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The research Student Induction workshop {programme is a set of 7 workshops specifically designed to help new research students to get off to a good start with their research projects.  It includes a welcome event and specific workshops on various aspects of research student research activity.

This evaluation used a mixed methods approach to determine the initial student reaction to the programme as well as investigating how useful the participants found the workshops in their subsequent research.

A CPD Tool is being developed for Researchers to enable them to analyse, plan and record their development.  This electronic tool uses researchers’ job factors specific to Strathclyde and draws on relevant factors from the Researcher Development Framework to form a Career Pathway which acts as the analysis part of the tool.  Researchers can then go on and set development objectives, choose appropriate activities to meet these objectives and then record development.  This allows researchers the opportunity to manage their career development in a secure space as well as allowing them to take greater responsibility for it.

The University of Strathclyde has a long standing reputation for education, research and teacher training in science, engineering and technology disciplines. In seeking to further enhance that reputation by achieving an Athena Swan Bronze Award, we wish to demonstrate how the university is allying its search for academic excellence with a concern for equality of opportunity and inclusiveness across the institution. The Athena Swan project has been instrumental in awareness raising across the University, and the engagement of staff at all levels within the institution in considering current and future practice.

A UK-wide process enables UK HEIs to gain the European Commission’s ‘HR Excellence in Research’ badge, which acknowledges their alignment with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment. The UK process incorporates both the QAA Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers to enable institutions that have published Concordat implementation plans to gain the ‘HR Excellence in Research’ badge. The UK approach includes ongoing national evaluation and benchmarking. This award recognises the positive actions that the University has taken to support the career development of researchers and the actions in place to implement the principles of the Concordat to Support the Development of Researchers. 

The document is based on a gap analysis performed in November 2010 which sought to map existing policies and evidence of good practice to the Principles and Clauses of the Concordat.  Actions were then identified where further work was required to ensure complete compliance, and responsibilities assigned. Actions highlighted are where new approaches or changes to existing approaches will be developed, identifying how these will happen and setting timescales.  These new approaches will then be implemented and reviewed at regular intervals.

Following consultation at the Research Staff Forum in March 2011 a programme has been devised and is scheduled to run for the first time in September 2011.  The programme exists as a one day event, but it is envisaged that following the initial event in September online content will be developed to make the Induction Programme available to researchers who need it, when they need it.

The Strathclyde Mentoring Scheme is being developed for Research staff to support their career development.  It will train and support mentors and match them with appropriate mentees who volunteer to be part of the scheme.  It will also offer on-going support for mentors who are part of the Scheme as well as those who are active mentors within the University but carry out this role informally. 

The current provision across the university of generic and transferable skills training was audited and then mapped to the RDF.  This allowed an analysis of provision to be carried out that will be used to inform and guide the effective allocation of resources.

This induction programme is offered to all first year postgraduate research students early in the academic session and it involves two half-day events: one institution-wide session, which includes a general welcome to the university from a Senior Officer and provision of general information, and one faculty-based session, which includes a range of presentations relevant to each faculty.

The Researcher Development Programme (RDP) at Strathclyde offers all research students and staff a range of opportunities to continue their personal, professional and career management skills development. The courses, events and information sources aim to help researchers enhance their generic skills and competencies and widen their scope for future employability both inside and outside academia. The Researcher’s Portal is an online resource designed to support the RDP.

The University Research Day (URD) is a one-day event showcasing research within the university which provides an opportunity for the University to engage with the public while promoting cross-disciplinary networking.