We are really pleased to announce that our IAD Research Staff programme for the Academic Year 2023/24 is now finalised and our workshops are now live and open for booking: Research Staff Programme
This year the workshop programme has been re-structured into new categories, to support researchers with their career planning and research strategy, the categories include:
- Professional Development
- Publications
- Research Projects
- Research Funding
- Research-Led Teaching
- Research Connections & Collaborations
- Careers
Alongside this, we have spent time over the summer looking in more detail at our workshops, feedback and engagement, whilst also reviewing some new workshops we recently piloted, which have allowed us to refresh what we offer. A summary of our new categories and what they contain include:
Professional Development
Any research strategy has you – the researcher – with all your expertise, existing and desired competencies, skills, and experience at the heart. The IAD offers a variety of resources, courses, and workshops that assist you in reflecting on your ambitions and career goals to develop a personal development plan and seek out targeted training as and where you need.
New workshops in this category include
- Building your Research Profile 1:1s
- Developing as a Mentor
Publications
Your research profile emerges from your publications and your research strategy, in turn, will relate to your publication plans. Academic publishing conventions may differ from discipline to discipline, and the writing process can (but doesn’t have to be) a solitary process.
New workshops in this category include
- From Thesis to Publication
- How to Get Your First Book Contract
The IAD also offers writing hours and retreats that enable you to carve out dedicated writing time for your publication plans. (And keep an eye out for the ‘WriteFest’ programme for November!)
Research Projects
As a researcher, you’ll complete, begin and develop research projects of various sizes. As you advance in your researcher career, projects will become more complex, involve research teams and project partners. In the process, you may seek out guidance or training on various aspects of a research project, from developing an idea to data management and public engagement plans.
The IAD works closely with the Library Support Team to offer workshops to assist you in that process.
Research Funding
To realise your research projects, you’ll require funding: whether to begin or complete a project, enable collaboration, create your own research post, recruit postdoctoral researchers or receive teaching buy-out, funding will be needed for something. Your first port of call is the Edinburgh Research Office. [Note that you may require to login to MyEd to access some of the ERO’s resources.]
The IAD offers complementary workshops and online guides that assist you in developing your grant writing skills, new workshops in this category include:
- How to Write your Fellowship Application
- Developing your Funding Profile
We also have a new online guide ‘A Comprehensive Guide to Fellowship Applications’
Research-Led Teaching
Depending on your employment contract, teaching may or may not be part of your responsibilities. Even if it isn’t, you may want it to be in the future. You may be supervising or mentoring PhD students or advising on MSc dissertation projects. Connecting your research projects with your teaching activities may form part of your research strategy.
The IAD offers support in your role as lecturer and supervisor.
Research Connections & Collaborations
Your research will be of value and interest to a variety of audiences and partners. As a researcher you are part of networks and actively seek out collaborators and project partners. Developing your research network will be a vital part of your research strategy.
Workshops of note in this category include
The IAD offers online resources and training events that enable you to enhance your networking and collaboration skills, along with finessing communication skills to reach different audiences, with refreshed workshops focused on
- How to Collaborate Effectively
- Interdisciplinary Collaborations
- Networking for Researchers – A strategic Approach
Careers
As you start your research, it’s important to ensure that you are also spending time on your career planning. Don’t leave it until the last minute and allow yourself time throughout your contract to do thinking and planning around your career strategy – also don’t forget about your 10 Days of Professional Development, as part of the Concordat.
Our Careers support has grown and strengthened, and we now have two dedicated career consultants to support our programme; delivering our workshops and 1:1 consultations.
New workshops in this category include
- Squiggly Careers and Your Options
- LinkedIn and Social Media Retreat
- Career Coaching with Peers (group drop-in sessions)
We are also working on careers support focused employer engagement (new project, watch this space).
Do have a look at what is on offer and carve out some time to focus on your professional and career development. For more information on our workshops and support this year visit: Research Staff Support.
Our new Research Staff Brochure is also now live on our website
We’d also love to hear from you, so if you have any comments/feedback about the programme, please do let us know: iad.researchers@ed.ac.uk
