A multi-stage approach is required. Specifically, we will:
- Use comments from previous PRES surveys to identify where students have been critical about existing professional skills development opportunities offered to them through the Doctoral College.
- Evaluate existing provisions that are available to doctoral students from across the university, as well as identify gaps in areas such as placements, industry-based internships, and grant writing support, whilst including opportunities from both inside and outside of Academia
- Engage Doctoral students to understand how they are using the existing services, focusing on both the usefulness of existing services, and the availability of services
- Ensure that doctoral students feel equipped and prepared for their next steps following their doctorate – whilst ensuring that the university have provided them with the same level of services (e.g., placements) available to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students.
Outcome – that doctoral students are getting the same level of professional development support like that of UG and PGT, as well as see improved student feedback in PRES.
December Update
To support the professional development of doctoral students, we have collaborated with the careers team and the doctoral college's skills team to embed professional development into the Doctoral Skills programme. We have also been working with the careers team to set up micro placements - short professional placements which doctoral students can attend during their allocated 10 days for professional development. Unfortunately, the application submitted to the research culture fund to support this was unsuccessful, so we are now exploring other ways to support this important work.