5 December 2018

CaRST eNewsletter

Director's Message

December is always a nice time to reflect on the year that was.

In 2018, the AGC coordinated 86 HDR training sessions comprising 56 unique offerings for nearly 3,300 attendees in-person and online. Of these, 33 were live streamed and 23 have been made available on-demand through MyUni.

We introduced training on emotional intelligence, working with your supervisor, an 8-week online career planning program for PhDs, and fun skill-building sessions employing improvisation and game-based learning. 

We sponsored the Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) program, the Integrated Bridging Program- Research (IBP-R), and several online research skills training packages from Epigeum. 

We had another successful run of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition with 90 students university-wide officially vying for the title of best presenter.

Of course, one of the biggest events was the launch of CaRST Online. Since its implementation in May 2018 there have been more than 20,000 logins, an average of 96 per day, and 325 unique visitors each week. 

An incredible number of CaRST activities have been recorded, as well- over 15,000 to date!- showing how active and engaged students are with CaRST.

As an HDR it’s too easy to focus on the failed experiments or the chapters yet to be written. I encourage you to take this time to also reflect on your achievements for the year (no matter how large or small) and consider how far you’ve come. Then come back in 2019 refreshed and ready to tackle the next thing.

With best wishes,

Dr Monica Kerr
Director, CaRST

Events

Creative Thinking Tools for Researchers

This workshop will explain how you can use a range of creative thinking tools in your everyday work. These tools will allow you to look at problems differently, seek creative solutions and have fun. This workshop will be hands-on so you will have the chance to try out these tools and see how you could apply them in your research. Bring plenty of paper and a pen. 7 December 2018, 9:30am - 12:30pm, North Terrace. Register here.

This activity counts for 3 credits in Domain A.

The Balanced Researcher

So you’re an HDR student. Chances are then that you are pretty busy. Firstly there’s your research. Getting ethics approval. Dealing with the paperwork. Meetings. Writing reports. And no matter how much you enjoy your research, it’s a fair bet that there are other parts to your life too. Join us for this presentation by Hugh Kearns who will describe the most useful strategies that thousands of researchers have found helpful in balancing the many demands on their time. 7 December 2018, 2pm - 4:30pm, North Terrace OR online via live stream. Register here.

This activity counts for 2.5 credits in Domain B.

Working with your Supervisor

The relationship you have with your supervisor is crucial in determining your PhD experience. They are your primary source of guidance as you undertake an individual research project and even the best student/supervisor relationships can experience periods of strain through the ups and downs of research. In this workshop by Hugh Kearns, you will learn what you can do to establish a positive working relationship with your supervisor and ultimately get the most out of your HDR experience. 12 December 2018, 10am - 12pm, North Terrace. Register here.

This activity counts for 2 credits in Domain D.

News

Reminder: HDR ORCID Grant Competition

The HDR ORCiD Competition closes on Friday 7 December. Make sure you are eligible to go in the draw for 6 X $500 travel/professional development grants, by ensuring that you and your principal supervisor/Adelaide supervisor sign up and register your ORCiD with the University. Prizes drawn Friday 14 December.  More information.

Adelaide Graduate Centre Christmas Closure

The Adelaide Graduate Centre, including the CaRST Unit, will be closed from 12pm on Monday 24 December 2018 until 9am on Wednesday 2 January 2018.

This is the final issue of the CaRST Newsletter for 2018. The newsletter commences next year in mid-late February.

About CaRST

Located within the Adelaide Graduate Centre, CaRST is a specialised training and development program for HDR students at the University of Adelaide. For further information on CaRST visit the CaRST website.