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Researcher Development Programme (RDP)

Researcher Development Programme (RDP) course timetable

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Mon 18 Nov 2019 – Tue 3 Dec 2019

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Monday 18 November 2019

09:30
The Engaged Researcher: Shooting your research video new Finished 09:30 - 16:30 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

Why is YouTube popular? Because people love watching videos. A video is a great way to spread the message of your research to different public audiences across the World! Attendees will be equipped with the skills needed to plan and shoot high quality footage for your very own research-video.

It is strongly recommended that you also attend The Engaged Researcher: Editing Your Research Video session.

(Lunch will be provided)

10:00
MBTI: Understanding Personality in a Research Environment CANCELLED 10:00 - 16:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

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

Course feedback:

“I had known about the Myers-Briggs, but I hadn't understood the different dimensions fully, or their interactions at a deeper level. Between explanations and activities, the course really helped me to understand the Myers-Briggs perspective, and to be aware of personal and professional differences between my friends and colleagues.”

“The contents of this training and the design of the teaching were very attractive and interesting. I think this training is very useful and helpful, and will recommend it to my friends and other students in my department in the future.”

Tuesday 19 November 2019

14:00
Poster Presentations (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) new Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

Poster presentations are a well-established format for presenting research findings within STEM subjects. The past few years has witnessed a growth in poster presentations across a number of AHSS conferences. Given the infancy of this phenomena, it stands that a number of researchers within AHSS remain unsure on the question of content design and delivery.

During the session, therefore, we will explore what makes a successful poster presentation in AHSS and examine how key components of a poster can be designed to make the poster more effective to your target audience.

This is a beginner’s course covering the basics of poster presentations.

15:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Better Sleep Finished 15:30 - 17:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03b

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.

View complete timetable: https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/AD/CCTL_RDP/EYJcHMg6NslFq2huR8CfpwMB0Nrlcht5sPphj8xsmxJqSA?e=oWnvBc

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Improving Attention Finished 17:30 - 19:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03b

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

Wednesday 20 November 2019

14:00
Mindfulness Workshop: Productive Decisions Finished 14:00 - 15:30 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03b

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep

16:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Better Sleep Finished 16:30 - 18:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03b

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.

View complete timetable: https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/AD/CCTL_RDP/EYJcHMg6NslFq2huR8CfpwMB0Nrlcht5sPphj8xsmxJqSA?e=oWnvBc

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

Thursday 21 November 2019

10:00

To truly engage with literature at doctoral level it is crucial to develop a ‘critical’ approach that enables a strict and thus manageable selection of literature, and the development of interpretative themes by which to categorise and narrate the literature. Both aspects of critical reading and thinking often form the foundation of the thesis, given it both context and justification. Indeed, how a student approaches the literature is itself an integral part of establishing and evolving a unique contribution to knowledge.

This course seeks to help students develop their critical reading skills, and to deploy tactics and strategies that can accelerate the process of literature-based research without sacrificing detail and depth necessary for a doctoral thesis.

14:00
Map your Postdoc Journey NOW! new Finished 14:00 - 17:00 Postdoc Centre @ Biomedical Campus, Newman Library

How can you make the most of your postdoc years at Cambridge? What does a strategic postdoc look like? What could you be doing now to be more strategic, intentional and agentive during your time at Cambridge?
This workshop explores how to navigate the research landscape, how to think and act strategically, and how to develop mental and emotional discipline for coping with the demands of the competitive research environment. We will explore the career journeys of former postdocs and see that there’s no one recipe for success, but there are common ingredients. This workshop is for postdoctoral researchers who want to get to and be prepared for the next step in their careers, whether that’s within academia or beyond.


Outcomes:

  • Begin to take charge of your own career path
  • Understand the many actions you could be taking now to achieve a career within or beyond academia
  • Consider the important link between mental and emotional health and career advancement


Feedback:

“It encouraged an overall view of thinking about my career and what I want out of it and what I am good at. It also covered examples of people who stayed in academia as well as those who did not, so that I was able to consider the pros and cons of more than just one route.”

“I'm right at the start of my post-doc and it helped me to think about what I wanted to get out of the next few years in terms of my career.”

15:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Keeping Calm Finished 15:30 - 17:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03b

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Productive Decisions Finished 17:30 - 19:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03b

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep

Friday 22 November 2019

09:30
The Engaged Researcher: Editing your Research Video new Finished 09:30 - 13:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

Shot your research video? Got lots of video clips, photographs & audio you want to bring together to make one research video to share with public audiences around the World? Attendees on this course will learn how to cut, add soundtracks and do audio-mixing to edit their very own research video.

Monday 25 November 2019

10:00
Starting Your PhD (STEMM) new Finished 10:00 - 12:00 Clinical School, Seminar Room 19

You are beginning one of the most exciting, yet challenging programme of your academic career. You have entered a new lab, with a new supervisor, new lab colleagues and a new project. Where do you start? How do establish productive working relationships, get up to speed with literature and establish a project that will be worthy of a PhD at the end? This half day workshop will explore what it means to do a PhD, think about how to establish meaningful student-supervisor relationships and plan for a productive PhD project.

14:00
Writing Your First Year Report (Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences) Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

Why this course might make a difference
While the first year report is arguably the first step in completing your PhD, the process of taking this first step can be fraught with uncertainty, particularly if you’re still ‘finding your feet’.

Whether you are feeling confused about the first year report – or just want to become a more effective writer – the overall purpose of this course is to help you improve the writing both of your first year report and of your research in general.

Previous Participant Feedback:

“It helped me benchmark my progress against others, understand my specific challenges and get motivated to just write now, perfect later.”

“It really got me started on writing and gave me a better sense of where I was and where I was heading with my first year report and PhD overall.”

“To hear what are the expectations for the first year report, and what it should be included there.”

Facilitation Skills new Finished 14:00 - 17:00 Clinical School, Seminar Room 19

How do you support people to do their best thinking? This is at the heart of what facilitators aim to do. Whether in meetings, while running workshops or when bringing groups or stakeholders together, facilitators seek to promote mutual understanding, encourage full participation, and cultivate shared responsibility as they guide others through problem exploration, problem-solving or decision-making. This workshop is designed to help you develop the insight, skills, and strategies to facilitate groups effectively.


Outcomes:

  • Acquire a deeper understanding of facilitation and of the responsibilities of a facilitator
  • Explore and experiment with different facilitation skills
  • Consider how to apply the learning to your specific context

Tuesday 26 November 2019

10:00
Developing Your Leadership as a PhD Student Finished 10:00 - 16:30 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03a

Leadership is a word that seems to be ubiquitous in universities these days, but keeping a handle on all its possible meanings is becoming ever harder: research leadership, team leadership, institutional leadership, thought leadership, educational leadership, ethical leadership, inclusive leadership…

Likewise, employers beyond academia repeatedly tell us that they’re seeking researchers who can be self-motivating, proactive, strategic; can build productive relationships with colleagues at all levels of seniority; are able to create consensus and shared understanding; know how to mentor and guide as well as take direction…

So, if leadership is being talked about everywhere and yet is also very hard to define, how can you as a PhD student identify your own leadership practice and your future potential?

This interactive workshop will combine practical insights with key leadership theories in order to explore the ways in which you’re already acting as a leader; to examine how ‘follower’ behaviours have a crucial role in shaping good leadership; and to consider leadership in a variety of contexts.

The session will be led by Jen Wade, a highly experienced trainer who has been leading her own business for more than ten years, working with a diverse range of organisations across the academic, public, and commercial sectors.


Outcomes:

  • Review a range of definitions of, and styles of, leadership.
  • Recognise your current strengths and future potential as a leader.
Starting Your PhD (STEMM) new Finished 10:00 - 12:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

You are beginning one of the most exciting, yet challenging programme of your academic career. You have entered a new lab, with a new supervisor, new lab colleagues and a new project. Where do you start? How do establish productive working relationships, get up to speed with literature and establish a project that will be worthy of a PhD at the end? This half day workshop will explore what it means to do a PhD, think about how to establish meaningful student-supervisor relationships and plan for a productive PhD project.

Wednesday 27 November 2019

10:00
Becoming a Productive Writer (Life Sciences) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

As a researcher, you are expected not only to run experiments, but also write regularly. Establishing a writing regular routine can be difficult, especially when experiments are running well. This half day workshop will explore the different writing techniques, tips and tricks, productive writers use regularly to keep on track with their writing commitments.

The Viva Examination Review (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) new Finished 10:00 - 13:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03c

The last hurdle, your viva examination, but what will it be like? What will the examiners ask? How can you prepare for it?

This workshop provides participants with an insight into the process, and helps them understand what to expect within a doctoral degree viva, including a discussion on the type and nature of questions most-likely to be posed by examiners.

This course is not suitable for students in their first year, and we strongly advise against students in their second year from attending.

Friday 29 November 2019

10:00
Publishing and communicating as a public intellectual (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) new CANCELLED 10:00 - 12:30 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

What does it mean to be a public intellectual today? To convey ideas to diverse audiences requires skills in written and other forms of communication.

We will be looking at how reaching ‘outside’ audiences is more than a question or terminology of style; we need to understand their fundamental values, premises and interests concerning knowledge and information. This is crucial for research exchange and impact, but also has practical implications for managing your career within academia and beyond.

The Engaged Researcher: An introduction to planning and evaluating impactful public engagement new Finished 10:00 - 13:00 Postdoc Centre @ Eddington, Multi Function Space

This short course covers the what, why and how of public engagement and communication. The course is for research staff and PhD students who want to gain the skills and confidence required to plan and deliver an impactful public engagement project.

Tuesday 3 December 2019

09:30
Becoming interdisciplinary: research paradigms and terminology (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) new Finished 09:30 - 13:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03a

Across all AHSS disciplines (and within) there are varying views of what research is. Following the work of Thomas Kuhn, these views form what are commonly referred to as ‘research paradigms’, entailing a variety of epistemological (study of knowledge) and ontological (study of being) assumptions that ultimately underpin and guide how we carry out research (method).

Though not a definitive means by which to conceptualize meta-research, this course offers the ‘research paradigm’ as a heuristic and expedient entry point into key terms and concepts often encountered by research students and the tactic assumptions underpinning them. This can and often does result in an ability to understand the significance of one’s own research, the research of others and the broader intellectual context in which both are situated.

10:00
The Engaged Researcher: Evaluation of Public Engagement new Finished 10:00 - 13:00 Postdoc Centre@ Mill Lane, Eastwood Room

Successful engagement with the public can benefit research, researchers and the public – but how do you go about demonstrating this change? Evaluation of engagement doesn’t just help us demonstrate the value of our PE initiatives but can help bring us closer to our audiences by giving the public a strong clear voice. This workshop will guide you through the best evaluation processes showing you When, Why and crucially How to use evaluation to give you reliable and clear data. Demonstrate success to funders; record Impact for REF; learn how to improve your processes and have a better understanding of the people you are connecting with. This course is going to be run by Jamie Galagher: Jamie is an award-winning freelance science communicator and engagement professional. He has delivered training around the world, from skyscrapers of Hong Kong to tents in the African bush. Having had four years’ experience as the central PE lead for the University of Glasgow he has worked on improving the reach, profile and impact of research engagement in almost every academic discipline. Specialising in evaluation Jamie provides consultancy services to charities and universities helping them to demonstrate their impact and understand their audiences and stakeholders. Jamie is also an associate editor of the Research for All journal. He was named as one of the “100 leading practising scientists in the UK” by the Science Council and as one of the “175 Faces of Chemistry” by the Royal Society of Chemistry. He won the International 3 Minute Thesis Competition and Famelab Scotland. www.jamiebgall.co.uk @jamiebgall

15:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Keeping Calm Finished 15:30 - 17:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep
Mindfulness for Exams 4: Productive Decisions

17:30
Mindfulness Workshop: Productive Decisions Finished 17:30 - 19:00 Student Services Centre, Exams Hall, Room AG03d

Please not that these courses are only for University of Cambridge students (undergraduate and postgraduate), who are affiliated to a Cambridge college.

This is one of four "Mindfulness Workshop" sessions. You can attend one - four of these sessions as you wish, in any order. Although not designed as a course, the four sessions are complimentary and cover different aspects of mindfulness.


Please do not book on to the same session twice.


View complete timetable here

The other sessions are as follows:
Mindfulness for Exams 1: Keeping Calm
Mindfulness for Exams 2: Improving Attention
Mindfulness for Exams 3: Better Sleep