Welcome to this month's edition of Postgraduate Researcher Training and Development Bulletin- our first edition for 2025! We have some great courses and a new training resource.

In the bulletin, you will find some of our courses which are coming up soon, 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

You will also find other training and development opportunities across the University and beyond, including launch of our PGR Training and Development Resources site and Entrepreneurial Researcher Programme 2025. The date of the next bulletin will be Wednesday 5 February 2025.

Our full list of courses can be found on our upcoming training webpage.

As a postgraduate researcher, you will have many demands on your time. Before booking onto a course it is important that you read the course description fully and consider:

• Does this course cover what you expected from the title?
• Is it relevant for you at this stage in your studies?
• Is it relevant for your discipline?
• Which courses should I prioritise (your supervisor might be able to help advise on this)?
• Can I attend the date, time and venue (the majority of our courses are online but some are in person)?

All our courses have limited spaces so it is important that you book onto the courses that are suited for your specific needs.

We appreciate that unexpected things come up and you may no longer be able to attend, or you may find that a course you have booked onto is no longer relevant to you. Please don't forget to cancel via iTrent so that someone else can book on, as our courses are in high demand.

Library 101 (Thursday 16 January 2025, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This course will introduce attendees to the Library, our services and teams as well as the discovery tool Library Search.

NEW- What to do when you are Writing up (Thursday 23 January 2025, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This workshop provides advice on the writing up process for your postgraduate research thesis. It covers guidance on maintaining your progress and advice on overcoming writer's block, as well ideas on how to structure your thesis. It also highlights available resources for improving your academic writing.

NEW- Searching Smarter- Advanced Search Techniques (Thursday 30 January 2025, 11.00-12.30 via MS Teams)

Do you want to be able to search faster and more successfully for electronic resources for your research, learning or teaching? This session will cover advanced search techniques you can use for everything from Google Scholar to Web of Science.

Did you know that as a PGR at the University of Exeter, you can access the Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) though our institutional account for free? This gives you access to lots of online research methods webinars and resources. Sign up here using your University of Exeter email account (scroll down the page to ‘Find Out More’, then expand the arrow for CARMA (Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods & Analysis) and follow the registration/sign up instructions).

How to thrive in the first year of your doctoral journey- top tips from PGRs (panel discussion) (Tuesday 14 January 2025, 11.00-12.15 via MS Teams)

This is a panel discussion featuring University of Exeter PGRs who will discuss their top tips for thriving in the 1st year of your doctoral studies. Panel members will each share their own experience of starting their PhDs, offering tips on getting started and you will then have an opportunity to ask specific questions to help you better navigate the beginning of your doctoral studies.

Being an international postgraduate research student at University of Exeter (panel discussion) (Wednesday 22 January 2025, 13.30-14.30 via MS Teams)

This is a panel discussion featuring University of Exeter PGRs who will discuss being an international student- the joys and the challenges. Each panel member will share their own experiences and you will then have an opportunity to ask specific questions about life as an international PGR.

NEW- PGR Skills Development & Network building (Monday 27 January 2025, 10.30-12.30 in person in Old Library Training Room 2

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. Build up your community of peer-support, all while having fun and learning something new along the way. 

Our sessions in the New Year 2025 will be on the theme of the VITAE Researcher Development Framework and Action Planning.  The date of Penryn session is to be confirmed.

NEW- The seven secrets of highly successful research students (Tuesday 28 January 2025, 09.30-12.00 via Zoom)

What can you do to finish your doctoral research on time, to overcome isolation, doubt and writer's block, and to enjoy the process? And just as importantly what do you do in order to spend guilt-free time with your family and friends and perhaps even have holidays? This workshop describes the key habits that will make a difference to how quickly and easily you complete your doctorate. Just as importantly, these habits can greatly reduce the stress and increase the pleasure involved in completing a doctorate.

Postgraduate research can be challenging at times, but the Wellbeing Services team are available throughout the year, to offer support if you need it. Check out the services available here.

The Wellbeing Thesis offers all sorts of useful resources to help you on your doctoral journey.

NEW- Depositing your work to Open Research Exeter (ORE) (Thursday 16 January 2025, 14.00-15.00 via MS Teams)

Open access allows greater visibility of research and can stimulate new research opportunities and collaborations. Exeter's Institutional Open Access Policy mandates all staff to make in-scope research outputs available in the institutional repository, ORE (Open Research Exeter) via Symplectic, subject to copyright permissions. Postgraduate research students are required to deposit a digital copy of their thesis into ORE as a condition of award. This virtual session will focus on how to use Symplectic to manage publications and deposit them to the institutional repository ORE.

Check out researcherdevelopment.co.uk and PGR Training & Development Resources SharePoint site for useful resources on this topic area.

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

The Role of Sustainable Development Goals in your Research (Tuesday 14 January 2025, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

The course aims to help researchers understand how these sustainable development goals (SDGs) can shape and enhance the impact of their work. Key areas covered include understanding the SDGs; incorporating SDGs into research; interdisciplinary approaches; measuring impact; and funding and opportunities.

NEW- Working with your supervisors (Monday 27 January 2025, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

The members of your supervisory team are the most significant individuals influencing the development of your research. This session will give you an overview of what to expect from your supervisory team, and how to make the most of your supervisors' time, knowledge and skills.

Bored of working on your own? Finding it difficult to concentrate? Looking for other people to co-work with online? Then why not join PGR Study Space, which is a welcoming and supportive environment run by PGRs for PGRs. Sign up here.

Did you know the Library runs its own training programme to help with library skills? It includes events such as:

• library research cafés where you can ask the library staff how to make the most of the Library Search service, identify and use academic databases, and build your online search skills so that you can quickly and easily find research materials to support your studies and research;
• sessions on academic writing and academic listening from English Language Skills Development Team;
• other relevant courses to familiarise yourself with key library skills.

Some courses are discipline-specific or may be aimed at undergraduates/postgraduate-taught students so don't forget to check the details before booking on.

Any questions? Click the 'Ask Us' button on the library webpages to start an online chat or email them at library@exeter.ac.uk.

We are excited to announce the launch of our PGR Training & Development Resources SharePoint site- the place to go for slides and other resources from courses on our training programme. Refresh your knowledge from courses you have already attended or explore new topics, this resource can be referred to throughout your degree.

Happy new year! The Coding for Reproducible Research training initiative continues with a packed programme for 2025. Click on the below links for further information and registration details for our February courses. All workshops planned for the coming term are now listed on our Workshop Schedule and Sign-up page, with registration for March workshops also now open.

30 spaces are available for each workshop which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration closes a week prior to the course.

• Computational Thinking - In-person only (2 sessions, 10.00-13.00, Tuesday 28 January & 4 February 2025, Streatham Campus)

Over two sessions, this course will introduce some fundamental principles that are the basis of writing computer code in any language and should enable participants to write, develop and debug code more effectively. This course is aimed at anyone who is currently programming or thinking about learning to program.

• Introduction to Unix - In-person only (2 sessions, 13.00-16.00, Wednesday 5 & 12 February 2025, Penryn Campus)

This course introduces users to navigating the file system and shows how to carry out basic operations on the Unix systems using the shell (also referred to as the command line). Those wishing to attend our future Introduction to HPC & ISCA course in March must be familiar with the Unix operating system.

• Python for Data Analysis - Online only (2 sessions, 13.00-16.00, Thursday 6 & 13 February 2025)

This course focuses on essential libraries and tools used for data analysis such as NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, and Plotly. Additionally, it covers critical software development practices such as testing, virtual environments, and version control, to ensure code reproducibility and collaboration in research projects. Please note this workshop is already full but waitlist places may still be available.

• Introduction to R - In-person only (3 sessions, 10.00-13.00, Tuesday 25 February, 4 March & 11 March 2025, Streatham Campus)

R is a programming language and software environment primarily focused on performing statistics, data analysis and visualisation. This course will provide an all-purpose introduction to the R programming language and may provide an accessible entry to computer programming in general.

• Introduction to Version Control - Online only (2 sessions, 10.00-13.00, Friday 28 February & 7 March 2025)

Version control systems are an incredibly valuable tool for organising software development to avoid confusion and wasted time due to untracked edits and data manipulations. This course introduces Git – a powerful tool to organize your workflow, keep research reproducible, and simplify collaboration. It will also introduce internet platforms such as GitHub. This workshop is aimed at those already familiar with programming but new to tools like Git. An intermediate course is available for those already familiar with Git and GitHub.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Coding for Reproducible Research initiative via CodingForReproducibleResearch@exeter.ac.uk.

If you’ve got a potential solution that addresses regional, national or global problems and would like to explore it further then apply now for the Entrepreneurial Research Programme (ERP) 2025.

Now in its twelfth cohort, this intensive 7-week programme is delivered via four online facilitated sessions and through your own market research activity. You’ll join a small cohort of UoE peers and mentors to draft, test and refine a model for taking your solution forward as a viable and sustainable proposition.

Postgraduate research students (MRes or PhD) are welcome to apply but must gain approval for participating in the programme from their supervisor prior to submitting an application. If you are a student and aren’t eligible for the ERP, you can access further support via the student start up team (studentstartups@exeter.ac.uk).

Cohort dates, more information on the programme, application details and application form are available via the Ideas Hub. 

Why not check out some of the numerous training and development resources available through Vitae? They focus specifically on professional development for researchers and you can register for free using your University of Exeter account. Register here and then head here for general advice on various aspects of doing a doctorate and how to access further support, and guidance at all stages of your studies.