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The University of Birmingham Graduate School website brings together all information offered to doctoral researchers by the University Graduate School (this covers both the University Graduate School and the Research Student Administration teams). The website is meant to offer a ‘one stop shop’ for all doctoral researcher information at the University. Upkeep of the website is the responsibility of the University Graduate School Projects Officer (Marketing and Events). New developments for the website are supported by the University’s systems and web teams.

The annual Research Poster Conference provides a unique opportunity for doctoral researchers at all stages of their studies to present their research to a diverse mixed-disciplined audience. The Conference is an excellent practical forum for the development of a range of essential communication and networking skills. It is also a chance for University students and staff to foster productive interdisciplinary links and find out more about the range of exciting research that takes place at the University of Birmingham. The usual resources are required to deliver the event: a venue; catering & catering staff; additional helpers to assist on the day; and a means of producing and displaying the posters. We also provided 3 doctoral researchers with the opportunity to become part of the project team that organised the Research Poster Conference.

The courses and workshops outlined in our programme are designed to meet the needs of all groups of staff within the College and offer a wide variety of development opportunities in five key areas:

• Health & Safety

• Information Technology

• Leadership & Management

• Skills & Knowledge

• Wellbeing

In our 2009/10 training programme, we introduced a section specific to the development of researchers, in response to principle 4 of the Concordat. This section has continued to develop following feedback received from research staff, line managers and principal investigators.

Research staff may also attend any of the other Staff Training & Development courses offered in the programme.

A 2-day course to address topics such as: thesis writing and viva preparation, career options and planning, networking, and leadership within corporate and academic work contexts.

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.

Official pre-launch of the International Year of Chemistry 2011. An event held in Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on January 18^th brought together women chemists from 37 countries using modern communication tools; each country/region will arrange its own event(s) and individual breakfasts will be linked together by SKYPE/video, and by using Twitter.  In addition to networking, the aim is to celebrate the pivotal role of Marie Curie in chemistry, and to reflect on the current landscape for women chemists. 

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.