Semester 2: 07 February – 10 June 2022

Programme overview

In Semester 2, we are offering a mix of online and on-campus Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme (PRDP) workshops. We want to offer some in-person workshops because we know many of you are eager to interact and learn in a physical environment. We also know many of you have found online workshops convenient and accessible so we’ll continue to offer workshops in this format too. All our on-campus workshops will also be offered online at some point.

Our online sessions are held on Microsoft Teams, a platform in your university Office 365 account. Sessions from external providers may take place on other platforms such as Zoom. 

PRDP workshops are usually held on Wednesdays during term-time. Most are scheduled for two hours but will usually be shorter or feature a break in the middle. More sessions will be added as the year progresses.

Booking and joining

Please book your place on PhD Manager via the links below.

For online workshops, you’ll find a join code for the main PRDP Teams group on the event listing on PhD Manager. You only need to use this code once to join the main group. Online sessions will run in workshop channels in this main group. Once you have joined the main PRDP group, you should be able to see workshop channels. There are no separate links or codes for the channels. For further guidance on using Teams join codes, see our guidance page.

For on-campus workshops, you’ll find venue details and a campus map on the event listing on PhD Manager. 

Session recordings

You can find recordings of our key workshops on our PRDP recordings page.

Additional guidance for University of Suffolk doctoral students

UoS doctoral students are unable to access our booking system. Instead, all you need to do as a Suffolk student is turn up to any online workshop you wish to attend. We will add all Suffolk students to our PRDP Teams group. In that group you will see all individual workshop channels. Simply go to the appropriate channel at the workshop start time and join the meeting.

Demystifying the Viva

Wednesday 23 February 2022, 10.00-12.00 (online)

For many doctoral students, the viva looms large on the horizon of their research degree. At Brighton, we offer comprehensive support for students nearing submission including workshops and mock vivas, and we have a dedicated Exams Officer to guide you through the process. But students often want to know what to expect before they reach those final stages.

In this session aimed at early and mid stage students, we’ll take a look at what happens prior to, during and after your viva. We’ll explore the different roles of participants (chair, candidate, examiners) and we’ll also discuss the specific circumstances that pertain to online vivas. We’ll offer advice on what you can do now to help ensure that your thesis is ready to be examined and you are equipped to defend it successfully.

Book your place on PhD Manager

Literature Reviews and Research Diaries

Wednesday 23 February, 14.30-16.30 (online) (Please note change of date/time – was originally 16 Feb, 10am)

This session covers the role of the literature review in research. It looks at aims, strategies for identifying and managing the relevant literature, critical reviewing, and the use of literature and the literature review in a doctoral thesis.

 

Book your place on PhD Manager

Preparing for your Primary APR

Tuesday 15 March, 14.30-16.30 (online) (Please note change of date; was originally 02 March but rescheduled due to UCU strike action)
Thursday 07 April 2022, 10.00-12.00 (online)
Further sessions tbc

Your first APR will take place 8 months into your PhD journey. It is a point to pause and reflect on progress, support, training and future plans. Central to your APR will be a critical reflection on your research plan and the progress you have made against it.

This session will help you to understand the structure, purpose and outcomes of the APR meeting; understand the skills and knowledge you are required to demonstrate at APR; and prepare the materials for your APR meeting.

Book your place on PhD Manager by clicking on your preferred date above.

Preparing for your Secondary APR

Wednesday 13 April, 10.00-12.00 (online) (please note change of date – was originally 23 March)
Further sessions tbc

The aim of the Secondary APR is to assess your progress towards completion and against your current Research Plan. Secondary APRs take place before the end of the second year of study for full-time students and before the end of the third year of study for part-time students. (See Code of Practice section 7.)

This workshop will help you prepare your document for your Secondary APR and defend it at the APR meeting. The core skills addressed will include:

• writing and chapter preparation
• presentation skills and engagement with the wider academic community
• the identification of new knowledge and what it means to make an original contribution to knowledge.

Book your place on PhD Manager by clicking on your preferred date above.

Navigating the Final Stretch

Tuesday 05 April, 10.00-12.00 (online)

Sometimes the final six months can be the hardest. This workshop is for any PhD student moving into the later stages of their study. It will look at the discipline of writing up the thesis, ways to tackle procrastination, deal with writer’s block, and the process of submitting your thesis. This session is intended for late-stage doctoral students.

Book your place on PhD Manager

Walking around your Thesis

Wednesday 06 April, 14.30-16.30 (online)

This workshop ignores issues such as what a PhD is intended to do and what an audience might be expecting from it (these are covered in other workshops) instead focussing on strategies that allow you to step back from the detail of your work in order to see more clearly the bigger picture. It is being able to see this bigger picture that will enable you to decide finally on how to structure your thesis. Central to these strategies is that, contrary to what many people say, structure comes quite late in the writing process. This session is directed toward mid/late-stage doctoral students but all are welcome.

Book your place on PhD Manager

Presenting at Conferences (Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences)

Wednesday 04 May, 14.30-16.30 (Grand Parade building, M2, City campus)

All researchers understand that an important aspect of research life involves attending and presenting at conference. Conferences often provide an overview of the work carried out by key research leaders and can update you on the latest developments in your field. They can also provide networking opportunities and be a first step to peer review of your work.

This discipline-specific workshop will help you to understand how researcher involvement in conference activities can act as a gateway to research dissemination and networking, and enable you to identify the key components of successful communication at conference.

Book your place on PhD Manager

An Introduction to the Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Friday 06 May, 13.00-14.00 (online)

This introductory talk offers an overview of the competition’s history and requirements along with tips and guidance to help you deliver a stellar 3MT presentation! You’ll learn how to identify and communicate the essence of your research and gain an understanding of how to address the needs of a non-specialist audience.

The session is run by Dr Ross English who has considerable experience in delivering 3MT training and is a regular judge in the UK’s 3MT semi-final round.

The University of Brighton’s live 3MT event was part of the Doctoral College’s Festival of Postgraduate Research on 16 June 2022, Moulsecoomb campus.

Book your place on PhD Manager

Supervisors are also welcome to attend our 3MT Intro session. Please join the PRDP Teams group at the appropriate time with the join code cnpcfzt. We do not generally provide links to Teams groups. Not sure how to use join codes? See our guidance.

This 3MT session will be recorded.

Preparing for your Viva

Tuesday 17 May, 10.30-15.30 (online) (Please note, this session was originally scheduled to take place at City campus)

It’s the culmination of your research degree: submitting your thesis and defending your work in an oral examination. But what’s the procedure for submission and how can you prepare for the final hurdle? This practical workshop provides an insight into the process, helping you understand the requirements, purpose and possible outcomes of the examination, the roles of those involved, and what to expect from a typical viva. You’ll receive tips and advice on handling nerves, responding to difficult questions and offering a defence without being defensive.

This workshop is aimed at students in the final six months of study. You will be invited to participate in a simulation to help prepare for a mock viva and are asked to bring along an abstract of your work to help shape the discussion.

This session will not be recorded but will be repeated regularly.

Book your place on PhD Manager

Effective CV Writing for Doctoral Students

Wednesday 25 May, 10.00-11.30 (online)

In this seminar we will explore how you can build your CV to suit a variety of purposes, including academic applications; what to consider in order to make your CV effective; your CV in context as part of your job search strategy

Book your place on PhD Manager

Looking Ahead: Career Planning for Doctoral Students

Weds 08 June, 10.00-11.30 (online) (Please note change of date; was originally scheduled for Wednesday 18 May)

In this seminar we will explore some key factors in decision-making; evaluating career options within academia and outside it; evaluating skills in addition to your research capabilities; developing a career plan

Book your place on PhD Manager

Presenting at Conferences (Sciences)

Wednesday 08 June, 14.30-16.30 – postponed due to staff sickness; new date tbc

All researchers understand that an important aspect of research life involves attending and presenting at conference. Conferences often provide an overview of the work carried out by key research leaders and can update you on the latest developments in your field. They can also provide networking opportunities and be a first step to peer review of your work.

This discipline-specific workshop will help you to understand how researcher involvement in conference activities can act as a gateway to research dissemination and networking, and enable you to identify the key components of successful communication at conference.

Book your place on PhD Manager

Festival of Postgraduate Research 2022

Thursday 16 June 2022, 11.00-16.00

To find out more about the Doctoral College festival, visit our festival blog!

 

 

An Introduction to Research Ethics and Integrity (mandatory for Year 1)

Wednesday 16 March 2022, 14.30-16.30 (Elm House 302, Moulsecoomb campus)
Tuesday 26 July 2022, 10.00-12.00 (online) – postponed! Our July session has been provisionally rescheduled for 19 October 2022, 10-12, venue and mode of delivery tbc

This workshop (mandatory for year 1 students) will provide a background to the areas of research ethics and research integrity and why they are important. It will include an introduction to the University’s three tier ethics review framework, and the processes involved, and will look at some common ethical issues, and discuss how these can be addressed.

The session will also look at what we mean by research integrity, and will identify some barriers to research integrity and potential causes of research misconduct. Case studies will be used to consider how ethical dilemmas can be resolved, and illustrate how poor research practice can be avoided.

This online session will not be recorded but will be repeated every few months in 2021-22. You only need to attend one workshop.

Book your place on PhD Manager by clicking the date above.