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Using the Skills Training Programme courses, the Medical Sciences Division seeks to equip Graduate Research Students and Research Staff members with a comprehensive set of skills ensuring each researcher realises his/her maximum potential and thereby lay the foundations for a successful career in the sciences.

As part of the Medical Sciences Divisional Skills Training Programme graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are invited to explore moving away from academia and consider the opportunities open to them for a career based in Medical Writing and Medical Communications. Beginning with an introductory session comprising of presentations and a networking lunch with potential employers. Then a more focussed two workshop.

A residential workshop for PhD students and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) with an interest in interdisciplinarity and the commercialisation of research.

Recently there has been growing interest in an alternate business model, social enterprise. This is a different way of doing business that trades for a social purpose whereby the social or environmental aims of the business are of equal importance to its commercial activities. Consequently the skills required for running a successful social enterprise combine those typical of enterprise activities generally with a strong motivation and passion for social improvement. We have found that this aspect is useful in engaging researchers because at the heart of social enterprise is a strong commitment to achieving a better society, a motivation that resonates with that which typically drives the research agenda and researchers themselves. This collaborative project with Vitae has been successful in developing written and associated video materials to explore enterprise skills with early career researchers. There are plans to disseminate the resources via Vitae as part of the ongoing move to produce development resources that are freely available to HEIs as part of the research skills development agenda, this is likely to be in January 2011.

An institutional programme provided by departments, faculties and the University for postgraduate researchers. Complimented by an online tool 'MyPGR' containing a JSS-linked Development Needs Analysis, Record of Supervision Meetings, Skills Record and Personal Development Planner.

This is a brief summary of the organisational model that we have adopted in order to work more closely with Schools, Faculties and Departments and 'partner' with them in understanding and providing for the needs of their particular staff in a ‘bespoke’ way where appropriate. This positions us better to target our resource towards meeting real needs, while striving for enhanced alignment between UCL’s research strategy and individual aspirations. This new model also enables us to work more closely in partnership with other key people deployed at a Faculty or Department level, such as Research Facilitators, Research Leaders, HR Consultants, Faculty Managers etc.

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.

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.

This is an annual day-long event for PhD students in the College of Science & Engineering. It consists of presentations by successful professionals in the discipline areas of the college and workshops on key employability issues such as "how to get a job" and "how to win research grants". Presenters are often University of Leicester alumni. Presentations are built around a clear brief focussing on opportunities and tips for aspiring professionals. The event incorporates a carefully structured networking lunch where PhD students meet the presenters to discuss career and employability issues, current trends in the professional areas and so on. The events also include exhibitions from research councils, recruitment companies and those providing development opportunities for PhD researchers in parallel with their studies.