Managing your PhD for applied health research students Dr Lindsay Pennington

Applied health research Complex questions prevalence, severity and impact of disease acceptability and effectiveness of interventions cost effectiveness, efficiency Aim to inform policy makers, healthcare providers, patients and public

Multiple methods Mixed methods, synthesis of evidence Multiple supervisors: Topic expert Quantitative expert Qualitative expert

Planning Objectives determine plan 3 months to develop project proposal (signed off by Christmas break) Your training Project plan Gantt chart

Managing your project Aims Objectives Methods Design Timing – prioritisation, duration Resources – cost, personnel Project management session 16 November

Managing others Supervisors Identification and recruitment of participants Clinicians Voluntary sector Local authority Participants To make your project successful you will be managing others as well as your project Your project may succeed or fail on this – you may have a great idea, be able to write fantastic literature review and appraise extant evidence relative to your subject and analyse your data but unless you can persuade others to work with you you won’t have any data!

Understand their priorities Get to know them Understand their priorities Work with them – give them something in return Agree timescales Keep them invested Agree methods of communication Update them Everybody will have multiple call son their time, not just you. Your project will be interesting but not necessarily import or urgent for them PPI session 24 May 2017 Social media session 7 November 2016 Communication and presentation skills session 15 May 2017

Research governance Ethics approval University? NHS? NHS Trust approval – research sites, governance NHS ethics and research gov takes at least 3 months

Lab books Issue Decisions Justification Evidence from previous research Actions Results Personnel involved Property of the University Already mentioned by Alison Tyson Capper on Tuesday 4 Oct Very important all info in one place record of the project can check back on decisions and their justification can be checked after project completion

Data collection You may be out of the University for some time Risk assessment Regular communication with supervisors: Deal with issues as they arise Use time wisely: Write methods section whilst involved in ‘doing it’ Make notes for Discussion – strengths and limitations, impact of methods and design Risk assessment form – session in I.H.S and others

Writing Start now! Learned skill, takes practice Figures and tables can be slotted into thesis Agree the papers that will come from the thesis Agree when papers will be written and submitted Also advised by Alison It’s never too early More you write better you’ll be

Disseminating your work Start now! Learned skill, takes practice Who do you want to influence? Best medium? When? Internal seminars, Conferences, External meetings Travel fund Training for presenting Public speaking 2 and 3 November 2016 Find out what the societies are that you should join Find out when their meetings are What types of presentations do they accept When is it best for you to present Write these into the Gantt chart and project plan Add to your e-portfolio training

Challenges Complex methods, complex projects NHS Trust approval – research sites, governance Project management essential Juggling Networking Negotiation Loneliness 3 years for project to be planned, executed and written up FT PhD 6 years PT PhD These soft skills are key to project completion Skills that are highly describable in academia, research and industry Loneliness – you aren’t alone, peer support groups Eg IHS group, PANIC, PRISM; RAs, supervisors. Work with others, make the most of break out times eg coffee times, get to know staff as well as other students. Join in!

Support for students GOOD LUCK! Supervisors PGR team – PGRSC and administrators Assessors Grad School Research Student Development Programme GOOD LUCK! Formal support You can do it Supervisors will support you to do it – they want to help you University will support you – APR, PGRSC Make the most of the opportunities Be savvy Good luck!