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The Social Media sessions demonstrated a successful integration of a student-led initiative within a formal graduate training provision. The initiative underlined the importance of engaging PhD students in their own learning and training needs, in both sharing expertise with peers and in contributing to their own professional development. In doing so, it demonstrated to other postgraduate researchers how they might utilise their own areas of expertise to develop further student-led initiatives.

A one-day practical course on communicating research through newspapers, TV and Radio.

A website dedicated to research staff informing of local & national events & opportunities such as research, training & careers.

Open competition to fund projects relating to research staff development

Three-day business plan competition for researchers to produce a business plan for an imaginary start-up company, engineering-based.

The Jubilee Graduate Centre (JGC) has been exclusively developed for postgraduate students and early career researchers. It works closely with Schools on the Jubilee Campus to develop Faculty-specific training and careers events for PGRs/ECRs focusing on transferable skills, and which reflect the requirements of the Funding Councils.

The Arts Graduate Centre (AGC) offers a unique social and training space which has been developed specifically for Arts Faculty postgraduates. Its main activity is grouped around building a community for postgraduates in the Arts Faculty, developing skills and improving employability. It has a centre which provides a place to study, socialise and find out information. AGC has a strong web presence which includes an interactive researcher portal using a workspace platform. This year it is piloting a compulsory training prrogramme, offering 3 days of bespoke training to Arts Faculty PGRs per year, alongside an an annual events programme (approx 30 instances) which is bespoke to the Arts Faculty and complimentary to the cross-Faculty Graduate School training offer at Nottingham. AGC also runs larger-scale conferences and networking events, often with a knowledge transfer or an interdisciplinary focus. These include interdisciplinary symposia, speed-conferencing evenings, HE fairs and research poster competitions. AGC has a strong history in arranging paid placements opportunities (30 per year) which are uniquely supported by regular guided groupwork (reflective practice sessions) and one-to-one support. AGC also supports postgraduate-led initiatives with project planning and proposal-writing advice. These have included a feminist reading group, the Nottingham Poetry Series (funded by Arts Council & Lottery Fund) and Mind the Skills Gap (funded initiaive to bring consultancy-level business training to Arts Faculty postgrads trhougha series of 8 full or half-day workshops.) . AGC also seeks additional funding annually to develop a special interest strand which speaks to training, social and networking needs amongst the postgraduate community as well as the knowledge transfer agenda. Last year we ran AGC Year of the Writer which had a Writer in Residence who coordinated a series of writing workshops (poetry, novels, for broadcast), author talks, a creative writing competition and local schools-based writing activities (co-ordinated by 2 paid postgraduate interns.) This year we received AHRC funding to run ResearcherCurator - a placement-like programme where participants are offered 4 days of specialist trainign and mentoring to design and deliver an element of public programming at the Galleries of Justice, Nottingham (see separate database entry). Part of the AGC events programme is also available to final-year undergraduates in order to support Faculty postgraduate recruitment. AGC is also piloting an alumni mentoring programme - Bridges - which is designed to match postgraduate students up with alumni already established in a range of career sectors for a 6-month e-mentoring relationship. Alumni have been an integral part of our Moving On series which uses alumni to deliver short training interventions designed to be responsive to the requirements of key potential employers. This included 'Copywriting and proofreading skills ofr publishing' (delivered by Publishing Operations Manager at Hodder & Stoughton. The Arts Gradaute Centre also works in collaboration with another Graduate Centre to offer training/information/social events to early career researchers.

•The focus of the scheme is Researcher Excellence and encompasses Professional and Career Development •Individual objectives for the 6 month relationship are defined by the Mentor & Mentee at the initial meeting. •Following a successful 6 month pilot scheme in 2009/10 the scheme to be expanded to 20 Researcher Mentor/Mentee pairs. Both Mentors and Mentees receive training. •Disseminating professional skills more widely across the Research Community, Loughborough can gain key benefits in research success, especially in preparation for the Research Excellence Framework. •The Scheme helps the University to fulfil the requirements of the 'Concordat for the Career Development of Researchers’ in supporting the career and professional development of Research Staff.

The programme aims to develop communication skills for researchers in the context of communicating science to the public. It is delivered through a two-day training course composed of a series of lectures, group exercises and workshops. This is followed by a visit to a local school (Years 11-13) where small groups of researchers work together to present their research. After the school visit researchers are invited to a debrief session where they hear the feedback from the schools, reflect on the skills they have developed, and consider how to best present those skills to potential employers. Many additional outreach opportunities are provided, including the chance to develop and deliver longer on-campus workshops for A-level students and to contribute to community events and festivals.

This is a series of networking events for postgraduate researchers from the department of Law/College of Social Sciences. The event takes the form of a a fortnightly lunch time gathering. The aim is to inform attendees about other students' work. Attendees will be asked to bring problems they are facing to allow other attendees to offer suggestions through brainstorming. One or two, 5-minute presentations about research will be offered,to help attendees to develop their presentation and communication skills.