Subscribe by RSSDatabase of practice

A series of careers-themed events specifically for postdocs, using former postdocs, who have made various career transitions, as positive role models.

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.

Developing enterprise skills amongst postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers working on engineering or engineering related topics. Originally a partnership between the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University. Extended in 2011 to all Midlands Universities.

Research staff and students have access to specialist careers guidance, information and training services provided by the Centre for Career Development in collaboration with the Graduate School and Professional Development.

A number of Research Staff Societies have been set up by research staff at the University of Edinburgh. These have been started by motivated research staff in several Schools and Research Institutes. The Researcher Development Programme has worked closely with the societies providing help and support. This society development was recognised by being shortlisted for the Times Higher Awards 2008.

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.

ADEPT is a career development and employability service for doctoral researchers. One of the key features of the service is the involvement of doctoral researchers in the design, promotion and delivery of the services. The service provides career management support to help doctoral researchers with the transition from their PhD to the next stage of their career. Tailored provision is developed to meet the needs of doctoral researchers in each of the five Colleges.

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.

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.