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People and Organisational Development (POD)

 provide a number of tailored courses to support on-going personal and professional development. These range from CV Writing and Interview Skills to Financial Management and Presentation Skills.  POD’s  provides a comprehensive listing of learning and development opportunities from POD and other teams across the University. 

The brochure includes a section devoted to courses and workshops for researchers.  These are aimed at helping you identify how you wish to move on in your career and develop the skills you need to do so.  POD’s training courses in researcher skills are as follows:

• Career planning for researchers

• Developing as a research team leader (Nottingham collaboration)

• Developing as an academic team leader

• Introduction to Impact & Engagement

• Grant writing

• Journal article writing

POD courses can be very popular and get booked up well in advance.  If you have a specific course in mind then please ensure you book promptly.

Follow POD on Twitter:              

 

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Library Services

Library Services offer a range of resources, subject support, and training courses enabling research staff to develop their skills in different ways.  The support on offer includes:

The Research Skills team in Library Services has developed a new suite of training opportunities for research staff, covering areas such as research profile and metrics, literature searching and referencing, open access and research data management..  Visit the  to find out more

Library Services offer a wide range of training courses in statistical software, databases, spreadsheets and other digital skills.  Visit the  to find out about the different types of training on offer and use the ‘I’d like training in…’ drop down menu to access courses on specific subjects.

An online document with practical advice on raising your research profile.

A range of online courses focusing on different research skills are available via the .

 

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Birmingham Environment for Academic Research (BEAR)

The  is a collection of complementary IT resources managed by that are designed to help research, free at the point of use for all bar those with exceptional needs.  BEAR provides a variety of short courses and workshops to help researchers develop their IT skills.  The support on offer is detailed in the BEAR Services document, and includes:

A regular workshop aimed at enabling both research staff and research students to get the most out of BEAR.

Every month, BEAR offer drop-in sessions for all researchers who are interested in learning more about data management, including registering for BEAR services, best practice in planning for research data management and managing sensitive and personal data safely. No need to pre-book, just turn up.

The Hacker Within is a monthly peer learning group for sharing skills and best practices for research computing and data science. In these friendly sessions, peers at all levels of experience share topics useful in our data analysis and software development workflows.

Carpentries workshops are two days of hands-on teaching and coding, with the aim of providing the attendee with a set of core skills that will greatly aid a researcher. The target audience is learners who have little to no prior computational experience, and the instructors put a priority on creating a friendly environment to empower researchers and enable data-driven discovery. Even those with some experience will benefit, as the goal is to teach not only how to do analyses, but how to manage the process to make it as automated and reproducible as possible.

MATLAB® is a high-level language and interactive environment that enables you to perform computationally intensive tasks faster than with traditional programming languages such as C, C++, and Fortran.  BEAR provide an introduction to Matlab fundamentals via a dedicated .

The BEAR User Groups are run by users on behalf of users. The interests of users in various groups are represented by the user representatives, typically but not necessarily one from each school. Their main role is to raise areas of concern with the User Group which could then be brought forward to the BEAR Management Committee.

Please note that there is currently a very high demand for BEAR’s training sessions.  Training sessions are booking up very quickly and waiting lists are being used.  BEAR are working to improve their booking systems, but please be aware that due to levels of demand not everyone can be accommodated at once.

 

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Higher Education Futures Institute (HEFi)

The aim of HEFi  is to support academic staff to deliver effective and innovative teaching througout their careers.  It offers a range of professional development and training opportunities to support teaching and learning. Further information can be found on HEFI's Staff Development pages.

Introduction to Teaching and Supporting Learning

Introduction to Teaching and Supporting Learning (ITSL) is part of the University’s PGCHE programme but it is also available as a standalone professional development opportunity for other academic and professional staff who have a student-facing element to their work. It is suitable for early career staff involved in teaching and supporting learning.

The Beacon Scheme

The Beacon Scheme is the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡'s scheme that is accredited by Advance HE to award Associate Fellowship, Fellowship and Senior Fellowship.  It sits alongside the taught programme as a pathway towards gaining a HESA-recognition teaching qualification / recognition.

If you have a role within the University that involves teaching and/or supporting learning, Beacon Professional Recognition allows you to apply for recognition internally through an individual, peer-supported process. All staff employed by the University (academic or professional services) can join the scheme.

 

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LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is now available for all University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ staff and students. LinkedIn Learning offers you access to over 13,000 industry-led on-line courses. The courses range from in-depth learning to short courses and they include videos, transcripts and digital badges. They cover a vast range of topics including digital skills, leadership, inclusion, marketing, coding, cybersecurity, music, and many more.

A series of University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ learning pathways is already available - with more on the way - and these are tailored to the needs of our staff and students. You can also easily create your own playlists. 

To activate your individual profile and better understand how LinkedIn Learning works and what courses are available, check out the on the staff intranet.

 Research Support Offices

The  and the  provide the first point of contact for advice and assistance with all research-related issues. The teams are able to help with most aspects of the grant application process. They offer a range of services including bespoke funding searches, advice and guidance on funder terms and conditions, and non-technical grant application review. Staff login is required to access the Resarch Support Office pages.

The Research Support Services at the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ organise and run - through its College-based research support teams in CAL, CoSS, EPS, LES, MDS and the EU and International Team - a diversity of training sessions for research grants development.  These can be found on the .

 

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Research and Innovation Services

 work across the University to help researchers create funding and income opportunities relevant to their skills and research interests. Academic staff benefit from professional help when developing their research ideas, funding and delivering their project. 

Some of the areas they are able to help with are; improving your research grant success rate, apply for European funding, protect and commercialise your ideas, and starting up a business. They have advice and information on:

• Research Funding

• Research Support

• Research Impact

 

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Research Planning

The  works with staff across the University to promote and develop the strategic approach to research. Crucial aspects of this are leading the preparation of the University’s submission to the national  and implementing the University's . 

The Research Planning Team offers a wide range of training on a variety of topics; from Impact and Public Engagement, to REF, Open Access and Research Information. 

The dedicated Public Engagement with Reseach team deliver events, training and support activities for Public Engagement with Research.

 

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University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Enterprise

Teaching and research can often lead to new ideas and inventions some of these may have commercial potential.  Through , the University's technology transfer company, these ideas can be developed into products or services either through licensing to a commercial partner or through the creation of a new spin-out company. 

The  team works with academic researchers who want to learn more about commercialising their research or becoming entrepreneurs. The team provide enterprise skills training and start-up incubation services, manage funds that bridge the gap between research funding and commercial investment, and provide start-up incubation services that are available to both academics and SMEs in the Birmingham area.

 

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BizzInn

Enterprise Acceleration manages the , a business incubator that provides business support for regional entrepreneurs, start-ups and academics.  

BizzInn members receive free office space with 24/7 access, and an intensive start-up and growth programme including business guidance from professional advisors specialising in intellectual property, accounting, tax, and market research, and access to finance through grants, loans, investors, and business angels.

Membership of BizzInn’s business support programme is currently offered free (subject to eligibility), and is available for:

Academics who wish to consider commercialisation of their research

Entrepreneurs and academic teams developing new research inspired companies, and

Young high-tech companies looking to grow their business.

The BizzInn is also the venue for free seminars, training and networking events.

For more information about the BizzInn contact Andrew Cruxton at a.cruxton@bham.ac.uk, or call 0121 414 6132, or visit the .

 

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University Graduate School

The  offers a range of training courses for both postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers. The courses are available online via the University's virtual learning environment and include:

For the all these courses and others available please visit the  section of the University Graduate School's web site.

The Graduate School also organises regular Careers Days focusing on different disciplines, which are opened to postdoctoral research staff where space allows.

 

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The Influential Researcher

The University’s  enables researchers to build their digital footprint and enhance their online profile.  The portal contains a wealth of resources and information enabling researchers to:

·       ‘Health check’ your research profile
·       Curate your online identity
·       Review or start your social media account
·       Gain insights from highly cited researchers
·       Host an academic conference
·       Build your international reputation

 

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Compliance

The provides a number of resources that support compliance within the College of Life and Environmental Sciences (LES), including key contacts, useful links and upcoming training sessions.

 

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Introduction to Research Communications

Are you keen to communication your research but not sure where to start?  A new resource on the EPS & LES PERCAT Canvas course provides an Introduction to Research Communications.  This 8 minute video has been put together by Caroline Durbin, Research Communications Manager in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences.

The video covers:

• Why you should communicate your research.
• Getting the right message to the right audience at the right time.
• Research communication opportunities at this University.

You can access the video on our PERCAT Canvas course . 

For any queries about research communication please contact:
College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Caroline Durbin, Research Communications Manager, c.durbin@bham.ac.uk.
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences: Danann Swanton, Communications Manager, d.swanton@bham.ac.uk.

Vitae- Professional Development for Researchers

 is a non-profit programme, part of  which seeks to enhance the skills and careers of researchers and to strengthen institutional provision for the professional development of their researchers. 

The University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ is a Vitae member institution, meaning that individuals just need to register to gain access. The system will recognise your institutional address.  It’s very easy and will not result in unwanted mail.  

Vitae provides a range of online courses and resources for researchers covering professional development, career management and planning, and careers inside and outside academia.

The  series provides practical advice and tips tailored to researchers on topics chosen to support professional development. Each booklet includes advice and suggested exercises to work through.

The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers

The new was launched by Vitae on 12th September 2019.  The Concordat is an agreement between stakeholders, including universities and funding bodies, to improve the employment and support for researchers and researcher careers in higher education in the UK. 

 

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Research Professional

 is an online database of research funding opportunities and research policy news which provides a quick and easy way to search for a wide range of funding opportunities from research councils, charities, and many other funders.  When on campus you can login to the website with your University account and this will enable you both to access pre-set funding searches for the Colleges of EPS and LES and also to set up your own tailored searches.  The website’s Help section provides a range of guidance and training videos to help you get the most from using the site.

 - a series of live online broadcast training sessions providing an introduction to the Research Professional platform, and demonstrating how to locate funding opportunities and how to set up email alerts.

 

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Career Development Toolkit for Researchers

The  is provided by  and is aimed at post-doctoral researchers who have gained one to two years’ experience in academic research. You may be at a point at which you are considering your overall career progress and development in academia or be contemplating a career change.

This toolkit offers some general starting points for those wanting to reflect on their career to date and to begin to formulate an ongoing career strategy.

.

 

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EMBO

 is an organization of more than  that promotes excellence in the life sciences. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a European research environment where scientists can achieve their best work.

EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility.  and  disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape  by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe.

EMBO also offers  for scientists at all stages of their careers that help to create an environment where researchers can achieve their best work.

Career

•  - academic and research jobs in Europe.

•  - jobs.ac.uk

• - career development resources for researchers

•  - website for postdoctoral jobs.

•  - listings for higher education jobs in the US.

•  - recruitment and placement of postdoctoral researchers in schools

•  - US higher education job listings.

•  - has tips and techniques for making yourself promotion ready.

•  - listings for higher education jobs.

 

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Development

•  - resource by the University of Manchester.

•  - is the skills sharing network for individuals involved in the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

•  - Network for women who wish to return to a STEM career after a break. 

•  - online platform offering free lectures, interactive training and advice. 

•  -  offer a diverse selection of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions from around the world. 

•  - Bitesize learning - from the University of Cambridge: short clips on communication, communication skills, etc.

•  - global network for research universities. Covers areas such as researcher engagement.

 

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Public Engagement

•  - forum for debating science issues.

•  - training for research impact.

•  - help universities engage with the public.

•  - An insight to a variety of open projects at the University of Oxford, form podcasts to crowdsourcing schemes.

•  - brings scientists to your local pub to discuss their latest research and findings with the public.

• - guidance on how to get the most out of public engagement with research.

•  - the programme encourages early career researchers to play an active role in public debates about science.

• - UoB subscription.

 

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Other

•  - aims to promote interdisciplinary research.

•  - the University is working with a new service called Kudos, to help you maximise the reach and impact of your published work.  Makes your work more accessible, it helps ensure it is found, read and applied by people all over the world, both within and beyond your field.

•  - a to z publication index.

•  - features news, interviews, blog posts and more.

•  - join interesting discussions showcased in public lectures, workshops and events organised by top universities and think-tanks.

•  - register for your Open Researcher and Contributor ID.

•  - free downloadable pdf files from jobs.ac.uk on topics such as:  - aimed at postdoctoral researchers who have gained one to two years of experience.

•  - registration required to access the site. 

•  - a team of scientists, doctors and communicators who help the general public to understand and engage with the worlds of science, technology and medicine.

• - a global group of women with a mission to promote a diverse and inclusive scientific community.

 

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Twitter

 

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Blogs

• - PostGradual is the postgrad careers blog that takes PhD careers advice one tip at a time.  Bringing together advice from PhD careers experts round the world with practical tips & examples, it aims to be useful to PhD researchers and careers practitioners / researcher developers alike.

• Jobs.ac.uk: 

•  - UoB's virtual space for information, inspiration and new ways to communicate science to the public

•  - The International Consortium of Research Staff Associations 

•  - blog for early career researchers with international contributors.  

•  - The British Science Association blog covers a wide range of topics in science, policy, education, public engagement and funding.

•    - a blog on the technical and social issues involved with 'Open Research'.  

•  - a blog about an open mic night for scientists, science communicators, science teachers, historians and philosophers of science, students, science popularisers and anyone else with something to show off about science.

 

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Webinars

• Networking delivered by Sue Tonks - A series of 11 giving top tips to help make you a more confident and effective networker.

   -  -  -  -  - 

   -  -  -  - 

•  - University of Southampton - series of six webinars aimed at early career researchers and postgraduates.

•  - British Ecological Society

 

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YouTube

•  - provides a front-row seat to a NIH peer review meeting. Real scientists from the scientific community review fictional but realistic grant applications for scientific merit.

•  - An impact consultant from the University of Sheffield talking about the topic. 

•   - providing advice on how to use these tools to promote public engagement - University of Sheffield 

• Re/Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ in the Digital Age - engage@liverpool 

  This University of Liverpool event was aimed at all researchers in the arts and humanities, the social sciences, health and life sciences and engineering and the natural sciences interested in digital research. 

     Presentation:             

 

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iTune U

•  - A series of lectures looking at different aspects of research integrity and their application in biomedical research. 

•  -A sample of the areas covered: social networking, open access, and new media. Podcast no. 48 - Making Science Public: Data-sharing, Dissemination and Public Engagement.

•  - This series will let you know some of the tricks and tips for furthering your academic career. 

•  -The event reflects upon the range of models of crowdsourcing and community engagement projects in higher education.

•  - The Oxford Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is the focal point for entrepreneurship research, teaching and networking at Oxford University. Podcast no 17 - Social Media, So What? Assessing the Impact of Blogs and Social Media

•  - Although this is aimed at the Humanities some of the podcasts are applicable across disciplines, e.g.: Podcast no 2 - Outside the Ivory Tower: research, creativity and serendipity. The topic covers public engagement and knowledge exchange. Podcast no 7 - Creating Chemistry: negotiation and active listening skills for academics. Podcast no 18 - Blogging, Postgraduate Life and the Contemporary Academy. Podcast no 19 - Spreading the Word

•  - A podcast series exploring the movement towards ‘Openness’ at the University of Oxford and beyond.

•  - A range of interviews and lectures from entrepreneurs and experts providing insights, advice and commentary on current issues and research topics.

•  -A selection of talks from former PhD students looking at their careers both within and outwith academia. Podcast no. 1 - Making an impact through science - concerns public engagement.

•  - This podcast is no. 7 in the series of the MBA podcasts.

•  -Personal, professional and career development of doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes.

•  -Videos summarising the masterclasses.

To view or listen to all the above content you will need to have .

 

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News articles

•  - The Guardian

•  - The Guardian

• – The Times Higher Education

•  - Science - sciencemag.org

•  - The Times Higher Education

•  - The Times Higher Education

•  - The Guardian

•  - Times Higher Education

 

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Festivals & Events

• - focuses on science, technology, engineering and maths.

• UoB Arts and Science Festival - talks, exhibitions, performances, workshops and screenings showcasing collaborations, research and ideas from UoB to the public. 

•  - a festival that focuses on science and engineering for children and families. 

•  - combination of theatre shows, interactive workshops,exhibits and information about STEM careers.

•  - Science, arts, culture etc. at Jodrell Bank Observatory

•  - It is a festival for all ages, however it is aimed at 12 to 14 year olds. 

• - A free, one-day public festival that invites YOU to explore the future.
  
  

•  - a biennial event celebrating all things 'Neuroscience'.

• -  focus on an audience of non-specialist adults with a broad interest in science, delivering 100 events.

•  - an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths across the UK.

•  - committed to engaging the public with science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine - comprises of over 250 events.

•  - varied programme of events.

•  - From the state of the planet, to the latest stem cell research, to the secrets of the perfect cup of tea – nothing is off limits at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival.

•  - science, music and arts.

• - aims to engage and inspire the whole community through its celebration of science and lifelong learning across the city of Dundee.

•  - aims to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to discover the world around them.

•  - where scientists and artists mingle. 

•  - festival for artists, scientists, and engineers. 

•  - a biennial, pan-European, general science conference dedicated to scientific research and innovation.

• The  - takes a brand new approach to how we think about and how we engage with science, technology , engineering and maths for all ages. 

•  - a festival celebrating the natural world across Bristol and the West of England.

•  - support public engagement and learning in STEM. Provides a diverse programme of events across Fife.

•  - is Nesta's weekend festival of ideas, talks, and interactive performances. 

•  - aim is to showcase the contributions researchers make to the world of science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine.

•  - explores the physical sciences through science, art, and heritage events.

•  - the festival that includes science and technology. 

•  - a weekend dedicated to sharing the best science and arts on offer from Imperial.

•  - festival of events, public lectures, and activities. 

•  - science aimed at all age groups.

• - celebrates science, technology, engineering and maths.

• The - seeks to enthuse young people about science, earth sciences in particular.

•  - aim to showcase innovation in all walks of life.

•  - cultural celebration of all things related to science and innovation.

• - a group of innovators, committed to sharing science by inspiring and engaging visitors. 

•  - explores the future of the open web.

•  - offers a wide range of events focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

•  - is a celebration of the ground breaking scientific research

• - a variety of STEM events. 

•  - aims to engage and enthuse people about science by offering accessible, creative and relevant activities to the broadest possible range of people.

•  - insect inspired talks, workshops and installations. 

•  - a week-long festival featuring curated exhibits and a series of talks and activities for all ages.

•  - aim to make people aware of how the STEM subjects play a part in what we take for granted in everyday life. 

•  - features comedy shows, music, film, experiments and theatre, to explore science, technology, engineering and maths through the arts and design.

•  - promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

•  - festival of digital technology, a celebration of digital culture and creativity. 

•  - UCL festival of astronomy.

 

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Reports & Surveys

 - Factors affecting public engagement by UK researchers.

 

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Courses & Workshops

Science Communication

Universities

Other