University Opportunities for ECR Training and Development
In addition to the ECR Development Series, there is a range of further support for training and development on offer to »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ researchers from teams across the University.
Click on the titles below to explore the range of professional development support on offer to »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ researchers. To guide you in planning your professional development take a look at the Research Staff Professional Development Guidance [PDF 1.65MB] (currently under review).
- Achievement and Development Reviews (ADRs)
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The University runs an annual development review process each May to September for all academic and non-academic staff. You will meet with your line manager or delegated reviewer to discuss progress against your research objectives, as well as your career development aspirations and goals.
It is important that your manager supports your development and engages in conversations about your career. These meetings provide an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and identify areas where you hope to develop new skills or take on new opportunities and responsibilities.Training is available on LearnUpon to help you get the most out of the review. See the ADR webpages for further information, and for the relevant forms.
- Organisational Development training and staff mentoring
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The Learning and Development team, part of the HR division, provides general training and development courses open to all members of University staff. This includes taught workshops, toolkits and an extensive online learning hub delivered via LearnUpon.
Courses on offer include:
- leadership and management
- equality, diversity and inclusion
- personal development and effectiveness
- professional development
- wellbeing and mental health
- communication
- health and safety
- technical skills
For full programme and booking information visit the Learning and Development webpages, or log in to the .They also coordinate the staff mentoring scheme, MentorNet, which is an excellent way of building networks and gaining insight into your next career steps. See the Mentoring webpages.
- Teaching courses and qualifications
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Academic Quality and Partnerships (AQP) offer two options for development of your higher education teaching skills:
- Fundamentals – A 15-credit, Masters-level module for those new to teaching in higher education. Mandatory for anyone taking on teaching at the University with less than three years' higher education teaching experience.
- Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) – A 60-credit course taken part time over two years, leading to accredited qualification and Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Open to research fellows who will be undertaking a significant level of teaching, with contracts of two years or more and over 0.4FTE, and who have agreement from their line manager.
For more information visit the AQP website.
- Careers guidance
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If you completed your PhD or research degree at the »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ, the Careers and Entrepreneurship team offers three years of careers guidance after you graduate. This includes free one-to-one appointments with a careers advisor to help you explore future career options or support you in making job applications.
The Careers website hosts useful careers-related information and resources to support you in taking the next steps.
- IT training
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IT Services (ITS) provides a wealth of IT advice and support for researchers, including guidance on Artemis high-performance computing, data storage, hardware and software.
ITS also signposts useful training courses on LinkedIn Learning, including:- Excel Essentials
- Microsoft Teams
- Python Essentials
- Project Management Foundations
- Digital Marketing Foundations
See the ITS training webpage for more information on these courses.
- Educational Enhancement
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The Educational Enhancement team provides proactive guidance, training and support to staff on the effective use of technology to enhance teaching, research and online distance learning.
Workshops and online modules cover themes such as:
- use of AI
- interactive teaching activities
- digital teaching platforms (Canvas, Turn It In, e-submission, PollEverywhere, Padlet, storytelling with Twine)
- creating and using digital resources
- assessment and feedback
- increasing personal awareness of digital technologies
- inclusive curriculum design
- podcasting
For more information visit the .
- Research Information, Quality and Impact
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The Research Information, Quality and Impact team (RIQI) helps researchers produce high-quality research outputs and achieve real impact in the wider world.
Discover the Research Excellence Framework and find out how to fund, achieve and track your impact, and the metrics and research intelligence tools available to you at »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ.
You'll also find guidance on WorkTribe, ResearchFish and the Research Dashboard on their webpages.
- Research Ethics, Integrity and Governance
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The »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ is committed to promoting and upholding the highest quality academic and ethical standards in all its activities.
The Research Ethics, Integrity and Governance team has developed policies and procedures which recognise the importance of addressing ethical matters, while supporting the achievement of the University's collective research objectives.
To this end, robust research governance procedures and policies underpin all research at the University. See their webpages for links to policies, guidance on the ethical review process, an overview of research integrity, and who to contact if you have questions.
- Funding guidance from Research Development
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Research Development is responsible for advising on the preparation of all applications for research funding at »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ (including those funded or led by commercial organisations). They can help you identify funders for your research, and approve, check, renegotiate and accept awards.
Research Development Managers work closely with the Schools to develop strategies to take maximum advantage of funding opportunities, and act as the main external contact with particular funding agencies.
See the Research Development webpages for information on finding and applying for funding, and engaging with funders and businesses.
- Innovation and Business Partnerships - working with business
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Working with business can be a great way to realise the potential of your research, develop lasting collaborative partnerships and access new funding opportunities.
The University’s Innovation and Business Partnerships Team (IBP) offer advice and guidance to support researchers to work with non-academic partners, to protect and commercialise your knowledge and expertise, and to develop your knowledge-based enterprise activity.
Visit the IBP webpages for information on collaborative research, consultancy, Knowledge Exchange Partnerships, CPD, technical facilities and equipment hire.
- Library Research Support
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As well as delivering workshops on the ECR Development Series, the Library Research Support team offers bookable 1-2-1s for researchers to discuss how the resources available through the Library and archives can support their research.
They also support the University’s approach to research data management and open research, and host regular training and events on subjects from Elements and »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ Figshare to bibliometrics and developments in scholarly publishing.
Research Support also offers guidance on Open Access (OA) publishing, including how to meet the requirements of your funder, and to be eligible for REF2029. They administer funds given to the University by RCUK and the Wellcome Trust to support Gold OA – find out what your funder requires and how to access the funds at the Open Access webpage.
Vitae
The »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ is a member of Vitae, the UK organisation dedicated to the supporting the professional development of researchers.
Register on the with your »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ email address to access a wealth of content and resources to help at every stage of your research career. Information and guidance includes:
- Ups and downs of being a researcher
- Developing as a researcher
- Developing your academic career
- Keeping your life in balance
- Rights and responsibilities
- Equality and diversity
- Careers advice
The »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓÆµ Researcher School's Researcher Development Programme is a comprehensive programme of workshops, webinars and online modules based on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework. It is primarily targeted at postgraduate researchers (PGRs), but many sessions are open to ECRs.
The Vitae Researcher Development Framework
The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a tool to help you identify strengths and prioritise your professional development.
Vitae Researcher Booklets
The Balanced Researcher Booklet [PDF 2.17MB]
The Career Wise Researcher Booklet [PDF 2.19MB]
The Creative Researcher Booklet [PDF 1.29MB]
The Engaging Researcher Booklet [PDF 1.70MB]
The Enterprising Researcher Booklet [PDF 1.45MB]