Faculty of Medicine & Biological Sciences: Graduate Studies

Overview of Research Postgraduate Training Programme 2008/09

Training / Hrs / Term / Yr / Comments
Transferable Skills
TS1 / Planning & managing your Doctorate: Personal Development Planning * / 3 / 12 / APG / Limited to 30 per session
TS2 / Critical appraisal and study skills* / 2 / 1 / APG
TS3 / Demonstrating and teaching skills* (repeated) / 2 / 1 & 2 / APG / Needed for teaching
TS4 / Working with others; team-work & leadership* / 3 / 1 / APG / Limited to 30 places
TS5 / Basic e-library skills# / 3 / 1 / APG / Limited to 40 places
TS6 / Internet searching: beyond Google# / 2 / 1 / APG / Limited to 40 places
TS7 / Writing up your research and getting it published* / 3 / 2 / 2/3
TS8 / Use of MS-Word for long documents*# / 3 / 12 / APG / Limited to 40 places
TS9 / Giving research seminars and conference talks* / 2 / 2 / APG
TS10 / Off to a conference? Posters and how to prepare them* / 2 / 2 / APG
TS11 / Improving your Powerpoint presentations* / 3 / 2 / APG
TS12 / Building a portfolio of career skills* / 3 / 3 / APG / Limited to 30 places
TS13 / Completing your research and writing the thesis* / 2 / 3 / 3/4
TS14 / Preparing for your viva* / 2 / 3 / 3/4
TS15 / Graduate School Festival of Postgraduate Research
(with information & training sessions) / 12 / 3 / 2/3/4 / See Grad School and SLC web sites
TS16 / Creativity and problem-solving workshop / 3 / 12 / APG / New
TS17 / Small Worlds: social networks for lab-based PG scientists / 2 / 1 / APG / New
TS18 / General presentation skills / 3 / 2 / APG / New
TS19 / Managing your supervisor / 3 / 2 / APG / New
TS20 / Preparing for APG assessment / 2 / 2 & 3 / APG / New
TS21 / Faculty Postgraduate Careers Symposium* / 8 / 2 / 2/3/4
Generic Research Skills
GR1 / Laboratory safety*
i. Safety management and risk assessment* / 1 / 1 / APG / Essential for labs
ii. Biological and chemical hazards* / 1 / 1 / APG / ) Compulsory for
) students using
) these
iii. Radiation safety* / 1 / 1 / APG
iv. Genetic modification* / 1 / 1 / APG
GR2 / Use of Radio-chemicals in life-sciences research / 2 / 1 / Any / Book
GR3 / Experimental design and practical statistics*# / 6x 3hrs / 2 / Any / Limited to 40 places
GR4E / Advanced database searching & bibliographic software: use of ENDNOTE*# / 4 / 1 & 2 / APG / Limited to 40 places
GR4R / Advanced database searching & bibliographic software: use of REFWORKS*# / 4 / 1 & 2 / APG / Limited to 40 places
GR5 / IPR, protection and commercialisation of research* / 2 / 3 / Any
GR6a / Ethical issues: use of animals in research* / 3 / 3 / Any
GR6a / Ethical issues; research on human subjects & materials* / 3 / 2 / Any
GR7 / Research governance and ethical approval / 2x 2hrs / 1 & 2 / Any / MD students in APG
GR8 / StatsVision; online tuition for statistics / 2 / 2 / Any
Science Skills (depending on staff availability, likely to include)
SS1 / DNA Bioinformatics (databases & GCG programme)# / 4 / 1 / APG / Limited to 40 places
SS2 / DNA sequencing and genomics: science and services / 2 / 1 / APG
SS3 / DNA sequence compilation & analysis: Biolinux/Staden# / 5 / 1 / Any / Limited to 40 places
SS4 / Protein Bioinformatics (databases and programmes)# / 4 / 1 / APG / Limited to 40 places
SS5 / Protein sequencing and proteomics: science and services / 2 / 1 / Any
SS6 / Microarrays (spotted arrays and Affymetrix chips) / 3 / 2 / Any
SS7 / Structural biology and protein modelling / 3 / 2 / Any / Limited capacity
SS8 / Chromosome analysis: molecular cytogenetics / 6 / 2 / Any / Limited capacity
SS9 / Advanced microscopy & bioimaging / 6 / 2 / Any / Limited capacity
SS10 / Protein expression and recovery / 4 / 2 / Any
Other Training Opportunities
Vitae/UKGRAD Graduate School (residential) / 72 / - / 2/3 / UKGrad web site
BiotechnologyYes competition (residential) / 72 / - / 3/4 / see web site

* Core topic;# Computer based session (CFS account needed).Yr = recommended year to take.