afterlife of a journal article, with implications for what to submit. The workshop includes several practical exercises and participants are required to provide brief information about what they are currently working on when booking their place.
Writing Effectively for Publication This one-day workshop is suitable for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. Many people struggle with academic writing, both technically (i.e. an understanding of what constitutes "good" prose), habitually (i.e. simply making the time to write) and strategically (i.e. understanding what editors value and what makes a good paper). This workshop tackles these three elements and provides participants with a toolkit to help them to get down to writing a paper that people will actually want to read. We will explore how best to consider your audience, choose your words and structure your ideas into a cogent article. We will do this in an interactive way, both in groups and as individuals. So come prepared to critically review other authors' works and undertake some writing of your own.
Workshops for PGR supervisors and examiners
Supervisory Strategies for Developing Effective PGR Students A doctorate is a journey towards academic independence. Doctoral students start and finish at different points, gaining different skills along the way; doctoral supervisors place different emphases on different points of the journey and have different interpretations of what it means to be an "effective PGR student”. So we have specially commissioned a new workshop for PGR supervisors at UEL that takes account of this diversity. This workshop does not take a rules-and-regulations approach to supervision or attempt to instruct supervisors in one particular way of managing the complex supervisory relationship. Rather, the workshop is designed to help supervisors build the skills of their students so as to develop them into independent and motivated researchers. Participants will consider the doctoral journey and the challenges that students face along the way, and explore what support they might offer at which points. The workshop will introduce a number of ideas, case studies and conceptual frameworks to help participants’ thinking and practice in this area. The workshop is suitable for both new and experienced supervisors.
Using the RDF with Your Doctoral Researchers This half-day workshop has been specially designed to help postgraduate research supervisors at UEL use the Researcher Development Framework with their students. The RDF is a tool designed to support the skills development of researchers. It articulates the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers, and can be used by the supervisor and student together to help identify the student’s skills development needs and draw up an appropriate professional development plan. The workshop will take a practical hands-on approach to help supervisors understand how they can use the RDF as a basis for useful conversations with their doctoral researchers, leading to the completion of a well-designed Research Skills Development Plan for the following year.
Regulations on PGR Supervision This workshop is designed to give participants a good working knowledge of the regulations and code of practice regarding the supervision of postgraduate research students up to but excluding the examination. The workshop is highly interactive and involves group discussion rather than presentation. The workshop is compulsory for new supervisors and for colleagues new to UEL; it is also a useful way for experienced supervisors to brush up their knowledge of the regulations.
Effective PGR Supervision This is a two-part workshop, in which the morning session is designed particularly for new supervisors and the afternoon session is suitable for experienced supervisors as well as new ones. The morning session covers what constitutes originality in a doctorate, the time commitment, financial investment and project management approach required for a doctorate, and includes student accounts of their experiences of supervision. The afternoon session involves participants discussing a selection of narratives that illustrate some of the typical issues encountered in PGR supervision.
Regulations on PGR Examination This workshop is designed to give participants a good working knowledge of the regulations and code of practice regarding the examination of postgraduate research students. The workshop is highly interactive and involves group discussion rather than presentation. Attendance qualifies participants to serve as the chair at PGR vivas.
Best Practice in PGR Examining This half-day workshop covers best practice in: selecting the internal and external examiners; organising the examination; reviewing the thesis document; conducting the viva; compiling the reports; and reviewing any revisions. Attendance at this workshop qualifies participants to serve as the chair at PGR vivas. Colleagues relatively new to PGR examining (either as examiner or as chair) are advised to attend both this workshop and the workshop on examination regulations.
We have a suite of online courses in research skills developed by Epigeum, a spin-out company from Imperial College London. Each course comprises 90 minutes of multi-media e-learning material.
To gain access to one or more of the online courses, please e-mail Dr Caroline Dunmore, Researcher Development Manager in the Graduate School, on c.dunmore@uel.ac.uk. Please give your student number or staff network ID as well as stating the courses you would like to use.
The courses are:
For more information about these online courses, see the Research Skills Master Programme on the Epigeum website.
To book a place on a workshop, please e-mail Dr Caroline Dunmore, Researcher Development Manager in the Graduate School, on c.dunmore@uel.ac.uk. When booking, please be sure to state your School and job title / PGR programme as well the workshop you would like to book.
To gain access to one or more of the online courses, please e-mail Caroline on c.dunmore@uel.ac.uk. Please give your student number or staff network ID as well as stating the courses you would like to use.
Colleagues in Library & Learning Services offer a range of resources to support UEL researchers - click here to visit their web pages.
Vitae is a national organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes.
The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers sets out the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders. It aims to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK and to improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of UK society and the economy. Click here to find out more about the Concordat.
The UCL Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Technology has put John Wakeford's collection of PhD diaries online - click here to visit the case study database.
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