Transferable skills training
Our goal is to constantly educate and enrich student knowledge by referring to the wider context of economic and societal needs. Therefore, the ICAT CDT offers the below specialist training in transferable skills across the four year programme. These training opportunities begin at Faculty-level and develop outside the University in public engagement assignments.
FSE provision
The generic skills training we provide, via the FSE Researcher Development Programme, consists of a range of training and opportunities that students can choose to engage with as and when needed. Built around individual personal development plans and self-reflection, the face-to-face and online training enables students to successfully complete their research degree and maximise future employability.
From their catalogue, iCAT students are required to take:
Year 1
- Designing research posters
- Working with your supervisor
- Introduction to research essentials
- Plan your PhD
- Time management for research success
Year 2
- Academic writing
- Critical reading
- Preparing presentation content
- Networking for researchers
Year 3
- PhD MOT
- Publishing academic papers
- Influencing others for researchers
- Impact for researchers
Year 4
- Writing up your Thesis
- Managing eThesis Submission
- Viva Survivor
For further details, see Support for researchers. Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to register into these courses and inform the CDT office of the date when you will be taking them. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the CDT office.
CDT provision
Given the specialist nature of the research, primary technical training will be provided by the supervisor and co-supervisor and senior members of their research group. Students will also undertake safety training provided by their departments.
Dedicated careers training sessions will be made available to iCAT students, as well as additional and exclusive training in project management, intellectual property awareness and commercialisation of research.
The iCAT CDT will provide continuous training in three areas highly important to the EPSRC: Public Engagement (PE), Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
Public engagement
Public Engagement (PE) describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public or pupils. Engagement is a two-way process of communication, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit. While the audience will learn more on cutting-edge research and get the chance to handle research kits, CDT students will learn to present their research in lay terms and experience the perception of research by the society.
Examples of PE activities include:
- School outreach (table-top demonstration and discussion with pupils and teachers)
- Blog writing and online discussion with school class
- Participation in science festivals at the University, museums, and special venues (town hall, shopping centre, Jodrell Bank, etc.)
- Pint of Science: sharing about science in a pub
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fair
- Career days
- University open days for prospective candidates
- Community open days
- Creation of table top activities, poster and communication tools
- Maintenance of the CDT social media tools and web presence of CDT activities.
PE activities are mandatory for all students and coordinated by a team made of CDT students and academics with experience in public engagement; any necessary training and checks will be sourced by the CDT.
iCAT students are expected to carry out three PE activities, additional to the Nuffield Research Placement everyone will host in the summer of year 2, over the course of the programme.
Responsible research and innovation
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can be defined as a way to do research that takes a long-term perspective on the type of world in which we want to live. Being funded by the EPSRC, it is crucially important that iCAT students familiarise themselves with the AREA (Anticipate, Reflect, Engage, Act) framework developed by the Council.
An introductory session will be delivered at the start of year 2 by the FSE Researcher Development Team. Throughout the rest of their PhD, iCAT students will be expected to keep a journal, where they demonstrate that they bear in mind the wider implications of their research.
In their third year, iCAT students will discuss the RRI implications of their projects alongside other FSE CDT students likely at the same stage of their research. The iCAT Summer Symposium will feature a panel, integrated by third year iCAT CDT students, to discuss RRI in front of an external audience for the first time.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Although all PGR students are required to undertake a training course in unconscious bias, the iCAT CDT is committed to observing and promoting equal opportunities.
With an inclusive workplace as the ultimate goal, students will develop group projects to showcase the challenges postgraduate researchers might face, and take the lead in demonstrating best practice in this regard.