Research Student Development - Supporting Progress Dr Richy Hetherington Hello my name is Richy Hetherington I am a Lecturer in Biotech and Business Enterprise but I am also the Faculty of Medical Science Skills Development Co-ordinator this means have an overview what the faculty offers in support of researchers professional development. I’m sure you are all aware of the excellent standing in Research the long history the Medical School has, it recently celebrated 175 years So while we pride ourselves on the quality of our Research outputs we are also very proud of our Researchers and the range of skills and attributes they demonstrate.

The way that research students develop their skills is primarily through the research work they are engaged in. The industry and ingenuity required to make new discoveries is really what makes a research degree, PhD, MRes, MD or MPhil such a valuable qualification. However, there are many ways in which we can help to make researchers more effective and efficient in their research by providing them with training in a range of areas. So research students are aware of the training on offer we create a booklet to highlight the range of opportunities available and this list is maintained through our Graduate School webpages and a booking system that is shared across the Universities three faculties . However it isn’t just about developing these skills it is also about recounting them and reflecting the researchers own progress. The ePortfolio system is now used by all of our students but it has been a well established mechanism for research students to record and reflect on their own development both in their research project but beyond it as individuals.

The skills development opportunities we offer and the ePortfolio research students use to record their records are all mapped to a nationally recognised framework know as the RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK or RDF . The RDF has 63 subheadings of potential areas for development for researchers but we just use the 12 headings of the 4 main domains.

All postgrads are given the appropriate training they need to manage their degrees, we also make sure that all students understand the basics of Safety, Ethics and Integrity. For further training

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awLyYYngayI

Last year I co-presented some of my colleagues published findings along with some observations I had collected that indicated training and structure was helping research students to achieve successful outcomes in terms of publications and doctoral completion.

There has been an increase in the number of doctorates awarded in most countries with the UK being particularly prevalent

Skills and Attributes Valued by Employers Technical & practical skills Team working Problem solving Self-Management Communication & interpersonal skills To use initiative but able to follow instructions Leadership where required ICT knowledge Relevant literacy & numeracy Knowledge of the business ATTRIBUTES Motivation Tenacity Commitment Here are a list of some of the skills and attributes that employers are looking for in Graduates are more generally. I have highlighted Knowledge of the business because this knowledge is not necessarily something that will be developed through a research degree study. However, all the other skills or characteristics that would are intrinsic to the research process. I feel it is important that researcher training and development in generic skills continues to focus on supporting research students to do well in their research, and to recognise and reflect on the benefits that being a researcher brings to them. Offering research students opportunities to demonstrate a broader context in which they can use the skills they are developing is beneficial but the context of the research should not be overlooked. Apprentices with a company would not be allowed to learn through experimentation in the same way that doctoral researchers are. Research students need to be allowed to take risks and assess the outcomes of those risks if subject areas are to advance quickly but also if researchers are to identify the limits of their abilities.