Professional Development Resources for Research Staff

Please note this page is a work in progress and will be up-dated regularly.

These resources have been structured around the new Researcher Development Framework (RDF). The RDF has four key Domains and thirteen sub-domains. Information has been divided up under the following key domains:

Professional & Intellectual Attributes.
Personal Effectiveness
Research Organisation & Governance
Impact & Influence

For further course information see:

Learning And Teaching Enhancement Unit (LATEU)
Staff Development Unit (SDU)
The Graduate Schools (GRADBOOK)
Research and Innovation Services (RIS)
The Coaching and Training Service (CATS)

You can book online for LATEU course using StaffBook

Professional & Intellectual Attributes

Includes: Knowledge base, Research methods, Cognitive skills, Creativity and Innovation

Courses	Available through
MATLAB for intermediate users by Mathworks – 14 & 15 December	To attend, please complete the online survey
Supervising Research Students	LATEU via StaffBook
Beginning a career in academia	LATEU via StaffBook
Stand and Deliver: Giving Presentations	LATEU via StaffBook
ThinkWrite: Quality Papers	LATEU via StaffBook

Literature

Gerlese Åkerlind has produced some interesting papers on researchers, for example:

Åkerlind, G.S. (2008) An academic perspective on research and being a researcher: an integration of the literature, Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 33, pp 17 - 32.

Åkerlind, G.S. (2008) Growing and developing as a university researcher, Vol 55, pp 241 - 254.Higher Education

Personal Effectiveness

Includes: Personal qualities, Well-being, Self-organisation and Career development

Courses	Available through
Stress Less	SDU
Managing Employee Stress and Promoting Wellbeing in the Workplace	SDU
Performance in Public Speaking	LATEU via StaffBook
Voice and Pronunciation for Non-English speakers	LATEU via StaffBook
Building a Personal Development Plan	SDU
Creativity at Work	SDU
Improving Communication in the Workplace	SDU
Influencing and Persuasion skills	SDU
Negotiating	SDU
Personal Impact	SDU
Presentation skills	SDU
Time management	SDU
Assertiveness skills	SDU
Working through conflict	SDU

We will be piloting a Coaching Programme for small groups – see The Blog, Research Matters, for details.

Literature

Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardiner, (2007) Is it time well spent? Higher Education Research & Development, Volume 26, Issue 2, pages 235 – 247

The findings from Kearns and Gardiner’s time management research suggested that those academics with a clear sense of career purpose were more effective, less stressed and able to plan and prioritise more easily than other staff or students in a University context.

Athena Forum (2010) Signposting Career Paths for Post Doctoral Researchers [accessed online at http://www.athenaforum.org.uk/ Feb 2010]

Research Organisation & Governance

Includes: Professional conduct, Health and safety, Academic integrity, Appropriate practice, Project management, Finance and funding.

Courses	Available through
Legal Update on Equality and Diversity	SDU
Managing Diversity	SDU
Project management	SDU
Making the Most of Your Research Outputs. Introduction to IP Introduction to managing your IP Managing your research group’s IP	RIS

Impact & Influence

Includes: Communicating effectively, Working with others and leadership, Developing and influencing others, the Broader organisational, social, environmental and global contexts, Application of research to teaching, public engagement, enterprise and policy.

Courses	Available through
Sources of Funding for Your Research. Getting started Overview of European Funding inc.FP7 How to submit a successful proposal to FP7 Bid writing Impact	RIS
Making the Most of Your Research Outputs. Identifying opportunities to commercialise your research To Spin or Not – spinning out a company or licensing your technology Translation funding	RIS
Collaborating with Business: Getting Started. How to work with industry An introduction to consultancy Negotiating the deal Modes of collaboration Knowledge transfer partnerships	RIS
Agresso Finance System – Introduction to Self-service and Requisitioning	CATS
Public Engagement & Outreach Skills Training	GRADBOOK
Using Adobe Connect to Support Learning and Research	LATEU via StaffBook
Training in sustainable development	GRADBOOK
Environmental Awareness	SDU
Building and Leading teams	SDU
Coaching for performance	SDU
Essential Mentoring skills	SDU
Feedback matters	SDU
Managing performance	SDU
Working in change	SDU