All Researcher Development Programme (RDP) courses

The Two-Day writing retreat is designed to offer structured sessions of academic writing for PhD students who wish to come and work in a supportive environment, and discuss strategies for good working practices that accommodate neurodivergence. You do NOT need to have a confirmed diagnosis to attend this retreat.

We start the first day with an introduction that discusses the kinds of challenges that Autism and ADHD can present in doctoral research, as well as strengths. This is followed by discussion sessions on finding adaptive ways to work when handling executive dysfunction, or issues with your environment. The rest of the first day is dedicated to writing, with short sessions to test out new ways to approach your work. The second day will be a dedicated writing retreat, with time in a comfortable environment to crack on with some writing! A full schedule for the two days will be sent out at least a week in advance.

You will be writing alongside fellow graduate students. There will be a ‘quiet room’ and a ‘noisy room’ to accommodate various working styles/activities, and attendees are welcome to bring along any fidget objects etc. that would normally help them focus. We will also bring a selection of these to try out!

If you have attended before you are very welcome to come again – feel free to skip the introductory talk or just go get settled in the ‘quiet room’ to start your work.

Lastly, tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided, but you will need to arrange your own lunch.

This workshop will cover key themes relating to procrastination. Participants are encouraged to reflect and share experiences with others and take part in discussion groups and activities. The session covers the common causes of procrastination, how to recognise personal procrastination traits and techniques to dig deep to find the real cause of procrastination in order to banish it for good.

Have you ever wanted to get creative with your research? To discover how writing can bring a new perspective to your work? How your words can engage with new audiences about the academic research that you are passionate about?

This training will enable you to develop creative ways by which you can use writing to engage with the public; providing you with the resources to be more confident in developing and sharing creative writing responses to your area of research.

The course will introduce creative writing for poetry and prose, and textual writing for exhibition / display. It will discuss developing writing for performance.  The aim is to work with you to bring out the creative responses that lay within your own work. There will be the opportunity to receive written feedback throughout the week, and to discuss your work in a 1-to-1 session with the course tutor (if requested in advance).

The training will be led by David Cain. David’s most recent book, Truth Street, was shortlisted for the prestigious Forward Prizes for Poetry (2019). David brings his writing experience together with a passion for public engagement - he currently leads the delivery of the Cambridge Festival.

A session for those who have been to the Introduction to Evaluation session but would like further support on getting their evaluation right. Do you have questions about what methods to use? How to make your results reliable? How to report on your findings? Submit your questions or concerns in advance of the session for tailored support

We love a plan! In our Introduction to Public Engagement course, we introduced you to planning using a logic model. In this practical session, we’ll use this tool in exercises that will allow you to think about why you want to engage, the outcomes and impact you want to achieve, who you want to engage with and how to reach them.

We’ll look at how to run your project efficiently and how you might evaluate to learn and evidence your success. We’ll also consider the places you run events in, the resources you might need, tips on event planning and how you can make your engagement more inclusive.

You don’t need to come with a plan, we’ll start with hypothetical challenges to spark thoughts and ideas and share learning together.

The course will be run by members of the Public Engagement team - Lucinda Spokes, Selen Etingu, Diogo Gomes and Claudia Antolini. As part of this course, we will provide information on how we support public engagement across the University.

Are you an academic, researcher or PhD candidate who would like to build a media profile and take your research to a global public audience by writing for The Conversation?

The Conversation is a news analysis and opinion website with content written by academics working with professional journalists. It is an open access, independent media charity funded by more than 80 UK and European universities.

In this interactive session we'll take you through what The Conversation is - our origins and aims; what we do and why.

We’ll look at why you should communicate your research to the public and take you through The Conversation’s unique, collaborative editorial process.

We’ll give you tips on style, tone and structure (with examples), look at how to pitch (with examples) and look at different approaches and article types.

• To book your space head over to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/university-of-cambridge-the-conversation-media-training-registration-636403338517

Getting published is a central part of being a researcher. Understanding where and why to publisht is crucial to developing an effective stragegy that will help you realise your research and/or career ambitions.

With this in mind, the workshop explores strategy around the question of ‘high impact’, and the various meanings (formal and informal) this implies, the limitations of impact metrics and the importance of understanding publishing cultures across academia, and how these vary..

Getting published is a central part of being a researcher. Peer-reviewed publications allow researchers to communicate their research to the broader research community, and thus, contribute to the body of work within their field.

This workshop is part 2 of 3, and concerns the process of peer-review manuscript preparation and the submital process, including peer-review.

This is the first of two workshops designed to develop your understanding of the technicalities and the process of getting your research published.

In this workshop, we examine the technical aspects of writing up your research in a format appropriate for publication. You will learn about the importance of following journal guidelines and house style, and the value of using a clear structure to frame your paper. You will also receive guidance on how to produce clear writing in a register appropriate for the readership.

It is possible to attend this course as an individual workshop, although we would encourage you to attend the second workshop in the series Getting published II: Impact and Peer-review.

This interactive workshop will support participants to make the most of short periods of study, admin, teaching preparation or research time. Participants work together to create a personalised plan of action combining High Intensity Productivity (HIP) with focused goal setting. The session considers the biggest reasons for procrastination and participants learn how to break larger research, teaching, admin and study activities in to manageable and achievable tasks. The session benefits from integrated protected self-development time to trial the tools learned in the session.

There is also the opportunity to reflect on how participants will implement their learning in order to make the most of future opportunities and avoid procrastination.

“The whole course was useful, the delivery in terms of sharing with others and actually completing activities (productive work) made it a great experience. The practical as well as theoretical made you realise you can actually do better.”

PhD Researcher and Clinician, University of Leicester 2020

A recommended course by the Researcher Development Programme as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The course can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A recommended course by the Researcher Development Programme as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The course can be accessed here.

Let’s face it; being a researcher can be stressful! Not only are you managing the ups and downs of your PhD, but you are probably balancing work and life and also have one eye on the future and what comes after you finish…

This workshop is designed to help you build your resilience. You probably already have some strategies in place so we will reflect on the highs and lows you have already experienced, learn about 3 Cs of resilience (Commitment, Challenge, Control) and consider how we can better support your coping and wellbeing.

It’s time to start working on your writing, but where do you start? How do you deal with the dreaded blank page? Come along to a short session to talk about how to confidently get started with your writing.

After this session, why not book onto one of our writing retreats? Meet with fellow PhD students and work on your thesis in a supportive, friendly environment.

You are welcome to bring your lunch to this session.

Your viva is just a few weeks away – your thesis is ready, you’ve got examiners, and you’ve got a date in the diary. What do you do with those few weeks to prepare for the viva?

This short session is aimed at giving some tips for revision to help you go into your viva feeling confident and prepared.

Your welcome to bring your lunch to this session.

Managing a project is a key skill for an effective researcher, yet project management is often poorly understood.

This can lead to projects running out of time or money, or overworking people. This online course - which builds on the Time Management Toolkit - gives you the foundational project management knowledge needed to complete your research project successfully, as well as the opportunity to implement and thereby embed this knowledge.

Outcomes

• Understand how to define, plan and implement a project
• Know how to manage yourself and others effectively
• Be able to identify and plan for risks and cope with challenges

How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: MRP_21on

Enrol onto Managing a Research Project (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Ever wonder why you seem to ‘click’ with one person and not another? Ever wonder why you might find some things easier to do than others? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) might shed some light on these questions. Why this course might make a difference.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator presents a framework to help you understand yourself and others, by exploring differences and preferences in four areas of your personality. As a result of this exploration, you may work more effectively and be more understanding in your relationships with others.

Led by a qualified MBTI practitioner, the workshop comprises working through the MBTI questionnaire and self-assessment exercises, so that participants can:

• Understand the concept and theories behind the MBTI types and process to obtain a personal profile
• Explore the differences and preferences within personalities in research-related scenarios

This practical in person session gives you opportunity to practice presenting in a supportive environment. Before attending, please prepare a 5 minute presentation. You will deliver your presentation to the rest of the participants and receive feedback.

This beginner’s course is designed to get you thinking about preparing your first presentation. Giving presentations is an essential skill for a researcher, be it in your department, at a major conference, or in your next job interview! During the workshop we will discuss how your story, your slides and you as a presenter contribute to the impactful presentation.

This beginner’s course is designed to get you thinking about preparing your first poster. A good poster’s worth 1000 words… but a bad poster’s just a bit of messy paper. When it’s time for you to present your scientific poster how are you going to make the most of the opportunity?

We’ll think about why we use posters to present our research, what makes the difference between a good and bad poster and some useful tips to help you present your data in style.

You've got interesting research to share - but is anyone listening?!

Presenting your research is an essential skill for a researcher, be it with your peers, at a major conference, or even to a classroom of schoolchildren. This online toolkit covers a whole range of performance and presentation techniques for you to work through and incorporate into your presentations, in your own time. From crafting a story to handling the dreaded Q&A, there's guaranteed to be something there to help you improve your presentations.

Outcomes

• Understand how to create a compelling presentation
• Know some practical tips for giving an engaging performance
• Understand how to continue improving with each presentation

How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: PST_21on

Enrol onto the Presentation Skills Toolkit (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

A series of 30-minute drop-in sessions to talk with a member of the Public Engagement team. We offer expert advice to support your public engagement work, engagement processes and activities. These include:

• engagement types and the appropriate format to engage effectively and collaboratively
• engagement opportunities
• extensive training portfolio for researchers and professional staff to build skills and confidence
• funding schemes and resources to inform and support develop projects, events and activities

These sessions are not workshops or taught sessions.

Based on your area of expertise and depending on your School affiliation, you can book a time with one of our public engagement professionals:

• Dr Tana Joseph, Public Engagement and Impact Manager for the Schools of Arts and Humanities and Social Science - Monday, 15:00-15:30 and 15:30-16:00
• Dr Lucinda Spokes, Head of Public Engagement, all areas and schools - Monday, 16:00-16:30 and 16:30-17:00
• Dr Diogo Martins-Gomes, Public Engagement and Communications Manager, Clinical School and School of Biological Sciences - Wednesday, 12:00-12:30 and 12:30-13:00
• Dr Claudia Antolini, Public Engagement Manager, School of Physical Sciences and School of Technology - Thursday 14:00-14:30 and 14:30-15:00

The team will be available every week, each mentor offering two sessions of 30 minutes in the day and time indicated above. We will release new slots in the same days and times a couple of months in advance.

Please book for the day and time you would like to attend, and you will receive closer to the session the Teams link to meet with the mentor. The link will be sent by RDP Course Administrator. Please make sure that that e-mail does not go to your spam folder.

Are you completely overwhelmed by the reading that you have to do? Would you like to be able to scan long documents for the important points?

This online course can help you to make the most of the time available to you by ensuring that your reading isn't slowing you down, and that you are reading strategically. You can complete the course at your own pace.

Outcomes

• Identify what holds back your personal reading speed
• Practise techniques for improving your speed
• Learn how to read articles strategically

How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: RET_21on

Enrol onto the Reading Efficiency Toolkit (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Welcome to The Researcher Cafe - your online destination for a bi-weekly, laid-back gathering where you can take a break from your research, connect with other researchers, and expand your social circle.

Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee along with a biscuit, while you engage in stimulating conversations and forge new friendships.

Best of all, no reservations required - just drop in and unwind!

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

This 2 half-day course focuses on the structure of good scientific writing using writing exercises as an integral part of the workshop. The course will look at the practical process of writing, the nature of scientific publishing, and the importance of editing. The day will include editing sessions in which you apply the ideas you have learnt to your own writing. For this, you will need to write a 300-word abstract about your work in advance and have it available to work on during the workshop.

You will need to write a 300-word abstract about your work in advance, and have it ready on the day

(see 'Prerequisites' below for details).

REGISTRATION starts at 9.00am each day. Please ensure you arrive on time 

This online course introduces you to the Cambridge Researcher Development Framework and then asks you to complete a short self-analysis quiz, where you will assess your existing skillset against the key competencies mapped out by this framework.

You will have the opportunity to reflect on your self-assessment to identify target areas for improvement and start seeking opportunities to develop these skills. By providing examples that demonstrate your existing skills, you will also create a useful reference for crafting applications in the future.

This is a highly recommended courses for all postgraduate students, as it forms the basis upon which you should plan all of your researcher development! We encourage you to take this course at the beginning of your studies, but also once a year thereafter, to guide your researcher development throughout your time here and ensure you are still working towards your evolving goals.

Outcomes

• Understand the key skills needed by a professional researcher
• Reflect on your existing skillset through mapping against these key competencies
• Plan your development for the coming year

How to Access the Course

Enrol onto the Skills Analysis Survey (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Are you ready to start using social media in a more professional capacity? Maybe you want to use social media to share your research and connect with other academics but don’t know where to start. Perhaps you have a love-hate relationship with social media & wouldn’t be on it unless you had to be. You might even have the “LinkedIn ick” or the “Instagram dread” about posting and sharing.

In this in-person, social media training session, we will cover Facebook groups / Instagram & LinkedIn pages. We will talk about how they differ from each other and which one is best for your “personal brand” and research.

We will look at the functions. We will also think about how to post, what to post and how to get over any icks, fears and blocks. I hope you will come away from this training session with actionable tips and tools and feel more positive about sharing your expertise and finding your network.

Emilie Silverwood Cope has worked in marketing and sales for over 25 years and spent the last 7 years as a social media manager and trainer. She has run Social Media accounts within the education sector across various platforms. She too has a love-hate relationship with social media.

An interactive and participative session that looks at the root of great communication covering:

• Levels of Listening
• Listening to understand
• Asking Great Questions
• Giving and Receiving Feedback

This session will involve group work, work in pairs and some time for individual reflection.

Time management is just something you do... who would spend precious time on getting better at it?

You might already be the most effective person you know, or you might instead be struggling under a pile of to-do lists and missed deadlines. Whatever your situation, this online toolkit will give you some new ideas to think about and try out. Each tool provides some information and examples, then sets you the challenge of seeing if it works for you in real life.

Outcomes

• Understand how to use several different time management techniques
• Identify which of these help you to be more effective
• Feel more in control of your time

How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: TMT_21on

Enrol onto the Time Management Toolkit (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

This workshop is designed to help PhD students optimize their time and increase their productivity. In this workshop, we will explore a variety of time management strategies and tools to help you prioritize your tasks, meet deadlines, and achieve your academic goals.

We will guide you through practical exercises that will help you identify your priorities, create realistic schedules, and manage your workload efficiently. We will also cover essential tools and techniques for managing your time effectively, such as the Pomodoro Technique, time-blocking, and goal setting.

By the end of this workshop, you will have a comprehensive toolkit for managing your time more effectively, reducing stress, and enhancing your overall productivity.

When we talk about turning a thesis into a ‘book’, we are really talking about a ‘monograph’. In keeping with the etymological sense of the word, a monograph is generally considered a written work that focuses on one specialised subject with a view to contributing original insight and knowledge.

Given a doctoral thesis – particularly in the arts, humanities and social sciences – is a dedicated study on one specialised topic or area of research, it stands to reason that it is a kind of proto-monograph. This course is concerned with turning a proto-monograph into a fully-fledged and published monograph, i.e. a book. The aim, therefore, is to familiarise students with the process of, and the various issues involved with, turning their PhD thesis into a published monograph.

The student-supervisor relationship is vital for success in all research degree programmes. However, the exact role of the supervisor is often unclear and sometimes it may feel as though you are not getting the support you need. This can be frustrating for students and supervisors alike, and can lead to a negative doctoral experience.

Join us for an intensive and productive writing retreat tailored exclusively for doctoral scholars like you. Enjoy uninterrupted writing time, expert guidance from mentors, and a collaborative environment to refine your research. Take a day to focus solely on your dissertation or thesis projects, right here on campus. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your productivity and connect with fellow scholars!

It’s that time of year: the First Year Report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here!

In this workshop, we will discuss the function of the First Year Report, introduce several writing exercises, you will do some writing and have the opportunity to ask questions.