about your
graduate
school
The Transferable Skills Programme
for research students
Graduate School of Life Sciences
and Medicine (GSLSM)
2008–09
The Graduate School of Life Sciences and Medicine was established in October 1999 and has an overarching responsibility for postgraduate education and research in the areas of life sciences and medicine. The current director is Professor Bernie Morley.
Students from the following departments and divisions belong to GSLSM:
+ + + Biology
+ + + Cell and Molecular Biology
+ + + Clinical Sciences
+ + + Epidemiology, Public Health and Primary Care
+ + + Humanities
+ + + Investigative Science
+ + + Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
+ + + Medicine
+ + + Molecular Biosciences
+ + + National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI)
+ + + Neuroscience and Mental Health
+ + + Surgery, Oncology, Reproductive Biology and Anaesthetics (SORA) If your department is not listed, you will be a member of the Graduate School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (GSEPS).
If you are studying in one of the divisions or departments listed opposite, you automatically become a member of the Graduate School of Life Sciences and Medicine (GSLSM) on starting at Imperial. Membership means you become part of a wider community, broadening and enriching your academic experience. Our remit includes both quality assurance and transferable skills training. We are responsible for the regular review of PhD and Master’s programmes, ensuring best practice across the College, and we provide a programme of award-winning transfer-able skills courses. We also organise a number of special events throughout the year which are designed to bring all postgraduate students together in an informal setting and to foster interdisciplinary discussion. Quality assurance
GSLSM monitors and enhances the quality of postgraduate education at Imperial. We are responsible for the regular review of taught course programmes and for considering and initiating proposals for new postgrad-uate taught courses. We also oversee internal standards and procedures for research degrees and disseminate best practice across the College.
Transferable Skills Programme GSLSM provides a large suite of training courses in transferable skills in the following areas: research management, personal effectiveness, communication and presentation skills, writing skills, networking, teamworking and career management. Most first year research students are required to attend a number of transferable skills courses prior to transfer to PhD status.
Social activities
GSLSM organises a number of special events throughout the year which encourage discussion and the exchange of ideas across disciplines. These events include distinguished guest lectures, receptions and shows, welcome addresses for new students, and research symposia with student poster competitions and keynote speakers.
Student recruitment
We are responsible for organising the College-wide Postgraduate Open Day in December and help recruit students to Imperial by attending recruitment fairs in the UK and Ireland.
“Within Imperial College, we look on the PhD as a multi-stranded education, rather than simply a research apprenticeship, and we strive to deliver a PhD programme that will not only build your research skills and enable you to make important strides in your selected
about your
graduate school
>
Imperial’s Graduate Schools won the 2006 Times Higher Award for Outstanding Support for Early Careers Researchers.Why does Imperial provide transferable skills training? Imperial is dedicated to providing world class research and we offer intensive training as part of the PhD programme which will prepare our students for creative and leadership roles in industry, academia and the public sector worldwide.
In April 2002, Sir Gareth Roberts published SET for Success, a review into the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. Among his recommendations for postgraduate research degrees was the need for research students to have two weeks of formal skills training, principally in transferable skills, per year. The UK Research Councils supported this recommendation by providing funding for universities to train their students, and with the development of the Joint Skills Statement, highlighted a set of skills and competencies which they felt all doctoral research students should be expected to have or develop during their research training.
The Joint Skills Statement has seven categories:
— research skills and techniques — research environment — research management — personal effectiveness — communication skills — networking and teamworking — career management
At Imperial, all research students, not just Research Council-funded students, can expect to receive training in these areas. Some of this training, mainly the research-specific training, you will receive locally, within your department/division, whereas the non-research-related or generic training is provided by the Graduate Schools. In addition to this the Graduate Schools also provide training in enterprise, entrepreneurship, business skills and commercial awareness.
developing
transferable skills
>
The GSLSM Transferable Skills Programme has been reviewed by GlaxoSmithKline and by Pfizer and is supported by both.36% GSEPS Research Students
32% GSEPS Taught Students
12% GSLSM Taught Students 19% GSLSM Research Students postgraduate population
There are over 4,900 postgraduate students at Imperial College London.
What is the GSLSM Transferable Skills Programme?
This is a programme of short workshops in research, professional and developmental skills which runs throughout the year. The courses vary in length and format, from one-hour lectures to three-day interactive work-shops. There are also online courses for you to complete or use as an information resource in your own time.
The programme is regularly reviewed and updated and new courses are added throughout the year. Courses are free but please note the cancel-lation policy—charges may be applicable (see page 16).
The skills taught on the programme will help you to improve your ability to undertake focused research, assist you in your personal development, help you understand your options once you have completed your PhD, and enable you to enter and progress in your chosen career, whatever that may be. The GSLSM programme will help you to develop an understanding of the ethical and commercial role of science and medicine in the wider world and will help you to communicate your research effectively to a wide variety of audiences.
Some courses are run jointly with GSEPS and, importantly, our training programme offers you an invaluable opportunity to meet and interact with students across all the disciplines and campuses of the College.
“Potential barriers to recruiting PhDs include lack of commercial awareness, over-specialisation, difficulty in adapting to non-academic work cultures and unrealistic expectations” — SEARCH, Survey of Employer Attitudes to Postgraduate Researchers, University of Sheffield
taking part
Is there an attendance requirement? Yes. The GSLSM Transferable Skills Programme is an integral part of your research degree and you should use it to improve your abilities in all spheres. The programme is divided into core courses (A list) and optional courses (B list)—see page 8–9.
All first year research students are strongly encouraged to attend the three-day residential Research Skills
Development course—see page 12–13.
There is no limit to the number of courses you can attend. Once you have completed your attendance require-ment you are encouraged to attend additional courses.
Will I get a record of courses attended?
Yes. A record of your course attend-ance is available from GSLSM on request. A complete transcript can also be provided at the end of your studies. This can form a useful part of your CV and it can be helpful to show this to prospective
employers. Your department/division is regularly notified of your attend-ance at Graduate School courses. Who supports us?
The GSLSM Transferable Skills Programme is supported by the Research Councils—the BBSRC, EPSRC, NERC, MRC, STFC, ESRC and AHRC. We also work closely with a number of institutions and services such as the British Library, the Royal College of Art, the Vitae programme and Imperial’s Careers Advisory Service to bring you a diverse range of expertise and knowledge. In November 2006, our training programme was nationally rec-ognised with the award of the
Times Higher Award for Outstanding Support for Early Careers Researchers. The programme is endorsed by employers seeking recruits with a bal-ance of academic and generic training, and who feel the transferable skills programme enhances the employ-ability of our graduates.
>
Most first yearstudents are required to take a prescribed number of courses prior to their transfer from MPhil to PhD registration.
Who delivers the Graduate School’s Transferable Skills Programme? We employ a range of highly skilled and experienced professional trainers to lead our workshops including Imperial academic staff and external consultants. All tutoring staff have experience in either academia, industry or both. Our Transferable Skills tutor team are dedicated to the development and effectiveness of our programme, have responsibility for the
Research Skills Development (RSD)
course and Your PhD: Finish Up and Move On (FUMO), as well as a number of our short workshops.
The quality assurance and develop-ment of the programme is the respon-sibility of the GSLSM Manager and the Academic Training Committee.
Student feedback
At the end of each workshop you have the opportunity to tell us what you think using our evaluation forms. Your feedback is very important and GSLSM considers changes and improvements to each workshop based on your responses.
We are always interested in your news, views and suggestions so please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Where can I find details of the courses?
Course descriptions and dates can be found on the GSLSM Blackboard site. This is a password protected virtual learning environment (VLE) for Impe-rial College students and staff. The site contains full information about the Transferable Skills Programme including course outlines, course materials, dates, times and booking instructions. There are also pages devoted to news and events, plus useful links for postgraduate study. We encourage you to bookmark the site and check it frequently for the most up-to-date information. For more information go to the Blackboard site and enter your College username and password.
• http://learn.imperial.ac.uk/ All students should automatically have access to the GSLSM site but if not please email us with your College user-name and you will be given access. • graduate.schools@imperial.ac.uk
Needs Analysis Questionnaire The purpose of the questionnaire is to highlight key transferable skills relevant to postgraduate students and to help you to prioritise your personal development planning. Within the site, relevant Graduate School workshops and other College and external resources are listed. This information can then be printed out or emailed to you. Please note that the question-naire is updated in accordance with changes in the GSLSM Programme. Responses are stored anonymously for statistical purposes. In other words, the questionnaire is confidential and can be repeated as many times as you wish. You can access the form within the GSLSM Blackboard site by selecting Needs Analysis Form from the menu.
“Overall the programme covers the majority of the skills we would be looking for. Our primary need is for excellent scientists. In addition we are looking for people who are innovative and can think ‘blue skies’. We also need people who can deliver and have problem solving and leadership skills. Team working is important for us, as most of our scientists work in cross-functional teams.” —
our courses
Graduate School of Life Sciences and Medicine requirements
All research students (except Humani-ties) who registered on or after 1 October 2005 are required to attend:
• the Research Skills Development
(RSD) course plus a minimum of two A list courses;
OR
• four A list courses plus one further course from the A or B list prior to transfer to PhD registration. The A and B list courses
The GSLSM Transferable Skills Programme is divided into A (core) and B (optional) courses. This is in order to guide you towards taking the most appropriate courses according to where you are in your studies and your own developmental needs.
• A list courses are those which we consider to be the most essential to you in the first 12–15 months of your PhD and will give you key transferable skills to help you in your research and beyond. • B list or optional courses cover
a range of topics, many of which are either suited to post-transfer students, such as the careers suite of courses or Your PhD: Finish Up and Move On, or are courses which are either of general interest or of a specialised nature so are not considered essential for
all PhD students—for example,
Introduction to Statistics Using SPSS.
When choosing which courses to take always read the full course description on the GSLSM Blackboard site as this will not only tell you the course content and learning objectives for each course but also the most appro-priate time to attend the course—for example, Experimental Design for Laboratory-Based Research is best taken within six months of enrolling at Imperial.
The GSLSM transfer requirement exists in order to ensure all students receive some generic transferable skills training while at Imperial and have the opportunity to engage with the programme, alongside their laboratory and other work.
In GSLSM all research students (MPhil, PhD and MD(Res)) and those registered for MRes degrees are eligible to attend the Transferable Skills Programme.
A List • Core
Personal Effectiveness
Developing Cultural Awareness
Gender Issues in the Research Environment Myers Briggs: Careers
Myers Briggs: Personality and Communication Stress Management: Postgraduate Study and Beyond
Presentation, Communication and Writing Skills
Advanced Presentation Skills Science and the Media
Using the Literature: Your Science in Context Effective Academic Writing: Creativity and Craft
Business Courses Introduction to Accounting Introduction to Entrepreneurship Introduction to Marketing Introduction to Organisations Introduction to Strategy IP and Commercialisation
British Library Tour and IP Workshop British Library: Knowing Your Market Intellectual Property and its Importance to Researchers
Research Skills Development (RSD) Applied Writing Skills
Assertiveness Skills
Communication and Presentation Skills
Creativity and Ideas Generation Effective Poster Presentations Information Retrieval Myers Briggs: Introduction Networking
Research Design for Life Sciences and Medicine
Science, Research and Integrity Time Management
Writing for Publication
All research students (except Humanities) who registered on or after 1 October 2005 are required to attend:
• the Research Skills Development (RSD) course plus a minimum of two A list courses;
OR
• four A list courses plus one further course from the A or B list
prior to transfer to PhD registration.
Information Skills
EndNote
Reference Manager
Information Landscape: Introducing ISI Web of Knowledge
Information Landscape: Keeping Ahead in the Information Game
Ethics
Use of Animals in Biomedical Research
Statistics
Introduction to Regression Modelling Introduction to Statistical Thinking Statistics using SPSS
Completing the PhD
Planning and Writing your Thesis and Preparing for the Viva
Your PhD: Finish Up and Move On (FUMO) Preparing for Leadership
Careers Workshops
Assessment Centres Career Focus for the Future Career Strategies for PhD Effective Applications and CVs Interview Practice with Video Playback Succeeding at Interview
Working in the UK for International (non-EU) Students
Can I be given credit for attending similar courses elsewhere or for previous learning/experience? Yes. If you have attended a training course that you think may be equivalent to any of the GSLSM courses—eg. courses provided by employers, funding bodies or elsewhere in College—you can apply for this to count towards your transfer-able skills transfer requirement. Normally, a maximum of two courses can be claimed as equivalent courses, so students are still expected to complete the additional number of GSLSM courses.
You can also consider applying for exemption from part of the transfer requirement if you have significant prior learning or work experience. This procedure is primarily designed for mature or part-time students who have considerable work experience— for example, individuals who have published papers or reports or who regularly attend national or interna-tional conferences as part of their work. Nevertheless, we would advise you not to seek exemption from the complete programme, but to supple-ment your previous experience with some of our optional courses so that you can benefit from interacting with other students on the programme.
If this applies to you, you should discuss the possibility of course equivalence or credit for prior learning with your supervisor and Director of Postgraduate Studies (DPS) who can make a case on your behalf to the GSLSM Academic Training Committee. •graduate.schools@imperial.ac.uk Do other courses offered at Imperial by other departments count toward the transferable skills transfer requirement?
Yes. There are a number of courses available outside GSLSM which are considered equivalent to courses on the GSLSM programme. For example, the Statistical Advisory Service offers
Introduction to Stata, and the Centre for Educational Development offers
Assessment and Marking Skills for Research Students Who Teach; each of these courses is considered equivalent to one B list course. For a full list of equivalent courses please see the GSLSM Blackboard site. There may be a fee for attending as they are not provided by GSLSM.
•http://learn.imperial.ac.uk/
>
“The transferable skills courses I’ve been on have been really helpful in all aspects of my studies.” “Very helpful, practical and pragmatic advice.” “I was really impressed and found it extremely useful.” “Amazing, absolutely life changing.” “A very inspiring atmosphere.”Mathematics Advice Service The Mathematics Advice Service is available to all research students in the Imperial College Graduate Schools. The service is available free to all research students. The intention is to provide technical help to enable you to overcome Mathematical problems in your research work. The aim is to provide an informal, friendly and effective service.
The service is run by Dr R.L. Jacobs (r.jacobs@imperial.ac.uk). Dr Jacobs will be available one afternoon a week in term time. Please email him to make an appointment.
PILS Blackboard Site
PILS (Programmes of Information Literacy) Blackboard site has been developed by Imperial College
Library to support students with their research. The site consists of an interactive tutorial focusing on the ever-changing world of information/ communication technologies. The site contains specialist information appro-priate to different areas of research; aspects of the publication process, including open access publishing and the fast developing world of subject and institutional repositories; acquiring and managing information on bibliographic software; copyright; referencing; and plagiarism. Other forms of scholarly communication include a section on new technologies, such as blogs, wikis and podcasts. The site is accessed through Blackboard and has been developed for use by PhD students.
research skills
development course
This is a three-day/three-night residen-tial course for first year research students from both Graduate Schools. The focus is on group exercises and activities designed to enhance your personal and research effectiveness. It is also an excellent opportunity to get away from London, meet students from other disciplines and have fun. Students who take this course invariably stay in touch and it therefore provides a useful social network.
Topics covered on the course include planning, project management, creativity in research, communication skills, group dynamics, networking and developing self-awareness. There are a number of fun but challenging exercises, some of which take place outdoors (weather permitting). The course is free to attend, so it will cost you nothing but your time, and the results are rewarding!
Please note that your booking form for this course must be signed by your supervisor.
Easthampstead Park
The venue for courses in 2008–09 will be Easthampstead Park. This is a Victorian country mansion situated within 60 acres of beautiful parkland, but conveniently located not far from Bracknell and Wokingham railway sta-tions. Easthampstead Park is 38 miles from central London, approximately one hour by train from Waterloo or Paddington.
>
“It is simplysuperb, a fantastic environment.” “It was a great experience that was packed with challenging activities and surprises.” “A valuable, pertinent and well organised event that encourages deep learning in a fun and relaxed environment.” Course dates 2008 7 – 10 October 28 – 31 October 25 – 28 November 9 – 12 December 2009 13 – 16 January 10 – 13 February 10 – 13 March 21 – 24 April 12 – 15 May 2 – 5 June
post-transfer students
“These courses provide a broadly based and highly relevant training for PhD students in topics related to their research which will make them better able to take up challenging positions in either industry or academia. The balance and content of the courses seems highly relevant and covers all major areas of transferable skills students need to be aware of at that stage in their development to maximise their potential.” — Dave Alker, Discovery Staffing Group Manager, Pfizer Global Research and Development
What courses are available for post-transfer students?
GSLSM has a wide range of workshops for students in their second year and above. For example, there are courses on thesis writing and how to manage the viva, leadership, careers and interview practice, as well as introduc-tion to business courses. There is also a two-day, non-residential course, Your PhD: Finish Up and Move on (FUMO),
for students of both Graduate Schools. Your PhD: Finish Up and Move On (FUMO)
This is a two-day intensive, interactive, non-residential course for final year research students from both Graduate Schools. It covers what you need to know to successfully complete your PhD and move on to the next phase of your career, whatever that might be. The two day programme is full and varied and includes time for discus-sion, reflection and practical exercises. The course will cover the following topics:
• PhD thesis: Structuring your thesis, managing the writing, what to write, shaping the narrative of your thesis
• PhD viva: What to expect, how to prepare, being successful • Careers: How to do decide what
to do, discovering career options, networking, preparing for successful transitions
• Leadership: Skills and qualities of leaders, practical exercises to develop leadership skills At the end of the first day, a small reception and networking event gives you the opportunity to talk to other students, employers and the tutors in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. This course is held at the South Kensington Campus.
Please note it is a requirement that a booking form be completed and signed by your supervisor for this course.
Course dates 2008 16 – 17 October 19 – 20 November 2009 18 – 19 February 2 – 3 April 21 – 22 May 24 – 25 June
events
GSLSM events
We arrange a number of social and academic events throughout the year, including welcome addresses and receptions for new students in October, networking events and regular distin-guished guest lectures throughout the year. Previous speakers have included: • Professor Jared Diamond, Pulitzer
Prize-winning author and Professor of Geography and Environmental Health Sciences, University of California—Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive
• Professor Richard Dawkins FRS, Charles Simonyi Professor of Public Understanding of Science, University of Oxford—Is Evolution Predictable?
• Professor Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics, UCL—How Different are Human Races and Should Anybody Care?
The Graduate Schools will host the Ig Nobel Awards Tour Show in March 2009, for the fourth successive year, as part of National Science and Engineering week celebrations. There is also the GSLSM Summer Symposium for doctoral students in July 2009 which includes a poster competition and ends with a guest lecture and prize-giving ceremony for the winning poster presenters with networking reception. Guest lectures, debates and other events will be arranged during the year.
Dates for your diary
• Life as a Research Student Event —Tuesday 14 October 2008 • Postgraduate Study Opportunities
Open Day—Wednesday 10 December 2008 • Ig Nobel Awards Tour Show
—Thursday 12 March 2009 • Annual Postgraduate Event
—Friday 9 May 2009 • GSLSM Research Symposium
—Friday 10 July 2009
These events are a means to broaden and enrich your experience at Imperial through interaction with students across disciplines. This list is not exhaustive and more events will be added throughout the year. Full details of all events are available on the GSLSM website and Blackboard site.
booking your place
Contact us
Email graduate.schools@imperial.ac.uk Telephone 020 7594 1383 Fax 020 7594 5025 Web www.imperial.ac.uk/gslsm How do I book?See the GSLSM Blackboard site for information and booking instructions: http://learn.imperial.ac.uk/ We encourage you to discuss your choice of courses with your supervisor. Once we have received your booking form we will email you with a confirma-tion, including the location. We will endeavour to email you a reminder shortly before each course, but please do not rely on this service.
Cancellations
For short courses, we ask you to give at least three working days’ notice of cancellation so that your place can be offered to another student. Charges may be incurred if you cancel within this period. The cancellation period is two weeks for courses which last two days or longer. Please check the GSLSM Blackboard site for full details of cancellation periods and charges.
