Induction and Training

We attach great importance to training and support for research students at City. A range of activities and events are offered centrally to supplement the more subject-specific training and support provided by each School.

Induction	Research Skills Training Online
Training for Research Students who teach	Learning Development Centre
Organisational and Staff Development Unit	Vitae

Induction

A half-day induction session for all new research candidates (including staff) on two occasions each year is organised in October and in February by the University's Research Degrees Officer in the Academic Development Unit. All new research candidates are encouraged to attend Induction as it is considered to be an integral part of the first year of study.

The purpose of Induction is to:

Introduce students to the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) and/or the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & International)
Provide advice on managing the study experience from the point of view of the student and of the supervisor
Introduce students to Library, Information and Careers Services
Provide information on resources and training available
Provide information on administrative procedures and regulations
Provide students with an opportunity to register and organise payment of fees

The Research Degrees Officer will advise the Senior Tutors/Directors of Research when Induction is running and will send a programme for the day to staff for distribution.

Research Skills Training Online

City University recognises the importance of supporting research students in developing research skills. We are therefore providing a number of online training modules which students are invited to complete. The current modules available are:

Getting published in the Arts
Getting published in the Sciences
Ethics 1 - Good Research Practice
Ethics 2 - Working with Human Subjects
Project Management in the Research Context
Intellectual Property in the Research Context
Career planning in the Sciences
Career planning in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Managing your research supervisor or principal investigator
Selecting a conference, presenting and networking
Research Methods in the Arts and Humanities
Research Methods in Social Sciences
Research Methods in Sciences
Research Methods in Literature Review

The modules have been put together with input from a collaboration of universities, and students can complete all of them or just choose which are most relevant to them. The modules follow a rigorous pedagogy, and are richly endowed with video clips, simulations, informational text and quizzes. The scripts are written by experts and individually peer reviewed by senior academics as well as the seven institutions supporting the project. The modules are available on CitySpace (City username and password required) to all research students.

Training for Research Students who teach

The following mechanisms for teacher training are available for research students who teach:

A mentoring scheme whereby research students observe a designated, well-regarded teacher as well as being observed themselves.
A module on Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education as part of the MA in Academic Practice delivered by the Learning Development Centre. This module is required to be taken by all reseach students who teach (unless they have other appropriate experience) and is also available for all other research students.

Additionally, you will find induction material on approaches to teaching available in the library.

Learning Development Centre

In keeping with the strategic values of the University, the Learning Development Centre promotes a creative, innovative and scholarly approach to teaching and learning through the development of a pedagogic research culture. It builds robust links with Schools of the University through both formal and informal mechanisms to directly support the work of staff in teaching and learning. It has established and maintains collaborative links with leading teaching and research networks and promotes pedagogic research of University staff through internal and external publications of this research.

The Learning Development Centre provides a series of courses for those who teach and runs a Research Seminar Series that is open to research candidates.

Organisational and Staff Development Unit

The Organisational and Staff Development Unit is a team based within City University’s Human Resources department. The role of the Organisational and Staff Development Unit is primarily to support managers and staff in achieving their staff development aims and objectives but as a research candidate you may register for some of the workshops on their in-house programme, and in particular the programme developed for researchers.

Vitae

Vitae is a national organisation, supported by the UK Research Councils (RCUK), which champions the personal, professional and career development of doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes. By working together with higher education institutions and research institutes, Vitae provides specific support for doctoral researchers and research staff. It offers a range of resources for researchers including research programmes for RCUK funded research candidates and a variety of databases that provide information on the availability of training, events and careers across the UK. Viate also offers a range of publications. For further information on Vitae please contact the Research Studies Development Manager in the Academic Development Unit.