The Warwick PGR Professional Development Framework has been developed in line with the UK Research Councils (UKRI) expectation that all postgraduate researchers will have a minimum of ten days professional development and that it should form a fundamental part of doctoral training.
All postgraduate researchers should have fair and comparable access to professional development opportunities that will allow them to:
identify and engage with their own professional development ;
acquire the knowledge and expertise to achieve excellence in their research;
be competitive in their professional life
(Note: There are multiple languages at play in this sector including ‘Researcher Development’, ‘Professional Development’, ‘Transferrable Skills’, ‘PGR/ECR/Supervisor training’ - all meaning the same/similar).
Warwick's Framework is based on six key themes:
Broadening Your Academic Skills that may be directly applied to your individual research projects e.g. Research methodologies and practices
Research Ethics and Governance shows you how to effectively navigate academic infrastructure to gain the information and data essential to your doctoral studies e.g. research integrity
Impact and Public Engagement helps you articulate the social, economic or cultural value of your research to a range of backgrounds e.g. Writing Series or Design for Academics
Developing Your Academic Profile encourages you to consider how to engage with a range of academic audiences and how this can affect your research e.g. the confident networker
Personal Effectiveness Examining your productivity, wellbeing, work life balance to ensure that you prioritise your wellbeing whilst remaining effective
Career Development Supports your choices of future career direction; evaluating your priorities, choices, anchors and opportunities
Abut the Researcher Development Framework
We all continue to learn and develop as researchers and individuals, and we need to make best use of development opportunities. By engaging with our professional/ researcher development we can gain the knowledge and expertise to be both excellent researchers whilst maintaining a healthy and productive professional life.
The Framework enables you to:
take control and be responsible for your own professional development;
review your current abilities and identify any areas that you may wish to develop for your research and personally;
record development activity in one place and be able to easily identify and book onto/or self-certify activities;
recognise the development you are already acquiring as part of your research programme.
We all need development and support in different ways; we are at different stages of our learning; career; previous experience. The suggested hours are a reflection on the amount that Warwick and the Research Councils believe will support researchers through their careers. Sometimes you may need more, and at other times, less so.
Developing as a researcher is an holistic process; we need to do more than just deliver our research on time. This is a valuable time to develop and build your wider knowledge and skill set so it is worth keeping your development as an equal priority.
PGRs are to be supported to undertake 60 hours (36 hours for part-time) of development annually. For some PGRS completion of all 60 of these hours may be a requirement for upgrade to full PhD status and progression in subsequent annual reviews. Please check in your department.
The hours are separated into three framework areas: Research Focussed = 30 hours (18 hours); Transferable Skills = 18 hours (12 hours ); and Conferencing/Networking = 12 hours (6 hours).
Development can include opportunities outside of Warwick and being involved in activities and can include:
Training courses; Volunteering (e.g. Staff Student Liaison Committee member);
Attending and/or presenting at a conference;
Teaching in your specific discipline.
In addition to the 60 (36) hours, PGRs are expected to complete a 300 word reflective report each year reviewing their professional development to date. This may form part of the upgrade/annual progress review or be reviewed in a supervisory meeting. .
What if I am a PhD by Publication or PhD by Published works? Throughout your registration at the University you may find it useful to reflect on your own development and skills, but there is no formal expectation for you to do this.
If you are an MA/MSc by Research, as a PGR you are welcome and able to engage with the professional development opportunities and activities available, and are encouraged to do so as a means of identifying and supporting your skills. Engaging now with development opportunities will give you the best start to any PhD process or next career.
The framework exists to ensure that you are given the time and opportunity to develop yourself, your abilities and your knowledge to support you through your research degree and into your next career. If you are Research Council funded this will have formed part of the agreement with funders. It is not mandatory but as researchers we have never completed our learning.
The Framework is a supporting structure and has been created to support your development. As researchers we all need to learn and develop our knowledge and abilities. The framework exists to support you with this, rather than being a completion task. Our developmental needs also change over time and experience; so whilst you may not need support in a particular area currently, you may later.
As part of the Framework you have two elements that support your professional development:
Your 60 (36) hours of professional development activities (per year);
Your annual narrative report of at least 300 words, included in your departmentally noted proceduers.
With the support of Warwick SkillsForge, you will be able to record your activities and have a ‘transcript’ of all the activities that you have booked/uploaded for your framework areas: Research Focussed / Transferable Skills and Conferencing/Networking. For the 300 word annual report you can use Warwick SkillsForge to record, and create the narrative around your activities.
All activities should contribute to your academic, personal or professional development under one or more of the six themes within the framework but this requirement is flexible; your choice of activities should be informed by your individual development priorities.
If an external or personal development activity does not fit directly into the framework, then please discuss with your supervisor/ department whether this should be recorded directly or more simply self-certified by yourself.
If you are unsure then please discuss with your department/ supervisor first and then contact us if you would like more clarification RDContact@warwick.ac.uk
We all need development and support in different ways; we are at different stages of our learning; career; previous experience. The suggested hours are a reflection on the amount that Warwick and the Research Councils believe will support researchers through their careers. Sometimes you may need more, and at other times, less so.
Developing as a researcher is an holistic process; we need to do more than just deliver our research on time. This is a valuable time to develop and build your wider knowledge and skill set so it is worth keeping your development as an equal priority. If you think you are spending too much or too little on your development speak to your supervisor or the Researcher Development team.
1) Review opportunities by theme/skills or framework area (this is available in Warwick SkillsForge);
2) Complete a Development Needs Analysis (DNA) – available in Warwick SkillsForge or attending an RDO SkillsForge & your Professional Development session
3) Discuss your professional development with your supervisor/s or the Researcher Development Team to identify any needs.
1) That support my academic discipline? 2) That are outside on my academic discipline but useful for my research?
Language Classes can be included within the requirements of the framework but it will depend on the scope as to why you are undertaking them as to where they are best placed. If the classes are a) part of an academic course requirement b) used to be able to support research e.g. you need to take a modern language to be able to read texts etc) then we would class this within the five days academic related.
If it is for personal development or to be able to disseminate research e.g. networking/communicating then it may best fit within the broader skills (the three days). This isn’t an exact rule and, as the Framework should be flexible, we would advise that the decision should be between you and your supervisor/s as to where it is best placed.
Online training falls into many categories:
Researcher Development online run small bespoke training workshops which are fully interactive and participants engage with theirs & others learning. This can be recorded in your framework of activities.
Other online training may be watching an online webinar or follow a training Moodle where you are a passive learner.
The framework is designed to ensure an active and engaged learning process, and activities that support and broaden your skills allow you to reflect on what you have learnt. We suggest that only activities which engage with you as a learner and that you are fully contributing to, are appropriate.
The PGCTSS offer termly weekly attendance in person modules with compulsory assessments that can be used towards completing your framework.
If you successfully complete bookable transferable skills modules assessment, then these will count as part of the minimum requirement of 18 (12) hours transferable skills training of the framework.
If you are completing the Doctoral Skills Programme then these will count within the 30 (18) hours research focussed skills and 12 (6) hours networking/conferencing of the framework. This does not mean to say that you cannot book onto other training that you would like to/or are advised to do
To ensure that you are developing and broadening your range of skills, no single event you self-record can normally count for more than 12 hours (two days) of transferable skills, regardless of its actual length. This does not apply to bookable training where more than one skill is identified. The only exceptions are activities which can be proven to be rich learning experiences that develop skills across several framework themes. Unpaid practical experience can count for no more than 1.5 days in total.
Your relationship with your supervisor/s is key and will underpin the progression of your academic excellence as well as encouraging you to develop your skills. It is expected that as well as supporting your research, your supervisor/s will discuss with you your future plans and signpost any opportunities that may be beneficial.
Supervisor’s will be expected to review annually your Development Needs Analysis (DNA) and Reflective Report, and have the ability to view the activities you undertake (although there may be some exceptions), and for this to inform the annual meeting where you discuss your professional development.
We would encourage you to take full advantage of professional development activities open to you outside of Warwick, and the time you spend at an event or activity can be included in some form within the framework
The framework has been put in place to be flexible and supportive of your professional development whilst at Warwick. It will not impact on whether you can graduate, and is a tool to ensure you successfully complete your postgraduate research whilst giving you a full range of skills for your future endeavours. If you are not able to complete the total number of framework days each year then we would expect you to discuss this with your supervisor/s with a view that support can be put in place giving you the best possible outcome within the life cycle of your programme.
