POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH AT KENT 2018/19 Professor Paul Allain Dean of the Graduate School V1.0 To change the footer on every slide: 1. On the menu go to Insert > Header and Footer… 2. Select the Footer checkbox and enter the footer text in the accompanying text box 3. Click “Apply to All”

Our Mission To lead and champion the strategic development of provision for graduate education and research at the University of Kent. Key objectives To provide internationally distinctive, exciting and innovative programmes of study that combine academic excellence with an exceptional student experience and appropriate learning resources. To develop a strong and supportive infrastructure for graduate students in order to ensure that their academic and social interests are developed and appropriately provided for.

Meet the team Suzie Morris Head of Graduate School Administration S.M.Morris@kent.ac.uk Dr Jo Collins Postgraduate Development Advisor J.P.Collins@kent.ac.uk Abigail Stavroulakis- McMahon PA to the Dean and Graduate School Assistant graddean@kent.ac.uk Rosalind Beeching Graduate School Coordinator C.R.Beeching@kent.ac.uk Felicity Clifford Postgraduate Experience Officer F.Clifford-254@kent.ac.uk Deborah Molloy Graduate School Assistant D.Molloy@kent.ac.uk Carla Doolan Postgraduate Development Coordinator skills@kent.ac.uk Grace Grussenmeyer Graduate School Assistant graduateschool@kent.ac.uk Julia Gavriel Graduate School Administrator J.H.Gavriel@kent.ac.uk

Getting Started… Enrol...get IT account…pay fees! See your supervisor ...ways of working…teams Check if there are any taught courses you need to attend Check your access to office space/IT support Find out when the School holds research seminars and make sure you attend Find out who the Director of Graduate Studies for your School is Make plans for the year

Postgraduate Research Handbook Updated for 2018-19 Everything you need to know about being a postgraduate researcher at Kent Handbook Highlights: Student Services Graduate School support Regulatory information

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

Researcher Development Framework Transferable skills are the skills which once developed give graduates a clear edge in the job market and make researchers more effective and efficient in their work.

Kickstart your PhD: Researcher Development Assessment Workshop Compulsory for all PhD students 3 hour workshops held throughout the autumn term Workshop topics: the Researcher Development Programme, resources for PhD journey, responsibilities of PG researcher and supervisory relationship The workshop also helps you to reflect on and assess your current skills and introduces the Researcher Development Assessment (RDA) Once you have attended this workshop you will be prompted by the system to complete your RDA online. Work with your supervisor to complete the assessment and use this as the basis of your research and skills training Must attend this workshop AND complete online assessment as part of the Probation process All new first year PGRs are sent an email to advise them of the RDA workshop. This goes out every month until March. Once they have attended the RDA workshop and their attendance has been logged on the system then they can do their online skills audit 8

Researcher Development Programme Kickstart your PhD (first years) Writing skills workshops (one-to-one tutorials and writing retreats) Writing for journals and getting published Rapid reading Research methods and statistics (including: SPSS, LaTeX, MATLAB) Negotiation skills Information management skills Leadership Presentation skills and Impact Time / Stress Management Networking Research Ethics Teaching skills

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

Social Media and Website Twitter Website www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool Facebook @UniKentGradSchool

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

The annual Postgraduate Festival encompasses a variety of events, workshops and fun activities. The Festival provides a valuable opportunity for postgraduates to showcase their research, network and explore new connections amongst the PG and University community. 2018 Festival Highlights: Research Poster Presentations Tea and Talks #MyResearchKent Competition Chi Kung Building Community with Creative Minds Drums Alive Mastering CVs for a Career in Academia www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/news/pgfestival.html

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

GradPost A quarterly newsletter created by Postgraduates for the Postgraduate community. The GradPost Editorial Team Information on Gradpost opportunities that will look great on your CV and enhance your postgraduate experience at Kent can be found on our website: www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/news/gradpost/html For more information on how to get involved contact: gradpost@kent.ac.uk

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

Postgraduate Space Bookable student study and social space – top floor of Cornwallis East Woolf Foyer & Common Room – updates coming soon! Graduate School Training Room PCs and study hubs on campus www.kent.ac.uk/student/studying/pcrooms/index.html Postgraduate space in your school – this may be a common room or shared desk space Senate Postgraduate Study Hub – coming soon! 40 study PCs and study spaces Templeman Library – study carrels, student PC rooms, silent and social study rooms www.kent.ac.uk/is/templeman/pdf/services.pdf

Postgraduate Community Graduate School Researcher Development Programme Postgraduate Festival Dedicated PG Space GradPost Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Social Media and Website Postgraduate College Postgraduate Community Experience Awards Research Cafe Student-led Review of feedback and activities EXPERIENCE Staff engagement Multi-layer and interdisciplinary

Postgraduate Experience at Kent The survey says…… Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2018 Kent had the 3rd highest response rate in the sector 85% overall satisfaction. Ranked 5th out off 66 institutions surveyed for overall satisfaction Get involved and make your voice heard! Student Voice (Kent Union) Postgraduate Student Representatives School, Faculty, University Staff Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs) Postgraduate Student Surveys e.g. PRES Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA) The Graduate School

Student Voice There are a range of mechanisms you can use to provide feedback on the quality of your academic and social experiences as a postgraduate student at Kent. These mechanisms include: Staff Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs) https://www.kent.ac.uk/academic/sslc/index.html Speaking to Kent Union. They are your students’ union and exist to make sure your voice is heard. Talking to your Student Reps – student reps act as the link between the student body, Kent Union and the University. Speaking to your Supervisor or Academic Advisers. Send your feedback to the Graduate School https://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/feedback.html Footer text

Postgraduate Community BENEFITS Career & Personal Development Research & Transferable Skills Interdisciplinary research collaboration Access to a range of expertise Variety of opportunities Friendships & Social Media Public Engagement & impact Support & Networking Well-being

Other Resources

Kent Library To get you started the practicalities of using the library how to find your resources how to manage your references www.kent.ac.uk/library/students/postgraduate.html Find your Subject Guide and make the most of your Academic Liaison Librarian www.kent.ac.uk/library/subjects/index.html Use your library Research Support Team for help with Depositing your thesis in the Kent Academic Repository Copyright and licensing choices Open Access and funder requirements Looking after your research data www.kent.ac.uk/library/research/index.html 25

More support and help Student Learning Advisory Service Library www.kent.ac.uk/learning/programmes/postgraduate.html Library www.kent.ac.uk/library/students/postgraduate.html Careers and Employability Service www.kent.ac.uk/careers/

Working During Your Studies There are various opportunities to undertake paid and unpaid work during your studies. Benefits include: Earning extra income Networking and making new contacts Gaining experience and learning new skills Tier 4 Visa Students All Tier 4 postgraduate students may work up to 20 hours per week until the end of their course. PGR students may have the opportunity to undertake work placements which are integral to your PhD research. These opportunities should be discussed with your supervisor and School.

Employability Points Scheme Get Involved! Get Rewarded! Gain both ‘real life’ skills and work experience through the EP Scheme to stand out to prospective employers. Activities can include: volunteering, attending workshops, joining societies, working part-time, etc. Rewards range from internships, project placements, work experience, training sessions, assessment centres and vouchers! You can log activities and receive ‘points’ on MyFolio (https://myfolio.kent.ac.uk/myfolio/) 2015-16: Over 6,784 students 132 business and organisations 617 rewards 1. Take part in extra-curricular activities 2. Claim Employability Points Get rewarded! E: employabilitypoints@kent.ac.uk W: www.kent.ac.k/employabilitypoints 3. Get rewarded!

www.kent.ac.uk/unibuddy/ Can you spare up to one hour per week to respond to questions in a timely manner? Are you eager to share your experiences of being a student at Kent? Do you blog? Do you see yourself as a good role model? The new Buddy Scheme Plus has been launched and we are looking for postgraduate role models to represent the University and help convert prospective students. If you are interested in becoming a Buddy Scheme Plus Ambassador go online and complete the application form: https://app-eu.geckoform.com/public/#/modern/FOEU024be47s6Qbk Benefits 30 Employability Points for signing up 10 points for attending the training session Additional 10 points for the most committed ‘buddy’ per month Additional 5 points for best blog post per month Will count towards KSCV

Focus : Research and Research Training About Eastern ARC Kent, Essex and UEA (2013) Focus : Research and Research Training 3 initial thematic areas : Digital Humanities; Quantitative Social Sciences; Synthetic Biology Just by way of background…

Opportunities for Postgrads Access to advanced training at UEA and Essex (as well as Kent) Support for attending conferences / training or engaging in collaborative work No deadline; 1 application / student / year; relevance to Eastern ARC The Events Fund: £2k/faculty Workshops and Conferences: Film in Research; Statistical Ecology; Cabinet Decision Making and Public Policy; Critical Cartoons and Comics Find out more: http://easternarc.ac.uk Agreement to enable free training for Kent students at both UEA and Essex. Funding is then available from Kent to support attendance / travel to UEA/Essex AS WELL AS other institutional events – provided there is a relevance to Eastern ARC (eg it relates to one of the 3 themes or could lead to future collaborations with UEA or Essex colleagues) Annual fund, no deadline – ideally get applications in via the grad school 1 month before the event takes place. Events fund – to support student-led conferences/workshops on any theme. Apply to run your own OR get engaged in others…the list of events funded by Eastern Arc in 2016/17 is extensive and diverse and events are always advertised in the postgrad bulletin. If you want to learn about the research going on under the banner of E ARC you could also come along to the annual conference – this year taking place at UEA on 17 November.

ANY QUESTIONS?

This presentation was produced in September 2018 This presentation was produced in September 2018. The University of Kent makes every effort to ensure that the information contained in its publicity materials is fair and accurate and provide educational services as described. However, the courses, services and other matters may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date information see www.kent.ac.uk/pg Full details of our terms and conditions can be found at www.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions