Researcher Skills Development Workshops

2011/12

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About these Skills Development WorkshopsAt UWE, Bristol we are committed to supporting the development of early career researchers throughout their time here whether that be on a research degree programme or as a member of staff employed to undertake research. An important part of this is the expectation that UWE researchers proactively engage in skills development activities that are offered by Faculties/Departments and by Research, Business & Innovation (RBI).

Vitae (a national organisation supporting the career development of researchers in UK universities) in partnership with the UK Research Councils have published a Researcher Development Framework (RDF) which sets out a range of skills, knowledge, behaviours and attributes that researchers should look to demonstrate as they become more experienced. The aim of this programme is to provide, along with subject specific training within Faculties, opportunities to develop those skills you may not have already acquired (see http://www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf for detail) as well as supporting the community of researchers at UWE.

IT Training In Software PackagesHuman Resources, through the Learning and Development Centre, offer training for all staff at UWE in the Microsoft Office suite of software (version 2007). Sessions on two of the most popular packages, Managing Long Documents in Microsoft Word & Using Microsoft Excel for Processing Data are listed in this brochure. Researchers also have free access to any of the IT training that Human Resources offer which includes courses aimed at the beginner through to more advanced levels. Please refer to the Human Resources website.

Booking InformationFor further information or to book a place on any of the workshops listed please contact the Research Support Service:

E-mail: rbi.rss@uwe.ac.uk

Telephone: 0117 32 83974

All of the workshops available to researchers are free of charge and can be registered for via the RBI website: http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/internet/events

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does it cost to attend?

All of the workshops that we offer on the skills development programme are free of charge to all postgraduate research students and research staff.

2. Am I eligible to attend?

All postgraduate research degree students (MPhil/PhD/professional doctorate) and research staff are eligible to attend the workshops. Postgraduate taught and undergraduate students will not normally be eligible to attend.

3. How do I book onto a workshop?

Please visit the RBI events section [http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/intranet/events/workshops.asp] for a full list of workshops offered. For each event there is a link to register online, it is simple and quick to complete.

4. What happens if a workshop is fully booked?

Should a workshop become fully booked, then we will operate a waiting list and inform you promptly if a space becomes available. Should there be sufficient demand, a repeat workshop may be commissioned.

5. Are refreshments provided?

Yes, refreshments are offered as standard on all of our workshops. Where a workshop is offered over a whole day, we will normally offer participants vouchers for lunch to be redeemed at a university food outlet.

6. Where are the workshops held?

The majority of the workshops are held in room 3S512 within 'S' Block on Frenchay Campus. The IT workshops are held in the Learning & Development Centre (Botetourt House) which is located on the Bristol Business Park (opposite the East entrance to Frenchay Campus). Please refer to the maps in this brochure for further detail.

7. How do I cancel a booking?

If you are unable to attend a workshop after booking a place, please e-mail rbi.rss@uwe.ac.uk or telephone 0117 32 83974

8. Are the skills development workshops compulsory?

No, the skills development programme is offered as a broad platform of events with recognition that researchers may decide what is appropriate to meet their individual training needs.

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9. Do the workshops offered count toward the research degree credit requirement?

The workshops offered are not credit bearing although some faculties have structures that can account for attendance for the purposes of research degree credit requirement.

10. Who designs and delivers the workshops?

The workshops are designed by the Researcher Skills Development Officer, Dr. Paul Spencer, who has experience of completing a research degree at UWE as well as designing and delivering generic skills development events. Some workshops are delivered by external experts with the remainder being delivered by experts from within UWE.

11. Why does UWE offer a skills development programme?

The nature of undertaking a higher degree by research has changed in recent years as a result of a national review of the provision of postgraduate research programmes (“SET for Success” report, Sir Gareth Roberts), there is now further emphasis on the development of research skills as part of a research degree as well as the production of a thesis. As

a result the UK Research Councils set out a range of skills and abilities that they would expect all research students to demonstrate by the time they complete their studies, not just to enhance their degree programme, but also to improve their employability, regardless of their career path. These skills and abilities were set out in the RCUK Joint Statement on Skills (2001).

More recently, a comprehensive Researcher Development Framework (RDF) has been published by Vitae, a national organisation that promotes researcher development, describing the knowledge, behaviours and attributes of effective and highly skilled researchers appropriate for a wide range of careers.

In recognition of the broader range of skills and abilities that should be enhanced, RBI offer a skills development programme across the whole university with the focus on the transferable and/or generic elements to support the subject specific provision within faculties. This ensures that at UWE all areas of the Researcher Development Framework are addressed.

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12. How/where can I find out more?

Research, Business and Innovation (RBI) More information about the support that Research, Business & Innovation offer UWE researchers can be found on this website: http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/intranet/research/

Vitae – Researcher Development OrganisationVitae is a national organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes. Vitae provides resources, advice, information and fora for individual postgraduate researchers and members of research staff who are interested in their professional development and careers http://www.vitae.ac.uk

Research Councils UK Research Councils UK (RCUK) is a strategic partnership between the seven UK Research Councils. RCUK was established in 2002 to enable the Councils to work together more effectively to enhance the overall impact and effectiveness of their research, training and innovation activities, contributing to the delivery of the Government’s objectives for science and innovation. http://www.rcuk.ac.uk

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Researcher Development Framework (RDF) Researcher Development Framework is a tool for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in higher education. It describes the knowledge, skills, behaviours and personal qualities of researchers and encourages them to aspire to excellence through achieving higher levels of development. It details, for different stages of researchers’ careers, the competencies that they might aspire to.

The RDF was created from empirical data, collected through interviewing researchers, to identify the characteristics of excellent researchers expressed in the RDF as ‘descriptors'. The descriptors are structured in four domains and twelve sub-domains, encompassing the knowledge, intellectual abilities, techniques and professional standards to do research, as well as the personal qualities, knowledge and skills to work with others and ensure the wider impact of research. Each of the sixty-three descriptors contains between three to five phases, representing distinct stages of development or level of performance within that descriptor.

The RDF provides a comprehensive underpinning for a professional development tool that Vitae have developed for researchers to audit their own skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours against those set out on the RDF. It can be accessed from the Vitae website http://www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/234301/Researcher-Development-Framework.html

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Engagement Influence + ImpactThe knowledge and skills to work with others

and ensure the wider impact of research.

Research Student Welcome EventThursday 06 October 2011, 16:00-19:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Perfect PostersTuesday 15 November 2011 and Tuesday 08 May 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

The Digital ResearcherWednesday 01 February 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

The Art and Science of CommunicationTuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 February 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

First Steps to Small Group TeachingWednesday 16 May 2012, 09:30-16:30

Managing Working RelationshipsMonday 14 May 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Knowledge + Intellectual AbilitiesThe knowledge, intellectual abilities and

techniques to do research

Nvivo 9Friday 14 and 21 October, 2011, Thursday 09 and Friday 10 February 2012, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 March 2012, 09:30 - 16:30, IT Training room 1, Botetourt House, Bristol Business Park

The Progression ExamMonday 24 October 2011, Monday 30 January 2012, 09:30-12:30 and Monday 30 April 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Writing Up Your ThesisMonday 31 October 2011 and Monday 19 March 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

The Final VivaMonday 31 October 2011 and Monday 19 March 2012, 13:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Managing Long Documents in Microsoft Word 2007Wednesday 16 November 2011 and Wednesday 07 March 2012, IT Training room 1, Botetourt House, Bristol Business Park

Using Microsoft Excel 2007 to Process DataWednesday 23 November 2011 and Wednesday 14 March 2012, IT Training room 1, Botetourt House, Bristol Business Park

Workshops at a Glance

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Research Governance + OrganisationThe knowledge of the standards, requirements

and professionalism to do research

The Beginners’ Guide to the Research Degree

Tuesday 18 October 2010, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Getting Published, Strategies for Successful Researchers

Wednesday 29 February 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Project Management in a Nutshell

Tuesday 22 May 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Future Directions

Tuesday 29 May 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Personal EffectivenessThe personal qualities and approach

to be an effective researcher

Researchers’ Forum

Friday 30 September 2011, Frome, ECC

The Effective Researcher

Friday 18 November 2011, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

The Effective Part time Researcher

Saturday 19 November 2011, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

The Common Good: Spotlight on Social Enterprise

Wednesday 08 February 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

How to Win Funds and Influence People

Thursday 22 March 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, Frenchay campus

Researchers’ ForumThe UWE Researchers’ Forum is an important platform for all staff for whom promotion issues are dealt with through the Research Grade and Progression Group, including Research Associates, Research Fellows etc. and provides a platform to run development events specifically for research staff to support their career aspirations.

The September forum will focus on increasing your impact as a researcher by managing your profile and getting your research noticed.

The way you present yourself and the impact this has (including verbal and non-verbal communication, confidence, assertiveness, energy and self-esteem)

• Separating self-promotion from profile-raising; how to speak with energy about your research without sounding like an unappealing show-off

• Engaging people with your research by making it understandable, memorable and exciting in conversations (including story-telling and choice of language)

• Exploring the impact your research has and how you can get this across in your formal and informal communications

• Identifying audiences for your research beyond the immediately obvious

• Planning to do something with what has been learned.

Friday 30 September 2011, 09:30 - 16:00, Frome, UWE Exhibition & Conference Centre

Research Student Welcome Event This popular event is being held on the Frenchay Campus and is designed to provide recently registered research students with an overview of the institutional support that is available throughout their research degree programmes. The event is informal and focuses on providing new researchers with the opportunity to socialise with their peer group from across the whole University. The event will cover the following

• A welcome and introduction to UWE from the Graduate School Director

• A chance to hear from current research students

• A guide to the support available to research students

• A social event with a buffet in the Street Cafe

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All UWE research students who are within their first 6 months of registration are encouraged to attend.

Wednesday 05 October 2011, 16:00 - 19:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay Campus

NVivo 9: Software for Qualitative Data AnalysisThis software package for computer assisted qualitative data analysis is widely used at UWE, Bristol and an institutional licence for its use is held. The aim of these sessions are to provide participants with an overview of the potential of the software and an idea of its long-term usage, whilst also providing a grounding in the basic tools and tasks which are most often used in a real project.

Friday 14 and 21 October, 2011, Thursday 09 and Friday 10 February 2012, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 March 2012, 09:30 – 16:30, IT Training room 1, Botetourt House, Bristol Business Park

The Beginners’ Guide to the Research Degree This workshop is aimed at research students who are in the early stages of the research degree. The workshop will present an overview of the research degree programme at UWE and will include advice on planning your research project, applying for ethical approval and arrangements for protecting intellectual property generated.

Tuesday 18 October 2011, 09:30 - 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay Campus

The Progression ExamThis workshop aims to explain the regulations surrounding this important hurdle in the research degree process to better enable research students to navigate it successfully by providing hints & tips on putting together the written element and preparation for the oral examination.

Monday 24 October 2011, Monday 30 January 2012 and Monday 30 April 2012, 09:30 – 12:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

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Managing Long Documents in Microsoft Word 2007A workshop concentrating on using advanced facilities in Microsoft Word such as master documents, outlining, referencing and indexing to keep your thesis well organised and easy to manage. Suitable for all research students who have an intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word.

Wednesday 16 November 2011 and Wednesday 07 March 2012, 09:30 - 12:30, IT Training Room 1, Botetourt House, Bristol Business Park (opposite Frenchay Campus entrance).

Writing Up Your Thesis This popular workshop is aimed at focusing on the problems of organising material, overcoming writer’s block and useful techniques for getting the writing done. Suitable for students in mid-term or later stages of their research degree programmes.

Monday 31 October 2011 and Monday 19 March 2012, 09:30 – 12:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

Using Microsoft Excel 2007 to Process Data Microsoft Excel provides a number of tools for data processing, suitable for small-scale surveys or any kind of research data. If you are looking for a simpler alternative to a major database application, then this is likely to provide everything you need. Suitable for all research students with an intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

Wednesday 23 November 2011 and Wednesday 14 March 2012, 09:30 – 12:30, IT Training Room 1, Botetourt House, Bristol Business Park (opposite Frenchay Campus entrance).

The Final Viva ExaminationAdvice on preparing for the final viva voce examination and its aftermath, with plenty of opportunity for asking questions. Suitable for students who are preparing for the final stages of their study.

Monday 31 October 2011 and Monday 19 March 2012, 13:30 – 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

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Perfect PostersThis workshop will explore how to effectively communicate your research in the form of a poster. We will be looking at visual communication and why presenting a poster is different to writing a research paper or giving an oral presentation. Participants will have the chance to discuss hints and tips for designing posters that maximise impact.

Tuesday 15 November 2011 and Tuesday 08 May 2012, 09:30 – 12:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

The Effective Researcher ProgrammeThis intensive workshop is designed to address the needs of researchers who are new to the challenges of undertaking a research project with the aim of increasing confidence in project management and managing the relationship with a research supervisor. Specifically the workshop is designed to provide participants with an opportunity to build their understanding, skills and confidence in communication, planning, time management, problem solving, leadership and assertiveness, as well as building a greater self-awareness of individual’s learning

and working styles in a format that is both attractive and useful to a large number of researchers.

Friday 18 November 2011, 09:30 – 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

The Effective Part Time Researcher This one day programme is aimed at those 6-18 months into their Part-time PhD or professional doctorate. It has been designed with the needs of those who are balancing doctoral studies with a wider set of professional and/or home life commitments in mind and is a good opportunity to share experiences, good practice and strategies for managing the process of the research and will cover:

• Facilitated activities and discussion to enable participants to talk about their research, the process they are involved in, their skills development and to share good practice.

• 'Making the PhD fit with the rest of my life' a mix of small group and individual exercises designed to elicit how people manage priorities, how they make their research happen and to share tips and experiences on how they 'get it all done'.

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• Sharing the experience of someone who has completed their doctoral studies part-time and the supervisor perspective.

• Exploring the role of an academic supervisor for a part-time researcher.

Saturday 19 November 2011, 09:30 – 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

Digital ResearcherSocial media is booming. You can now find user generated content in just about all spheres of life; politics, music, history, you name it and it can be found. What about the field of academic research? Are the critics right to sneer at social media as being trivial time-wasting activities or could there be a real benefit to the researchers who do engage using more of the tools at their disposal? This hands on interactive workshop will allow researchers to explore the use of social media tools with a view to improving their practice in an academic research context.

Wednesday 01 February 2012, 09:30 – 16:30, Room TBC, S Block, Frenchay campus

The Common Good: spotlight on Social enterpriseSocial enterprises are businesses that do things differently, they trade goods and services in a way that adds or creates social value; in fact the social or environmental aims of the business are of equal importance to its commercial activities. This added value comes from the way social enterprises use profits to maximise social, community or environmental benefits. This workshop has been designed to allow participants to find out more about these innovative organisations, hearing from inspirational people who have successfully started these ventures and allowing participants to explore some of their own creative solutions to social and environmental challenges in a way that provides the opportunity to consider social enterprise as a possible outlet for the skills that researchers typically develop.

Wednesday 08 February 2012, 09:30 – 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

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The Art and Science of CommunicationIt is easy to quantify someone with a great proficiency in athletics, performance or industry. What we grade is the difference in levels of skill, application and result. Applying the same logic to how we communicate might not seem useful given that it is something that we have all done since the day we were born, but this course argues that communication is a behaviour rather than a skill. It is a deliberately chosen response to the environment in which we find ourselves, and one that if done without conscious effort is little more than a reflex. If our argument is valid, it stands to reason that a conscious behaviour can be far more effective and potentially less harmful than a habitual response to external stimuli.

This is a two-day course designed to provide an environment in which participants practise shaping communication in order to disseminate their work in a variety of settings, whether traditional or incidental. Topics explored such as impact, involvement and engagement will help participants build their confidence through experimentation, discussion and feedback.

This course responds to the current climate of austerity by being unapologetically content-rich and time-poor, and aims to prove that there is much to be gained by learning to control levels of skill, aptitude and application that will mean conscious

communication can result in being quantified as compelling. Piero Vitelli, Island 41 Ltd

Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 February 2012, 09:30 – 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

Getting Published, Strategies for Successful ResearchersThis workshop aims to explore the common strategies employed by researchers in engaging with public output of their research. It will cover topics such as who one should write for, which journals to target, ensuring compliance with author guidelines and publication ethics.

Wednesday 29 February 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

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How to Win Funds and Influence People Understanding how research attracts funding is key to progressing in a research career. This workshop has been designed to give participants an opportunity to learn about how research is funded in the UK, to practice putting together a collaborative bid for research funds, to become aware of the need to understand the costing of projects and to understand why making connections with others is instrumental in achieving success in a competitive funding environment.

Thursday 22 March 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

Managing Working Relationships Have you ever wondered why some people can seem so easy to get on with while others take more of an effort, or why some people seem to speak your language while others are alien to you? The cause might be no more than the fact that you and they are motivated by different innate preferences. This session aims to explore these different preferences using a tool called Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) in a fun and interactive way.

Monday 14 May 2012, 09:30-16:30, Room 32512, S Block, Frenchay campus

First Steps to Small Group TeachingEarly Career Researchers often take on some kind of teaching role alongside their research whether leading a seminar, demonstrating practical aspects of science courses, assisting with field trips or standing in front of a class to lecture. However few researchers have had the opportunity to learn or develop an understanding of the pedagogy that underpins effective delivery in these roles. This workshop is designed to introduce researchers to the basic elements of learning and teaching that will help them to build confidence in teaching others.

Wednesday 16 May 2012, 09:30 – 16:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

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Project Management in a NutshellProjects are about delivering specific pieces of work. These can range from short reports on a specific topic to multimillion-pound construction projects. The techniques that are used to manage projects are applicable to projects in any field. This session aims to introduce project management tools and techniques with a broad perspective but many of the activities will be focussed on your individual projects. The skills introduced within this session are important transferable skills as project management is a core competence for many industries.

This workshop has been designed to guide participants through the fundamental principles of project management and de-mystifying the associated jargon along the way.

Tuesday 22 May 2012, 09:30-12:30, Room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

Future directionsResearchers acquire a broad set of skills and competencies as a consequence of the projects or work they undertake. Understanding these competencies and being able to describe them is the challenge that many of us face especially when seeking employment. This workshop has been designed to help researchers understand the value of the skills and provide opportunities for researchers to consider the future direction that they could take.

Tuesday 29 May 2012, 09:30-16:30, room 3S512, S Block, Frenchay campus

Careers Advice and SupportThe UWE Careers Service offers a range of services to postgraduate research students including:

• Information about job and career options

• Individual advice and guidance

• Help with planning and managing your career

• Help with job applications – drawing up your CV/application form, preparing for interviews

• Workshop sessions by arrangement on various aspects of career planning and applications

The CDU offers short appointments, which are bookable on the day, and longer appointments by arrangement. They will respond promptly to telephone and email enquiries, and also offer support to students and graduates for up to 3 years after leaving the University. For full details of their services at Frenchay and other campuses see www.uwe.ac.uk/careers

Library ServicesLibrary services offers support for researchers at each stage of their research, and throughout research careers.

As well as a Library on each campus, with the main Library at Frenchay open 24/7 in term time, the university has access to a huge range of books and journals online. We also offer:

• Librarians with knowledge and expertise in your subject plus support from Research and Knowledge Exchange Librarians

• Anywhere, anytime access to databases for your subject and for research methodologies

• Support in accessing those hard to find references

• UWE's Research Repository and information about open access publishing

• Help with organising your references and creating bibliographies

• Web based guidance relating to journal impact factors and getting published

• Guidance on accessing and using other libraries

More information is on the Library web pages at http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library or you can e-mail the R&KE Librarians at lib.rke@uwe.ac.uk

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1

4

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19b

19c

Bus stops

HealthCentre

7

6

5

Q

R

P

NMG

NorthavonHouse

FelixstoweCourt

Pedestrian entrancefrom Frenchay Campus

Wallscourt Farmhouse

Restaurant

Cycle route to Lockleaze

Cycle route toGlenside/St Matthias

(HEFCE)

H

J

K

LA

CD

SB

B

E

F

CarrollCourt

Octagon

Brecon Court

Cotswold Court

Mendip CourtQuantock Court

BollandLibrary

Centre forPerforming Arts(PR01, PR02)

‘Building 2’

Gatehouse

Traffic lights

Du PontBuilding

MainEntrance

EstatesOffice

Second Entrance/Exit

To Glenside, St Matthias Campus and Frenchay Hospital

A41

74

to Jnct 1 M32and City Centre

Building 650

BotetourtHouse

(Building 640)

The

Stoke Lane

Coldharbour Lane

Filton

Ro

ad

Ga

rden

s

20

11

19a

Centrefor

Sport

Car park (staff car parks are barrier controlled)

Information

Disabled parking

Walkways/cycle paths

Accessible lift

Showers

Key

HalleyNursery

WallscourtHouse

(Building 435)

All-weather pitch

Booking detailsFor further information or to book a place online please visit: http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/internet/events

Or contact us directly:

E-mail rbi.rss@uwe.ac.uk

Telephone 0117 32 83974

Fax 0117 32 82688

Research, Business and Innovation

Frenchay Campus Coldharbour Lane Bristol BS16 1QY

All workshops are free of charge to research students.

Graphic Design Team 70398UWE, BRISTOL F.08.11 Printing & Stationery Services