Vitae researcher development conference 2010: realising the potential of researchers 06 September 2010 - 07 September 2010

Special interest sessions

Special interest sessions are sessions that may be of interest to participants but are not included in the main workshop programme because:

the topic does not clearly link to the stated conference themes but is of interest to some participants

the session structure is very flexible and/or has no predefined outcomes

the topic is a fledgling/undeveloped idea

 

Special interest sessions run on day one of the programme at  16.30 and 17.05 and last for 30 minutes.

Session one - Monday 6 September, 16.30

1. The doctoral entrepreneur

 Dr Tristram Hooley, Head of International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby

Outline

This session will explore the idea of a career in self-employment as a possible destination for researchers. Based on a research project undertaken for Vitae it will present the findings and introduce the doctoral entrepreneurs' career stories.

Participants will be invited to think about what factors contribute to the pursuit of an entrepreneurial career for researchers. There will also be an opportunity to share practice around enterprise education and to consider other factors that can support enterprising careers.

2. Gaining professional accreditation via transferable skills training

Paul Lyden, Director, Fistral Training and Consultancy and Pauline Donachy, Learning and Development Manager, Fistral Training and Consultancy

Outline

In March 2010, ‘One Step Beyond' called upon HEIs to ‘be more pro-active in providing postgraduates with the opportunity to develop the core competencies they need to succeed in a competitive job market' (recommendation 6), stakeholders to work together to ‘establish employer needs for postgraduate skills' (recommendation 12) and to demonstrate ‘the link between postgraduates and productivity' (recommendation 16). This workshop will focus on the experiences and lessons learned of postgraduate researchers and research staff who achieve practical, professional accreditation via transferable skills training; their thoughts on the strategic and long-term benefits of such training when applying techniques to specific and diverse projects; and employer/job-applicant feedback on ways in which such training empowers researchers and research staff in their career progression and development. There will be an opportunity to examine researcher testimony and how the approach addresses many of Smith's other recommendations in addition to areas highlighted in PRES and the QAA Code of Practice.

3. Leadership development for principal investigators

Dr Jane Wellens, Head of Researcher Development, University of Nottingham

Outline

Funded by HEFCE's Leadership Governance and Management Fund, this project seeks to develop resources to support the leadership and development needs of principal investigators (PIs). Newly appointed PIs are expected to lead and manage a research team, secure new research grants, liaise with stakeholders, publish, respond to institutional issues and agendas, and maintain and develop their own research expertise. Led by the University of Nottingham, in partnership with University of Cambridge, Loughborough University, UCL, University of Newcastle, University of Sunderland, Vitae, RCUK, LFHE and UUK, the development of these online resources will provide new PIs with guidance and support in key areas, as identified above. The final materials and resources will be hosted on the Vitae website (within the Managing researchers pages). This session will involve: a short presentation introducing the project and showcasing the beta (trial) website, followed by an opportunity for participants to browse the beta website, ask questions and complete a feedback form, which will be used to further develop the resources. 

4. Collaborative postgraduate research

Penny Dowdney, Research Skills Development Manager, Bangor University

Outline

In the context of the current political and economic climate, research funding is harder to come by and increasing demands are being placed on universities to demonstrate impact on wealth creation, the knowledge economy and employability. This session will consider postgraduate research and the differences/benefits of a collaborative research experience to both those who go on to an academic career and those who do not, as well as the impact on the collaborative partner.

We will use case studies/vox-pops and discuss the aspirations for our Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) Programme. (KESS is a pan-Wales higher level skills initiative led by Bangor University on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Assembly Government's European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys). 

5. An international perspective: preparing researchers for future careers

Professor Barbara Evans, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Professor of Zoology, University of British Columbia

Outline

This session provides participants with the opportunity to discuss further any topics covered in Professor Barbara Evans' opening plenary talk - or indeed other relevant topics. Taking the format of a conversation, the session will allow participants to discuss and ask questions on graduate education and researcher development in the global context. 

6. Sustaining the researcher development agenda: the proper place for skills and autonomy

Martin Gough, Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice, University of Kent

Outline

The sustainability of effective researcher development provision post-Roberts requires re-orientations of our thinking in a number of ways. Developers need to think from the perspective less of national policy and institutional organisation and more of the developing practitioner. Their autonomy needs to be the focus, understood in the positive, Kantian sense, freedom to explore new avenues of scientific and other enquiry and to direct their own development, underpinned by sense of value, individually and as a peer group. This emphasises the place of consciousness and reason in the development process. Both proponents and opponents of the skills agenda at this level are stuck in a realist mindset which demands critique. It promotes, on the one hand, an unhelpful deficit model of skills as discrete concrete requirements and, on the other hand, gives licence to the equally unhelpful challenge that skills and academic endeavour are worlds apart. This session provides opportunity for participants to explore the implications of these lines of thinking for practice and policy, especially with the advent of the new Researcher Development Framework.

7. Creative engagement with the public - a hands-on approach to building capacity

Dr Joanne Tippett, Lecturer in Spatial Planning, University of Manchester

Outline

Participants will learn useful tools and techniques for engaging with the public, and will be introduced to Ketso. Ketso was designed to make running a good workshop easier. It helps researchers gain confidence in engaging with the public, as it provides activities and colourful tools to structure workshops. Ketso is accessible to all, and enables diverse groups to communicate and work together more effectively. See www.ketso.com for more information. Ketso has been used by academics, postdocs and postgraduate researchers to engage with community members and stakeholders in a variety of knowledge exchange and research settings. Uses have included: developing community visions for local parks, exploring environmental governance in South Africa, community development in the Middle East and organisational sustainability in Tesco, gathering research data from 200 staff members. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to Ketso and learn useful tools and techniques for engaging with the public through a hands-on exercise.

8. ‘One step beyond': compulsory research and transferable skills training and how to make it work

Dr Nigel Shaw, Administrative Manager, The Graduate School, University of Hull

Outline

The report to the Government Department for Business Innovation and Skills, 'One Step Beyond: Making the most of postgraduate education' recommends that HEIs should ensure that transferable skills training is embedded as standard in the funding and design of all postgraduate research programmes. Can making research and transferable skills training compulsory work? If it's compulsory won't the postgraduate researchers want credits and an award for their work? The University of Hull has one answer to these questions having 15 years experience of providing compulsory, accredited research and transferable skills education for its postgraduate researchers and has awarded 673 Masters level certificates and 97 Diplomas in Research Training since the Graduate School took over the administration of research and transferable skills training in 2002. The Postgraduate Training Scheme at Hull will be outlined and the experience of managing it discussed.

9. Electronic access to PhD theses: balancing open access and confidentiality

Dr Tina Barnes, Senior Research Fellow, University of Warwick

Outline

Open access to PhD theses via e-depositories is presenting new challenges to UK universities. The tension in the modern research environment between the long-standing academic principle of free and open access to research and the commercial need for confidentiality to protect competitive advantage is not new, but the more recent trend toward electronic submission of theses raises significant issues. E-depositories render PhD theses more widely accessible than the traditional ‘library copy', raising new concerns about protecting commercial interests and publishing the research post-submission, as well as ethical considerations. Amidst this changing landscape, there are areas of uncertainty in how best to address the complexities open access raises, and differing practices and policies are being adopted across universities - should the thesis be embargoed? Should an abridged version only be submitted? Should there be different rules for the ‘soft' versus the traditional ‘hard' copy? This session will set out the issues and open a discussion on the challenges open access raises and the policies and practices emerging across the higher education sector to deal with it.

10. I'm a researcher – why do I need facilitation skills?

Ann Alder, Director, RSVP Design

Outline 

In business, commerce and higher education, increasing numbers of subject matter specialists are recognising the value of facilitation skills. Understanding the basics of facilitation, which include sensitive observation and active listening, the ability to 'diagnose' what needs to happen in a group situation and a capacity to move towards structured action, helps researchers to work with others in project teams, learning sets and research interviews.

An understanding of how to frame questions, to elicit very specific information and focus dialogue, enhances the quality of response received. Above all, understanding the facilitation of learning groups helps researchers in a teaching role to use their own expertise to support the learning and development of others. This short ‘taster session’ will introduce, through practical examples, some of the key skills of facilitation and explore how they might add value to the researcher’s intellectual and behavioural ‘toolkit’.

Session 2 - Monday 6 September, 17.05

1. Teaching for researchers: an accredited development opportunity

Dr Christos Petichakis, Research Staff Development Programme, University of Liverpool and Stuart McGugan, Educational Developer, University of Liverpool 

Outline

The workshop will look into the purpose of developing an HEA accredited teaching qualification for postgraduate researchers and research staff. We will argue that even within a research led institution, there is place and space for teaching development for early career researchers. We also aim to explore the benefits of such a course in the professional development of researchers and the transferability of skills acquired in a research environment or other professional settings. During the session we will reflect on our journey of developing this course, the process and benefits of accreditation and the format of delivery, assessment and engagement with our audience. The course has been running for a semester and has received excellent feedback from participants. We will look into early evidence of good practice from participant feedback through a questionnaire and follow up interviews. Finally we will reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the course and what plans we have for the future to enhance and sustain this type of development opportunity.

2. Enhancing employability of Euopean doctoral graduates - the DOCENT project

Jane Sugars, CRAC - The Career Development Organisation

Outline

Whilst the EU educates more researchers than either the US or Japan it has a relatively low percentage working in the business sector and falls behind in measures of innovation and exploitation of knowledge. Doctoral graduates have potential as key actors in economic growth and numerous European and national policy drivers support their transition into private sector careers. However, there is a long-established and widespread culture of doctoral degrees as training for academic research and there remains some distance to travel before all barriers to movement between employment sectors are removed.

The DOCtors in ENTerprise (DOCENT) Project is a 24 month project financed by the European Commission aiming to address related issues, sharing practice across EU member states. Partners will develop and test:

• a model for integrated university-wide services to meet the career development needs of researchers
• training modules in transferable skills focused on enhancing employability across the labour market.

This session will introduce the soon to be completed background report and ask how future project outputs can best be exploited. 

3. Opening up open access

Dr Amanda Hodgson, Open Access Adviser, Centre for Research Communications, University of Nottingham

Outline

Open access research dissemination offers a way of making research instantly available world-wide. Funders often require the results of research to be published via open access and some institutions also have mandates. But how can we help researchers to unpick the tangle of policies and procedures that relate to open access? This session will explore the issues and look at some available tools.

This session will cover:

• issues in open access research communication
• tools for advising researchers on open access.

Participants will:

• share experiences of advising researchers on open access
• look at some websites that offer help on open access issues
• discuss strategies for encouraging open access in their institutions.

4. Graduate eWriting programme

Dr Daniel Soule, Lecturer in Academic Writing, Glasgow Caledonian University and Jo Spiller, Learning Technologist within the Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh

Outline

Collaboration between Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow has developed an open access, interactive, online writing programme for first year postgraduate researchers. The programme is designed to be either taken as a composite course for doctoral or masters options, or individual learning objects can be taken out and scaffolded within different virtual learning environments (VLEs) to support face-to-face workshops for postgraduate researchers. The programme is freestanding and no tutor support is required. The programme focuses on developing research writing skills during evolving studies. Users of the programme try a variety of writing exercises, which promote critical and reflexive thinking about their own project and the supporting literature, and help generate and manage writing towards their thesis or dissertation from the beginning of their studies. This is not a ‘remedial' course; rather, it focuses on higher level skills. Writing generated during the programme is stored in a ‘Record of Achievement' which acts as an archive, enabling postgraduate researchers to measure their progress, and generate editable documents, such as research paper reviews.

5. CROS 2009 - analysis by discipline

Vivien Hodges, Research Manager, Vitae, CRAC

Outline

The Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) anonymously gathers data about working conditions, career aspirations and career development opportunities for research staff. It is an invaluable tool in helping institutions to achieve the aspirations of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. Following the success of CROS 2009 with 51 participating institutions, a breakdown of the 2009 aggregate results by broad disciplinary groups (biomedical, biological, physical and social sciences plus arts and humanities) will be reported in this special interest session highlighting disciplinary differences and noteworthy trends of interest for those working in researcher development. 

6. The impact of research training and codes of practice on the submission and completion of doctoral degrees: an exploratory cohort study

Robin Humphrey, Director of Postgraduate Research Training, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne

Outline

Data stored by the Graduate School in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University has been collated to produce a unique data set, which has then been processed and analysed statistically. The data set is based in the 2004 cohort of full time postgraduate researchers registered in the Faculty, and includes factors such as start, submission, and completion dates, outcome of viva, compliance with Code of Practice procedures (such as completion of Learning Agreements and Project Approval Forms) and engagement with postgraduate research training. Preliminary results show that completion of a Project Approval Form and engagement with postgraduate research training is significantly associated with submission of the thesis within four years. Engagement with postgraduate research training is not associated with length of time to submit nor with the outcome of the viva. These results will be discussed within the context of contemporary doctoral education in the UK.

7. Assisting researchers hit by the recession - case study discussion

Anne Forde, Careers Adviser for Life Science Postdocs, University of Cambridge and Calum Leckie, Careers Adviser at University College London and members of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) National Task group.

Outline

Suitable for careers advisers, staff developers and academics who are interested how researchers' employment issues in a recession can be addressed.

Researchers are not immune to the recession's impact. Knock on effects include a decrease in research funding and diminished employment prospects inside and outside of academia. The session will focus on how to manage one to one consultations or group activities with researchers who are experiencing difficulties due to the recession. What can we offer? What are our limitations? The session will work in a similar way to a case conference: the organisers will bring anonymous case studies of researchers facing today's tough job market for the participants to discuss. Depending on numbers participants can work in small groups or as a plenary discussion.

8. Open research: the application of e-knowledge tools in research careers training and development

Professor Brigid Heywood, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise), The Open University, UK

Outline

The Open University (OU) received funding through Vitae's Innovate 2009 project. Part of the Innovate project was to share expertise around using web technologies to enhance researcher development. The OU has deployed a range of communication and collaboration technologies to complement and extend our conventional face-to-face provision of doctoral training programmes and to support postgraduate researchers working in remote locations as part of an ‘anytime - anywhere' model of support. Examples of these technologies are Second Life, Elluminate, the OU-developed Flash Meeting, direct web-casting of live video-feeds, vodcasts and podcasts detailing research outcomes for distribution via iTunesU.

In addition, we have employed a range of social software (Web 2.0) tools and services including blogs, wikis and social bookmarking tools, and social networking environments such as Cloudworks. We are investigating the significance of these tools for researchers, such as for research skills development, for communicating research, for digital scholarship, and for developing and sustaining networks and collaborations.

In this session, we will report on usage scenarios and our experiences of employing these technologies for research training and career development. We will share examples of successful use and good practice. We will also discuss the implications of adopting social software tools and services in research for universities, funding bodies and researchers.   

9. How the Researcher Development Framework relates to the UK Professional Standards Framework

Gill Johnston, Head of the Teaching and Learning Development Unit, University of Sussex, Vitae South-East Hub Coordinator

Outline

A session looking at work in progress towards relating the UK Professional Standards Framework for Higher Education teaching to the new Researcher Development Framework.

10. How you can use Vitae resources in your researcher development programme: resources for HEIs and activities for researchers

Philippa Storer, Senior Programme Manager: Researchers and Employers, Vitae and Jane Simm, Careers Adviser, University of Sheffield Careers Service

Outline

Vitae offers a number of tried and tested training and development programmes and resources, which are available for higher education institutions to use as part of their own institutional or regional activities. This session will provide an overview of Vitae programmes and resources and will include details about how you can access and use them. Vitae's Database of Resources includes a wide range of materials for both postgraduate researchers and research staff - from short case study sessions to two-day programmes. These materials can be downloaded ready for use or can be adapted and tailored specifically for your requirements. Vitae's programme of national training events for researchers will also be highlighted so that participants can signpost their researchers to relevant events.