Category Archives: Researcher development
An invitation to “Connected Communities”, the Graduate School’s conference for new researchers on 14th September
Book now to attend The Graduate School’s annual research conference for postgraduate and early career researchers, which will be held on Thursday 14th September in Holdenby Lecture Theatre 3, Park Campus,
We’re holding our first 3MT with a £25 prize, plus 5 panel sessions of papers from our postgraduate researchers. For more information see the conference page.
Please book your place here on our Eventbrite booking page. We look forward to seeing you there.
How confident are you presenting at conferences? Would you like some free skills training?
In advance of our 14th September Postgraduate Researcher Conference, The Graduate School has asked Dr Adair Richards, trainer, broadcaster and consultant, to facilitate conference skills and 3 Minute Thesis training for our researchers. Even if you are not presenting at our conference, learning these skills is immensely valuable to you as a researcher and Adair is a master of teaching presentation techniques. Read the rest of this entry
New Yammer Research Support Group
All staff have access to Yammer… Kind of like facebook for work… In order to give Researcher’s at our University a dedicated space for interaction, helpful files, presentations, links etc, a Research Support group has been created, including information on the REF and RDM. Feel free to join & access these resources! (https://www.yammer.com (log in with your Uni username and password)).
Gateway – New Funding Module
The RSB office are excited to announce that the Funding Module of Gateway will be going live from Friday, 15th September. This new system will replace the RGA forms and the need for paper sign off. From the 15th anyone developing or submitting an application for research or enterprise funding will be able to get their application signed off in Gateway.
You’ll be happy to know that the new system will deliver a number of improvements:-
- Better reporting of projects
- Improved visibility of workloads, deadlines and outstanding tasks
- Increased accuracy in fund reporting
- Ability to request review of proposals by peers, RSB or others at a touch of a button.
To help staff in the introduction of this new funding module, a Drop-In Session will take place on Monday, 18th September from 10am-2pm in the Top Lodge Conservatory – bring your laptop or phone and the RSB team will be available to talk you through this new process. If you prefer a 1:1 or group session, please contact RSB@northampton.ac.uk and we will be happy to come to you. Depending on demand, further drop-in sessions can be planned.
We are looking forward to this new system going live and believe it will provide a more efficient way of managing research funding.
NVivo intermediate level workshop: with a beginner’s online training course
On 10 Jul 2017, from 13:00 to 16:00, the Graduate School is running a workshop on using Nvivo for intermediate level. Attendees are expected to have access to NVivo and have basic NVivo knowledge (adding data sources, creating node trees and coding). Nevertheless, there is still an opportunity for students without prior knowledge of NVivo to attend the workshop. Lynda, an online training package, offers the basics of Nvivo in an easy and simple way through an online course. This can be found here but make sure you read the getting started with Linda below for instructions.
Getting Started with Lynda – updated Nov 2016
To book your place, please visit Gateway
Qualitative Research Methods Workshop: An Interactive Guide
On the 4th of July 2017, the Graduate School will be running a one day workshop on qualitative research methods. In this workshop Dr. Neil Raven will introduce participants to a range of qualitative research methods that can be used separately or as part of a mixed methods approach. The day will begin by considering the use of interviews in academic research, before exploring the potential of focus groups. During the afternoon attention will turn to the use of observation and photography as methods that have the capacity to generate a wealth of rich qualitative data. Read the rest of this entry
Research Excellence Framework (REF)
In order to provide support to our staff in relation to the REF, a dedicated email account has been created.
If you have any questions in relation to the REF please email REF@Northampton.ac.uk
If you have not yet signed up for the REF and Impact Workshop for your panel of assessment please email SDBookings@Northampton.ac.uk
24th May – 09:30 am to 12:30 pm – Mechanical Engineering, Art and Design, Geography, Computing – Avenue Campus – MY120
7th June – 1 pm to 4 pm Allied Health & Psychology – Park Campus – C317
9th June – 9:30 am to 12:30 pm – English and History – Park Campus – C317
9th June – 1 pm to 4 pm – Education, Business and Law – Park Campus – C317
Impact & the REF – Introductory Session
Thank you to all who attended the sessions today on Impact & the REF. If you were unable to attend today’s sessions, please take the time to have a look over the slides. If you haven’t yet booked for the 3 hour workshop session relevant to your unit of assessment please do as soon as possible (email SDbookings@northampton.ac.uk).
Impact and the REF Standard Sized Screen
If you have any questions please email dawn.hibbert@northampton.ac.uk
Note: Recommendations from Lord Sterns Review in the REF: (Final guidelines to be published in Summer 2017)
- Impact – Proposal for impact in REF 2021 is to remain consistent with REF 2014 process
- Impacts are submitted by the institution or institutions in which the underpinning research has been conducted.
- Impacts are submitted by the institution or institutions in which the underpinning research has been conducted.
- Aspects captured by the impact template should be incorporated into the environment statement.
- Propose to take account of the unit’s approach to supporting and enabling impact as an explicit section of the environment element of assessment – impact template would no longer be required.
- 100% of the impact sub-profile would be attributed to the impact case studies.
- Case study ratio should be based on HESA data on research active staff.
- All institutions should be required to submit some institutional-level case studies which arise from multi- and interdisciplinary and collaborative work.
- Proposed that case studies are submitted via a web form in REF 2021 that will include a number of mandatory fields.
- Case studies should continue to be based on research of demonstrable quality, but could be linked to a research activity and a body or work as well as to specific research outputs.
- Proposed that examples of impact in REF 2021 must be underpinned by excellent research, research activity, or a body of work produced by the submitting unit in the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020.
Graduate School Update Day looks to the future for research students
Every year The Graduate School holds an ‘Update Day‘ where the focus is on topics of interest to supervisors and their postgraduate research students. This year, after an update on UoN ethics processes, a session on ‘Researcher Futures’ looks at career direction strategies beyond academia for researchers. In an employment landscape vastly different from that 20 years ago, research students often look to their supervisor for guidance on career support, even on non-academic choices. This workshop will help both supervisors and PGR students together to
- explore the pathways open to research degree graduates outside of academia;
- introduce techniques and resources that can support further career exploration and decision making;
- recognise potential in skills, experience, attributes and achievements whether the student wants a career in academia or, increasingly commonly, outside it.
For more information please see the programme or book via Eventbrite.
Image credit: Oliver Dixon CC BY-SA 2.0
