9 October 2024

CaRST eNewsletter

Science Communication Courses for Researchers

Do you need some help designing your scientific poster? Would you like to learn to draw scientific graphics and figures in Adobe Illustrator? Are you interested in creating your own captivating scientific video?

CaRST has partnered with science communication agency Animate your Science to bring you 3 incredible courses around these three themes! Each course is approved for 3+ CaRST credits in Domain D.

• How to Design an Award-Winning Scientific Poster
• Learn to draw in Illustrator: by scientists for scientists
• Lights, Camera, Impact: How to Produce Captivating Science Videos

How to participate

CaRST is sponsoring licences for a limited number of researchers to enrol in these courses. To register your interest, please complete and submit the online expression of interest form.

Please note students will only be selected for a single course during each round.

When: Expressions of interest close COB 14 October 2024

Course delivery dates: These are online, self-paced courses. Selected students will be enrolled into the courses from mid-November and have 12 months access.

Delivery mode: Self-paced online via video lessons.

For enquiries, please contact carst@adelaide.edu.au or for more information on these courses see our detailed descriptions on the CaRST webpage.

CaRST Employability Series

Beginning this month and continuing through early December we have the CaRST employability series. Are you looking at preparing your next steps beyond your HDR? Wondering where your research degree can take you? Need practical advice about applying for jobs? CaRST is presenting a range of career focused workshops and panels to make your HDR work!

Head to CaRST Online and select 'Do' → 'Find Upcoming Activities' for more information and to book your spot!

Training & Development Events

Before registering for CaRST events, please review our no-show policy.

Responding to selection criteria

When: 10 October 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Credits: 1 credit, Domain B
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

Does the idea of responding to selection criteria daunt you? Are you aware of what to look for in selection criteria so that you can highlight your skills and abilities? This webinar provides an overview of how to develop effective responses to selection criteria. Content includes understanding selection criteria and different response methods, recognising key requirements, and writing a focused response. Register here.

Question time: Handling questions at a conference presentation

When: 15 October 2024, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Credits: 1.5 credits, Domain D
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

No matter how well you prepare for your presentation, the part that freaks out most researchers is question time. What if they ask really tricky questions that I can’t answer? What do I do if I don’t know the answer? Fortunately, you can prepare for question time. You can predict and get ready for most of the obvious questions. And you can learn strategies to deal with the others. Topics will include preparing for questions, inviting questions, dealing with tricky questions, what to do if you don’t know, coping with the anxiety, lists of typical questions, and asking questions. Register here.

Pitch Perfection

When: 22 October 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Credits: 1 credit, Domain D
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

A pitch is about engaging, enticing and moving people to action. Learn the 3 important elements you must communicate in every pitch and how to think on your feet. Presented by Sharon Ferrier of Persuasive Presentations. Sharon has a knack for making the complex simple. She believes that passionate people persuade’ and that to make your message stick, you need to balance information with delivery style. Register here.

Congratulations on your grant… now what?

When: 23 October 2024, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Credits: 1.5 credits, Domain C
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

This webinar focuses on the post-award grant management process and will help researchers to understand their responsibilities and the timelines involved after successfully being awarded a grant. Register here.

Understanding Skills

When: 24 October 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Credits: 1 credit, Domain B
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

Are you aware of the skills you are developing throughout your research degree and how they relate to employability in both academic and non-academic environments? Do you know how to articulate your skills and how they will be a benefit to employers? This webinar focusses on building skills awareness and how to let employers know about your skill set. Content includes identifying and recording skills, recognising HDR skills valued by employers, and articulating skills effectively. Register here.

Planning your next career steps

When: 29 October 2024, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Credits: 2 credits, Domain B
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

How do you plan and prepare for your next career steps after finishing your PhD? And how do you decide which career path is right for you - academia, government, industry or some other pathway? This interactive workshop will give you tools and strategies for tackling these questions based on your own interests, strengths and preferences. If you are unsure about preparing for life after the PhD, this event will help you start sharpening your focus and building the confidence to pursue a path best suited to your skills and priorities. Though delivered online, this is a workshop, not a lecture, and breakout rooms will be used so that students can interact with each other. Register here.

An editor’s toolkit: Grammar for cohesive, clear, and concise writing

When: 29 October 2024, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Credits: 2 credits, Domain D
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

Academic writing is a problem-solving activity. You have ideas to convey and constraints on the way you convey them – those constraints being cohesion, clarity, and conciseness. But the academic writing problem can be solved when you understand the grammatical devices at your disposal and how to use them. This workshop presents an editor’s toolkit for communicating ideas successfully from writer to reader. It will be particularly useful for editing your academic writing. Bring a Word file with a ~5,000-word piece of your writing and a short section of your most troublesome sentences. Register here.

Presenting confidently on camera

When: 30 October 2024, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Credits: 3 credits, Domain D
Delivery mode: In-person

In this workshop you will learn how to set up your camera, mic, and surroundings with firsthand online presentation tips. We have even included a Zoom walkthrough to show you how to best present yourself during online meetings and presentations. Register here.

How to navigate an academic career

When: 5 November 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Credits: 1 credit, Domain B
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

Are you wondering about the different career options available to you in academia, and how to navigate these pathways? This lecture offers an introduction to university-based careers and insights into the structures, dynamics and terminology you will encounter in the sector. It aims to provide clarity about career tracks and key issues to consider when it comes to developing your profile and track record to suit academic pathways. Register here.

Building Connections

When: 7 November 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Credits: 1 credit, Domain B
Delivery mode: Zoom Webinar

Does the idea of forming connections a.k.a. networking make you quake? Do you have strategies for ongoing relationship building? While many postgraduate researchers experience difficulty with these activities, mastering them is vital for creating a positive research experience and post PhD future. This webinar focusses on strategies to help you create positive connections. Content includes identifying potential connections, preparing for and making contact within your comfort zone, and maintaining an ongoing relationship. Register here.

Other Training & Events

The 2024 Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final Showcase

Our 3MT University of Adelaide winner Mabel Day is included in the 2024 Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final Showcase.  The 2024 Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final will showcase video submissions from 3MT finalists from across Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, North-East Asia and South-East Asia. Check out the competition here.

Open access publishing

This webinar will cover the updated University Open Access Policy, the different types of Open Access (OA) publishing currently available and what options are available for publishing your own work Open Access, OA licensing and copyright, and things to look out for in Open Access publishing agreements. You can record this session for 1 credit in Domain D for CaRST. 14 October 2024 10.00am-11.00am. Register here.

Data management planning essentials

What makes a good data management plan and why is it important? Join us for this session where we’ll look at the benefits of data management planning, your data management planning obligations at the University of Adelaide, and how a well thought out data management plan can help to make your life as a researcher easier. You can record this session for 1 credit in Domain C for CaRST. 15 October 2024 11.00am-12.00pm. Register here.

PYTHON101: Learn to Program: Python

Python has deservedly become a popular language for scientific computing. It has all the friendly features and conveniences you’d expect of a modern programming language, and also a rich set of libraries for working with data. We teach using Jupyter notebooks, which allow program code, results, visualisations and documentation to be blended seamlessly. Perfect for sharing insights with others while producing reproducible research. Join us for this live coding workshop where we write programs that produce results, using the researcher-focused training modules from the highly regarded Software Carpentry Foundation. You can record this session for 6 credits in Domain A for CaRST. 17-18 October 2024 9:30am-12:30pm. Register here.

Introduction to strategic journal publishing

Are you looking at where to publish your next paper? Join your liaison librarians for an engaging introduction to strategically selecting journals for your publications. We will provide guidance on finding journals in different disciplines and assessing journal quality (including rankings and impact factor) using tools such as Journal Citation Reports (JCR), Scopus and Scimago (SJR). Learn how to evaluate predatory journals, assess open access opportunities, and select the best option to maximise the impact of your research! You can record this session for 1 credit in Domain D for CaRST. 21 October 2024 10:00am-11:00am. Register here.

EXCEL201: Beyond Basics: Conditionals and Visualisation in Excel

After cleaning your database, you may need to apply some conditional analysis to glean greater insights from your data. You may also want to enhance your charts for inclusion into a manuscript, thesis or report by adding some statistical elements. This course will cover conditional syntax, nested functions, statistical charting and outlier identification. Armed with the tips and tricks from our introductory Excel for Researchers course, you will be able to tap into even more of Excel’s diverse functionality and apply it to your research project. You can record this session for 3 credits in Domain A for CaRST. 23 October 2024 9:30am-12:30pm. Register here.

Introducing the DATA Scheme: Pathways for finding and requesting access to Australian Government data

Learn more about the DATA Scheme and initiatives from the Office for the National Data Commissioner (ONDC) to make Australian Government data more discoverable and accessible for researchers. In this webinar ONDC will provide an overview of the DATA Scheme , including how the Scheme operates, how to find data on the Australian Government Data Catalogue, and how you can make requests for data using the Dataplace platform. ONDC will provide a walk-through of the process of requesting data, and discuss key things users will need to keep in mind when creating a data sharing agreement. There will be time for questions, and staff from the University Library will be participate to answer questions about the University’s accreditation as a DATA Scheme user. You can record this session for 1 credit in Domain A for CaRST. 23 October 2024 11:30am-12:30pm. Register here.

R210: Exploring Chi-Square and correlation in R

This hands-on training is designed to familiarise you with the data analysis environment of the R programming. In this session, we will traverse into the realm of inferential statistics, beginning with correlation and reliability. We will present a brief conceptual overview and the R procedures for computing reliability and correlation (Pearson’s r, Spearman’s Rho and Kendall’s tau) in real world datasets. You can record this session for 3 credits in Domain A for CaRST. 25 October 2024 9:30am-12:30pm. Register here.

R211: Traversing t tests in R

R has become a popular programming language for statisticians, data scientists and researchers. It has an excellent ecosystem including the powerful RStudio and the Shiny web application framework. The primary goal of this workshop is to familiarise you with basic statistical concepts in R from reading in and manipulating data, checking assumptions, statistical tests and visualisations. This is not an advanced statistics course, but is instead designed to gently introduce you to statistical comparisons and hypothesis testing in R. You can record this session for 3 credits in Domain A for CaRST. 29 October 2024 1:30pm-4:30pm. Register here.

Advanced troubleshooting & translating searches for systematic reviews (Health & Medical Sciences)

Are you conducting systematic database searches for your evidence synthesis project? This presentation will focus on tips for advanced troubleshooting, and for converting your initial systematic search strategy so that it will work in a variety of databases. This is an advanced-level course and is suitable for anyone who has attended the previous ‘Introduction to Searching for Systematic Reviews’ webinar, or for those who have a basic understanding of systematic database searching techniques using logic grids, and who require more advanced support. You can record this session for 1 credit in Domain A for CaRST. 30 October 2024 11:00am-12:00pm. Register here.

R212: Exploring ANOVAs in R

R is quickly gaining popularity as a programming language for statisticians, data scientists and researchers. It has an excellent ecosystem including the powerful RStudio and the Shiny web application framework. This half-day course covers one and two-way Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) and their non-parametric counterparts in R. To better understand the tests, assumptions and associated concepts, we will be using a dataset containing the mathematics scores of secondary students. This dataset also includes information regarding their mother’s and father’s jobs and education levels, the number of hours dedicated to study, and time spent commuting to and from school. Lifestyle information about alcohol consumption habits, whether the students have quality relationships with their families and whether they have free time after school is included in this dataset. You can record this session for 3 credits in Domain A for CaRST. 31 October 2024 1:30pm-4:30pm. Register here.

PYTHON203: Data Manipulation and Visualisation in Python

Python has deservedly become a popular language for scientific computing. It has all the friendly features and conveniences you’d expect of a modern programming language, and also a rich set of libraries for working with data. In this workshop, you will explore DataFrames in depth (using the pandas library), learn how to manipulate, explore and get insights from your data (Data Manipulation), as well as how to deal with missing values and how to combine multiple datasets. You will also explore different types of graphs and learn how to customise them using two of the most popular plotting libraries in Python, matplotlib and seaborn (Data Visualisation). We teach using Jupyter notebooks, which allow program code, results, visualisations and documentation to be blended seamlessly. Perfect for sharing insights with others while producing reproducible research. You can record this session for 6 credits in Domain A for CaRST. 7-8 November 2024 9:30am-12:30pm. Register here.

Neurodiversity Mentoring 2025

The Disability Support Unit will be launching a Neurodiversity Mentoring Program in 2025 to support neurodivergent students. Mentors will assist their neurodiverse mentees and provide advice around study habits, executive functioning, academic skills, and managing studying whilst neurodivergent. Please visit the Neurodiversity Project webpage to learn more about this pilot program and how to become a mentor. You can claim up to 7 credits in CaRST for completion of the program and training

About CaRST

Located within the Adelaide Graduate Research School, 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.