Development opportunities for Research Staff

Published: 15 February 2019

Range of workshops available for Early Career Researchers

Employee & Organisational Development have a range of development opportunities available for Research Staff.  These workshops are suitable for Early Career Researchers.

Managing Research Projects – for Social Sciences / Arts - 5 March or 30 April (09:30-16:30)This workshop focuses on managing projects while working in collaborative teams. Participants, who are not line managers of research staff, will learn about managing relationships and how to work effectively with stakeholders. During the course, participants will be introduced to project management tools and techniques that will enable effective scoping, monitoring and management of their research projects.

Leading and Managing Research Projects – for MVLS / Science & Engineering (2-day workshop) – 11 & 12 March or 28 & 29 May (09:30-16:30 both days). This workshop focuses on how to scope and manage a research project and understand the importance of the management of risks and relationships. It develops participants’ awareness of how to manage simple and complex projects; working with stakeholders; how to lead and manage diverse teams as a project manager/in a Principal Investigator role; and how to plan, monitor and evaluate project success. Course participants should leave with a toolkit of project planning tools and techniques to equip them to lead successful research projects.

Managing Research Teams – 9 April (09:30-12:30) or 13 June (13:30-16:30)
As your academic career progresses you will often become a line manager for staff – most commonly research staff working on funded projects. Managing people and resources can be challenging, especially for staff who may be new to these responsibilities. This workshop explains the roles and responsibilities of a manager and provides a foundation for best practice approaches and techniques to achieve results with your team.

Leading without Formal Authority - 9 April (13:30-16:30) or 13 June (09:30-12:30)
In academic careers individuals often find themselves in a leadership position where they have no formal authority - for example, managing the delivery of a teaching programme or leading a collaborative research project. This workshop explores the unique challenges associated with this way of working and will provide practical advice on how to build leadership credibility and overcome challenges of having no"‘line" authority.

Communicating Effectively – 1 May (13:30-16:30) or 5 June (09:30-12:30)
Communicating clearly with others and with the desired impact is a skill that is essential for many staff - however it can be challenging at times. This workshop focuses on the critical elements for effective face-to-face verbal and non-verbal communication and can help to build self-confidence through various communication techniques.

Effective Management of Self & Workload – 14 May (09:30-12:30) or 12 June (09:30-12:30)
In the rapidly changing working environments, thorough planning and preparation are critical to success. This workshop explores the importance of setting personal work priorities to enable the effective achievement of goals and outcomes. Participants on this course will learn how to plan and manage their time and workload to ensure they maximise their efficiency.

Negotiating & Influencing Skills – 23 May (09:30-16:30)
The idea behind negotiation is coming to an agreement with another person or a group of people to come to a solution that is suitable for both people. Doing this off the cuff can be difficult: preparation is a must and having a process or methodology to follow will also help. Influencing differs in that it is about bringing people around to your way of thinking. It can be used alongside negotiation effectively to get to a win-win outcome.

To book onto a course, please login to the HR Self Service Portal. Booking information can be found on our website.


First published: 15 February 2019