Welcome to our new Postgraduate Researcher Training and Development Bulletin! In this fornightly bulletin, you will find all our upcoming courses divided into four key areas of researcher development as per the Vitae Researcher Development Framework:

• Knowledge and intellectual abilities
• Personal effectiveness
• Research governance and organisation
• Engagement, influence and impact

In this bulletin, you will also find other training and development opportunities across the University and beyond.

If you are accessing this newsletter off-campus, please note that you will need to connect to the University's VPN to access the booking links.

Next bulletin: Wednesday 10 April.

Questionnaire: a very basic introduction (Tuesday 16 July, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

The workshop will focus on considering the key things to think about at the early stages of setting out on a questionnaire survey; it will be particularly appropriate for those who have no experience of questionnaire design.

PGR Skills Development & Network building (Tuesday 30 April, 12.30-14.00 in Old Library Training Room 4, Old Library, Streatham Campus)

The aim of this session is to develop your communication and networking skills and to get to know some of your fellow Postgraduate Research Students (PGRs) in a welcoming and supportive environment. Undertaking a PhD can sometimes be a lonely experience, so this is an opportunity to connect with others who are on their own doctoral journey and to build up your community of peer-support, all while having fun and learning something new along the way.

How to manage your career (Tuesday 30 April, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

The tools and techniques introduced in this session will be applicable to managing a career within research, but also to those participants wishing to investigate a broader career path outside academia.

Mapping and Marketing Your Skills (Tuesday 7 May, 13.30-14.30 via MS Teams)

Mapping your experience, skills, competencies & attributes will enable you to write CVs and personal statements, and market yourself and answer questions effectively in interviews.

This interactive course will guide you through the process of mapping and collating the experiences you have had during your research experience to date as a Postgraduate Researcher.

Getting Stuff Done (Tuesday 14 May, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This interactive webinar will focus on how we keep track of and (re-)negotiate the commitments we make with ourselves and others.

Jonathan will share his experiences and share the tools that he has used and is using to keep all the plates spinning, whilst still finding time to enjoy the sunshine and relax.

LinkedIn for Researchers: Developing and Using Your Profile (Tuesday 14 May, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

The tools and techniques introduced in this session will be applicable to all those who wish to develop their LinkedIn profile and be proactive in developing online relationships with the wider professional and research community.

There will be information provided and opportunities for Q & A as well as a live demonstration of using LinkedIn to engage with the wider researcher and professional community beyond Exeter.

Applying for non-academic jobs (Tuesday 25 June, 14.00-15.30 via MS Teams)

Applying for jobs beyond academia? Need help navigating the recruitment process? This interactive course will support you in enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the process of applying for positions in the job market beyond academia.

There will be a particular focus on how to write effective CVs, cover letters, application forms, LinkedIn profiles and how to perform well at interviews.

Applying for academic jobs (Thursday 27 June, 10.30-12.00 via MS Teams)

This course will enable you to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the process of applying for positions in the academic job market.

There will be a particular focus on how to write effective CVs, cover letters, application forms and perform well at interviews.

Success at Interviews (Thursday 4 July, 12.30-14.00 via MS Teams)

The tools and techniques introduced in this session will be applicable to all those who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of how interviews are used in the recruitment process for roles within and outside of academia.

There will be information provided and opportunities for Q and A as well as live input from former PhD researchers who have been successful in securing both post-doc roles and industry/public sector opportunities.

Check out researcherdevelopment.co.uk and ELE for useful resources on this topic area.

Research governance and organisation covers areas such as Research Ethics and Health and Safety.

Presentation skills for researchers (Tuesday 9 April, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

For many postgraduate researchers the idea of standing up and presenting their research to other members of their research community can be rather daunting. However, giving presentations is a key process in the dissemination of research, and for many will be required throughout their future careers. 

This course will encourage you to consider different presentation styles and will highlight the importance of considering your audience when planning how you will get your key message across.

Designing research posters (Tuesday 16 April, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

Designing a large format poster can present both technical and communication challenges. In this workshop we will consider how best to overcome both these challenges and produce posters that are both attractive, informative and get your research noticed.

The session aims to highlight how posters can be used and how to get the best out of them. It aims to give participants solid information for making choices about their poster content and design and practical advice on how to present effectively.

Creating impactful public engagement content (Wednesday 1 May, 10.00-12.00 via Zoom)

This workshop will share clear, practical steps for creating effective, impactful public engagement content, whether it is for oral presentations or written platforms. We will examine key principles for creating content that will be relevant and relatable to audiences, and engage them at the highest levels. 

The session will include some individual exercises and group discussions, which offers participants the opportunity to immediately put into practice some of the concepts that we will discuss in the workshop.

Public speaking and presentation skills (Wednesday 8 May, 10.00-12.00 via Zoom)

Crafting engaging content only makes for one half of a successful presentation. Delivering and presenting that content clearly and effectively is what will make a presentation stick, leave a strong impression and truly engage an audience.

This workshop covers the physical and oral components of delivering effective and impactful presentations. It offers alternative ways of approaching public speaking and developing / practising oral communication skills so that speakers can step up to the podium with more confidence and ease, and less performance anxiety.

The Why, Who, What & How of Public Engagement with Research (PER) (Monday 20 May, 10.00-12.00 via MS Teams)

This webinar will introduce public engagement with research (PER), focusing on the importance of establishing why you want to engage and who you want to engage with before determining what the engagement will entail and how the engagement will occur. Reasons for incorporating PER into your research, as well as the benefits and costs of public engagement will be covered.

The Coding for Reproducible Research are running a series of software training sessions. Please register your interest via the registration form (the deadline is one week before the start of the course, or earlier if the course is over-subscribed). The Coding for Reproducible Research team will email you to confirm whether you have a place.

• Computational Thinking, Friday 12 & Friday 19 April, 13.00-16.00, Old Library Training Room 4, Old Library, Streatham Campus
• Software Development Best Practice, Tuesday 16 & Tuesday 23 April, 10.00-12.00, Old Library Training Room 4, Old Library, Streatham Campus
• Advanced Regression Analysis, Friday 26 April, 10.00-13.00, Old Library Training Room 4, Old Library, Streatham Campus

There are limited spaces to attend virtually for those who can not feasibly get to the venue.