Our regular Chalk talks are a highlight of our MRC DTP calendar. Second year PhD students give an overview of their project to date; outlining key knowledge and techniques, their successes and challenges, and short- and longer-term experimental plans. Students usually talk for around 30 minutes, without the aid of slides or notes (though props are sometimes used!), and invite questions from their peers. Chalk talks are followed by refreshments and time to socialise and network at the end of the week.

To complement the high quality of training that our students receive in their MSc year and during their PhD research, they all participate in a programme of Skills workshops to develop and enhance their research, professional, and employability skills. The current programme includes the following workshops:

Innovation and Employability Skills for PhD Students	Career Development for Bioscientists
Stress Reduction Techniques for Doctoral Students	Designing and Delivering Excellent Podcasts
Writing and Publishing a Scientific Paper	Excellent and Confident Research Presentations