Development Opportunities

Programme Lead: Dr Helal Ahmed
Email: h.ahmed@imperial.ac.uk
Personal web address: www.imperial.ac.uk/people/h.ahmed

Programme Information

Imperial College London is one of only a few institutions in the UK to provide a professional skills training programme for Master’s students. The MasterClass programme has been designed to complement academic study and courses have been scheduled to run at appropriate times throughout the academic session. 

The MasterClass programme provides opportunity to develop a range of personal and professional skills which add value to academic programmes and assist with developing skills for future employability. The programme is split in to the following innovation areas,

• Writing for Master's
• Mastering Presentations
• Research Effectiveness
• Understanding Yourself & Others
• Moving Forward

Further information about the courses in each of these areas can be found on the Master's webpages.

Programme Lead: Dr Magdalena Jara
Email: m.jara@imperial.ac.uk

Programme Information

The GTA Programme (GTAP) provides training and support to postgraduate researchers who are engaged as Graduate Teaching Assistants at Imperial. There are two core courses which discuss topics relevant to all GTAs at College:

• Introduction to Learning and Teaching
• Introduction to Assessment and Feedback for Learning

There are also optional courses which explore various questions related to learning and teaching, details of which can be found on the GTA webpages.

GTAP is accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA), so programme participants are eligible to gain professional recognition in the form of an Associate Fellowship of the HEA (AFHEA).

GTAP aims to,

1. Provide introductory training to enable participants to perform the role of GTA effectively and with confidence.
2. Introduce participants to a range of issues related to teaching and learning in higher education.
3. Support participants to gain professional recognition for their teaching in the form of an Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
4. Equip participants with valuable skills which can be built upon in an academic career or transferred to roles outside academia.

Programme Lead: Dr Paul Seldon
Email: p.seldon@imperial.ac.uk
Personal web page: www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.seldon

Programme Information

As a researcher you are expected to be a professional who can effectively work in the research environment and beyond utilising a range of skills. The courses in this programme allow you to understand your working preferences and strengths, improve your ability to deal with research challenges and manage the research process. Courses available develop your ability to work effectively alone and with others.

The aims of the “Professional Effectiveness Programme” are to better enable you to:

• Demonstrate a high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of others
• Develop your communication skills for successful interactions
• Develop your ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary and international teams
• Develop strategies for managing the challenges of the PhD
• Utilise resources effectively to aid the successful completion of your PhD

Further information about all of the courses available within this programme area can be found on the website.

Programme Lead: Dr Caroline Hargreaves
Email: caroline.hargreaves@imperial.ac.uk
Personal web page: www.imperial.ac.uk/people/caroline.hargreaves

Programme Information 

As doctoral researchers, you are asked to think ahead, this can be difficult when uncertainty is core to research. Doctoral alumni say they wish they had thought more about what they wanted to do, and how best to do it, both during the PhD and beyond. This suite of courses gives students the opportunity to reflect on how they want to progress during their PhD and their future career.

Details of all the ‘Professional Progression Programme’ courses are available to view on the website.

The aims of the ‘Professional Progression Programme’ are to enhance your ability to:

1. Clarify your motivations and interests (within your research and beyond).
2. Use tools to rationalise and express your views. 
3. Be aware of and know how to gain signposting to relevant contacts.
4. Devise an approach, appropriate for you, to explore what you want to do.
5. Become an informed and prepared individual, better able to attain your goals.

Programme Lead: Dr Katerina Michalickova
Email: k.michalickova@imperial.ac.uk
Personal web page: www.imperial.ac.uk/people/k.michalickova

Programme Information

The Research Computing and Data Science Programme consists of a range of courses in research design, programming and statistics, all of which aim to enable doctoral students to complete their research successfully and effectively. The courses are facilitated by members of staff in computing, statistics and academic departments. Programme participants also have the opportunity to learn from experienced peer GTAs, who design and deliver some of the courses. This provides an interesting perspective, as GTAs have a unique understanding of doctoral researchers’ needs.

The Research Computing Skills Programme aims to:

1. Complement the research support that doctoral researchers receive locally.
2. Provide training in a range of programming languages.
3. Enhance doctoral researchers’ ability to analyse data using a variety of statistical methods.
4. Develop doctoral researchers’ capacity to conduct research effectively.

Programme Lead: Dr Elena Forasacco
Email: e.forasacco@imperial.ac.uk
Personal web page: www.imperial.ac.uk/people/e.forasacco

Programme Information

Workshops in this programme will support participants with strategies and tips to become more efficient in communicating their research to their audience. Participants and tutors will share their knowledge, working together to enhance their skills and style with regard to:

• Preparing a literature review
• Writing a journal article
• Writing a thesis
• Reviewing a journal article
• Designing an engaging poster and practising the presentation
• Preparing an engaging presentation and practising presenting it

This programme enables participants to better understand:

1. the importance of tailoring oral and written communications to the audience
2. what tools are available to enhance the researcher’s communication skills
3. how to be critical and how to communicate the researcher’s critical thinking
4. how to write a doctoral thesis following the Imperial College regulations

Further information about courses in this programme can be found on the website.

Programme Lead: Dr Victoria Crossley
Email: v.crossley@imperial.ac.uk

Programme Information

The workshops, webinars, and retreat in this programme support participants with understanding and strategies on making an impact with their research. There are two approaches to this programme; one that focuses on personal success and one that explores communicating with different audiences.

This programme enables participants to better understand:

1. the importance of explaining the impact of your research
2. how to engage with different audiences: public, patients, government, business, and academic
3. what impact means for the different audiences
4. how engagement adds value to your research and your career

Further information about all of the courses available within this programme area can be found on the website.

Programme Lead: Dr Victoria Crossley
Email: v.crossley@imperial.ac.uk

Programme Information

Further information about this programme area can be found on the website.