PGR Professional Development Framework

The PGR Professional Development Framework is based on six key themes and is intended to introduce coherence across the institution, while recognising disciplinary differences. All postgraduate researchers should have fair and comparable access to professional development opportunities that will allow them to:

identify and develop specific skills;
acquire the knowledge and expertise to achieve standards of excellence in their research;
be competitive in their professional life as they move into future employment or study.

The Warwick Framework has been developed in line with the UK Research Councils (UKRI) expectation that all postgraduate researchers will have a minimum of ten days of professional development and skills activity, and that the provision of transferable skills should form a fundamental part of doctoral training.

Broadening Your Academic Skills that may be directly applied to your individual research projects e.g. digital tools for researchers

Research Ethics and Governance shows you how to effectively navigate academic infrastructre 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. getting published

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 creates a safe space, outside your department/CDT, where you can reflect on your strengths and achievements e.g interpersonal skills

Career Development equips you for the requirements/realities of academic careers as well as for developing research careers outside academic e.g. essential leadership skills.

Abut the Researcher Development Framework

How does it benefit me as a researcher?

By taking steps to identify and develop specific skills, you will acquire the knowledge and expertise to achieve standards of excellence in your research and in your professional life as you move from your postgraduate programme into future employment or study.

The Framework enables you to:

take control and be responsible for your own professional development;
review your current skills 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 all the skills you are already acquiring as part of your research programme.

What is expected of me as a Doctoral student?

PGRs are expected to undertake 60 hours (36 hours for part-time) of skills development annually. In your department or for PGRs on a doctoral training programme, completion of all 60 of these hours may be a strict requirement for upgrade to full PhD status and progression in subsequent annual reviews. The hours are separated into three framework areas: Research Focussed = 30 hours or (18 hours); Transferable Skills = 18 hours or (12 hours ); and Conferencing/Networking = 12 hours or (6 hours). Please see your department or doctoral training programme for specific details of requirements.

Skills development isn’t just about bookable training and other activities at Warwick and further afield can be included:

Training courses; Volunteering (e.g. Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) member);
Attending and/or presenting at a conference;
Teaching in your specific discipline.

This flexible approach to meeting the 60 (36) hour requirement enables you to demonstrate your professional development journey largely through their normal PhD related activities. 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. Please see your department or doctoral training programme for specific details.

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, and whilst there is no formal expectation for you to undertake the framework requirement of skills activities, should you wish to engage and record any activity or opportunity as part of your continued research then there is assistance and availability to do so.

What is expected of me as a non-Doctoral student?

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. It is not mandatory but adopts a best practice methodology for recording and reflecting on your personal and professional development.

Is it mandatory?

There is a strong expectation of engagement with Professional Development Training, especially if you are Research Council funded . However there is no consequence to your PhD from Warwick if you don't complete the ten days (or pro-rata for part time PGRs) each year. It is a supporting framework so you can engage with your professional development and skills fairly and equitably.

If you are Research Council funded we advise checking with your funding body in the first instance.

Are there any exemptions?

The University doesn’t have a policy for students to exempt themselves from the Framework, however the framework has been created to support you in your development and has a flexible approach. It shouldn’t be seen as compelling you to attend a series of courses or workshops that you feel do not add value to your research or skills base and therefore your development needs analysis, and communication with your supervisor/s, will allow you to make decisions as to relevant and beneficial activities and opportunities. There may be instances, for example if you already have extensive professional experience, where you may find the Framework useful in the support of recording and reflecting upon past experiences or reviewing additional opportunities.

What is being monitored?

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.

What activities count?

We are aware there are opportunities that could fit into one/two or three of the framework areas, or that you may not be sure where to list them. In the first instance, and as this is framework is adaptable, you and your supervisor/s may have a clear idea or wish to discuss further where you think your activity fits best. Alternatively you are more than welcome to email: PGRdevelopment@warwick.ac.uk and we will be able to advise.
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.

Please be advised that you are also expected to successfully complete any activities you undertake: this means not only attending but also engaging fully and interactively with the events and activities and reflecting on what you have learned.

It may be that you decide you would like to undertake an activity or course which doesn’t come under one of the six themes, although these are very varied, and one that is for your own personal satisfaction. If this doesn’t fit directly into the framework requirement, and this is where we would expect the relevance of the activity be open to discussion with your supervisor/s, these activities can still be undertaken and recorded but may not necessarily be included within the 18 (12) hours. We would expect the relevance of the activity, and where it should be placed, to be self-certified by you but may also be open to discussion with your supervisor/s.

Can I do more than is required?

FAQs

Where is the digital platform?

Go to Warwick SkillsForge

Warwick SkillsForge supports your Professional Development Framework. Find out more, including user guides, here.

How do I know which opportunities are best for me?

There are a number of ways you can find out which opportunities may be best for you, or that may help you develop or broaden your skills. You can either:

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 and will allow you the ability to reflect upon your current skills across the six themes and identify any needs;

3) Discuss your professional development with your supervisor/s or the Researcher Development Team to identify any needs.

What about language classes?

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.

What about online only courses?

The sessions that are delivered via the Researcher Development Online Teams site, if booked through Skills Forge, will all contribute to your activity log. There are a number of courses available for you to choose which are online modules only. As 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 would expect that online modules or courses that have some form of reflective tool, e.g. a questionnaire to assess your learning/understanding, would be able to be included within the framework requirements.

How does the PGCTSS fit into this?

It is expected that if you are successful in completing the PGCTSS transferable skills training and Doctoral Skills Programmes then you will meet, if not exceed, the minimum framework requirement.

If you are registered on the PGCTSS and are successfully completing bookable transferable skills modules, 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

Please also see your departmental practices for how the PGCTSS fits with the framework requirement.

Can a 3 day event count for all 3 days of transferable skills?

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.

What role does my supervisor(s) have?

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.

What if I have to travel outside Warwick?

As with many opportunities there will be times when you may have to travel a little further afield, for example you may be able to secure funding to present at a conference nationally or internationally. Whilst 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, we are unfortunately unable to add your travel time.

What happens if I don't complete enough activities?

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.

Return to the Researcher Development Online root page.