For more information on your College Graduate School:

PGR Induction Week

Welcome new PGRs!

The University offers a week-long programme of talks and events in both October and January to welcome PGRs into the UofG community. The week includes in-person and online opportunities to meet key people and services who can help on the research journey.  

The next Induction Week will be in October 2023. Researchers who started their studies in the previous 6-12 months are very welcome to attend any or all of the induction week events.

You can read about the sessions by clicking the drop-down boxes below. Note that some sessions are online and some are in person on campus. There are also self-paced resources and links to useful services that you can access as alternatives to live events.

For more information on your College Graduate School:

Meet Your College and School

Welcome to Induction Week

This short, practical information session will tell you what is on offer during PGR Induction Week, and how to book and attend. Many of the events across the week are repeated to allow you to create a mix and match programme. There are also self-paced induction materials that you can use as alternative, stand-alone resources. The session will highlight which sessions are strongly recommended for all PGRs and which are offered in case they meet your needs and interests. 

Online Live: Monday 23 January 2023. 10.00-10.30. Book here.

TO find out more watch this video: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c36nrbVt60Z

 

Graduate School Welcomes

The University of Glasgow has four colleges: College of Arts (ARTS), College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Science (MVLS), College of Social Sciences (COSS), and College of Science and Engineering (COSE).

Each college has an overarching Graduate School which supports your School or Institute with all aspects of your postgraduate research. This session is a chance for your graduate school Dean, Manager, and wider team to welcome you to #TeamUofG.  

 To find out more about your college Graduate School:

College Events

Your College (Arts, COSE, COSS, or MVLS) is made up of a number of schools. These are the disciplinary units of the University. They will run welcome events and other development opportunities both during induction week and across the year. These are the schools at UofGlasgow:

College of Arts:

  • School of Critical Studies
  • School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • School of Humanities/ Sgoil nan Daonnachdan
  • School of Modern Languages and Cultures

College of Science and Engineering:

  • School of Chemistry
  • School of Computing Science
  • James Watt School of Engineering
  • School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
  • School of Mathematics & Statistics
  • School of Physics & Astronomy

College of Social Sciences:

  • Adam Smith Business School
  • School of Education
  • School of Interdisciplinary Studies
  • School of Law
  • School of Social and Political Sciences

College of Medicine, Veterinary, and Life Sciences: 

  • School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
  • School of Cancer Studies
  • School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
  • School of Health and Wellbeing
  • School of Infection and Immunity
  • School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing
  • School of Molecular Biosciences
  • School of Psychology and Neuroscience
 

Practical Tools for Researchers

Researcher Development

The PhD is not just the PhD! During your research you will have lots of opportunities to get additional training, do public engagement, undertake internships, teaching, and mentoring, and more. Researcher development is the collective term for this portfolio of things that you do alongside your PhD to enrich your transferable skills, foster your talents, and enrich your professional prospects.  Like many universities, Glasgow uses the Vitae Researcher Development Framework to help you frame your researcher development. This interactive session will get you thinking about what opportunities are available, and help you plan and log your own development. 

 

Self-paced: Watch this short summary video.

Useful (if slightly dull) things you need to know

The PhD journey is a marathon, not a sprint, and there will be a lot of information to take in over the first weeks of your research. This session summarises some of the systems, processes, and milestones to keep in mind. It will signpost useful people and resources, as well as touching on tools and techniques that help you build sustainable working practices during your PhD.

Self-paced: Review the slides from this session, which contain lots of links to useful services and resources across UofG here.

 

Getting Started with Literature Reviews

The literature review is one of the first sections of a thesis and often the first ‘task’ you will be set by your supervisory team. It might be a separate chapter within your thesis, or part of a general background section.  But what is required of a literature review and how do you effectively collate and synthesise all the information you need? We will talk about your experience of writing literature reviews in the past and do some thinking about different types of literature review structure, library resources, reference management, and what it means to critically appraise information at doctoral level. You will get the most out of this session if you review the self-paced materials before you come. 

Self-paced: Work through the self-paced materials below. They will probably take you around 1 hour.   

College of MVLS/COSE/COSS:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/hyePwuv4MxY0gKb78X1TdKMMZsnVuNef. 

College of ARTS:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/iT65Y39pJ-BjI1BcDvNFiAMUDWJYqy5r   

There are also regular training workshops on writing the literature review throughout the academic year, which can be booked here.

The Secret to a Stylish Thesis

Formatting your thesis so it looks like a professional document that follows the conventions of an academic dissertation is not something to leave to the end of the process. You can save yourself a lot of editorial time by setting up and using templates and conventions as you go along. This is often one of our most popular induction events, as the IT training team take you through the process, with a wealth of tips and tricks to speed up your typing as you go along.

Self-paced: Work through these materials. They will probably take around 45 mins https://rise.articulate.com/share/0ozgmFbEGN9_1_luDtFH6gNnhKDcijap    

There are also regular training courses on formatting Word throughout the academic year, which can be booked here.

Working with your Supervisor

The relationship between research student and supervisor is critical to your PhD, so it is important to develop an effective working partnership from the start. This self-paced resource looks at the likely roles and responsibilities of supervisor and researcher. It introduces the research cycle and the changing demands on students as the PhD progresses; the Code of Practice for Research Students, so you are aware of the responsibilities of supervisor, school and institution; and good practice for developing a professional relationship.

Self paced: Watch this 50 mins video by Dan Soule. Dan did his PhD at UofG, and does our researcher development training on working with your supervisor: https://youtu.be/1Tio47wrY0E

There are regular workshops on Working With Your Supervisor throughout the academic year, which can be booked here.

Taking Stock: Plan your space and time

Taking Stock is a self-paced resource that explores tools and processes that could help you build sustainable working practices during your PhD. There are suggestions to help you to identify your work patterns; get the best out of your study spaces; ideas on how to use online project planning apps; tips on how to use communication tools to keep in touch with your supervisor, and our thoughts on why a thesis journal could be your best friend on the PGR journey. 

Self-paced: Work through these materials. They will take around 45 mins. 

Colleges of MVLS/COSE/COSS:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/009qrh9NipXt6XzA0VewND-WZPSO4CZ4 

College of ARTS:

 https://rise.articulate.com/share/LqPNj7U2tTgPeVHTcyWg5YMabGJt9Kl- 

Managing Your Data

Research data takes many forms, ranging from measurements, numbers and images to documents and publications.  The University’s Data Management Team are here to make the process smooth and easy for you. These self-paced resources are full of practical ideas for writing your Data Management Plan and organising your research findings to make sure you can access them quickly, easily and securely in the future.  This is also excellent preparation if you will need to write an ethics application for your research. 

Self-paced: Work through these materials. They will take around 45 mins.

There is also mandatory self paced training on Data Management for all Year 1 PGRs, which can be accessed here. Additionally there are regular synchronous training workshops throughout the academic year which can be booked here.

 

Sharing Your Research

As you find out new things in your research, you are going to want to share these with others. One way to do this is to build a professional online presence as a researcher. Another is by giving presentations, both within your school or institute, and at conferences. These self-paced materials suggest that you cultivate a digital footprint which is visible, credible, consistent and something you are comfortable with. They introduce academic conferences, in particular the shift to online conferences, and give practical ways that you can engage in the networking aspects of such events. There is also advice on planning and evaluating conference talks and posters, and on how to present research engagingly and for maximum impact. It’s time to get creative! 

Self-paced: First watch this video on why it is worth having an elevator pitch for your research.

Now work through these materials. They will take around an hour.  

Colleges of MVLS/COSE/COSS:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/KLD53FRT-buw6OQ7iqvvT8-bx9eR4lFn 

College of ARTS:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/6sJWPrbAN-hQ88EJdo5Au1AUfNucuQXN  

The Final Stretch

After years of passion and hard work, eventually you will reach the final mile towards submitting your thesis. The final few months of a PhD are daunting for anyone.  Even more so if you are also trying to job-hunt at the same time. These materials give you an early glimpse into the final stages of a PhD, so that you know what's coming! 

Self-paced: Work through these materials. They will take around 45 mins.  

University Services

University Services Fair

This longer, drop-in session is an opportunity for you to meet some UofG teams that you will find useful as a PGR. It is a chance for you to have a conversation with our Subject Librarians, the Data Management Team, the Research Integrity Team, the PhD Society, and lots more. Drop into the ARC Researcher Development Suite to wander round the ‘stalls’ and get personalised answers to your questions.

Self-paced: Please see these videos from previous inductions.

 

UofG Sports

There are two sports facilities at UofG: the Stevenson Building (fondly known as “The Stevie”) at the heart of the Gilmorehill campus, and the Garscube Sports Complex, about 4 miles west of the main campus. These facilities are home to an extensive range of state-of-the-art gyms, exercise classes, sports halls, all-weather pitches, Revolve cycling studio, a 25 meter swimming pool, sauna and steam room. Additionally they offer wellbeing and coaching support, as well as being the basecamp for the huge range of sports clubs and societies at the University. All this for £149 per year. Find out more at: www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/.

 

Library Tour

12 stories high, with millions of digital and physical resources, including a superb special collections department, UofG's world-leading library is one of the oldest and largest in Europe. Take a tour around this iconic building and get familiar with its collections and layout. The library runs daily tours, which can be booked below. 

Self-paced: Watch this video introducing the library services, and take a look at the floor plans and VR tours of the library. 

International Student Support

If you are an international student joining #TeamUofG for the first time, this is an opportunity to find out more about what support the university offers, and to ask questions of the International Student Support team.  

Self-paced: Take a look at the International Student Support team’s webpage: https://www.gla.ac.uk/international/support/ 

Researcher Representation

The Student Representative Council (SRC) ensures that your voice and needs are represented and heard at the University. This short session introduces some of the peer-to-peer support and the governance structures at UofG, as well as opportunities for you to get involved, for example through the PhD Society (a university club for all PGRs). 

Self-paced:

Watch this short video about what the SRC does, and read more about them on the SRC webpage  You can find out more about the university structure and policies from the Academic Policy and Governance page. To be involved in more informal representation channels, as well as meet other PGRs from across the university, join the PhD Society Teams Site.

 

Careers in Focus

It might seem strange to be talking about careers when you are just starting your research, but it is helpful to keep the long view in mind as you embark on your project. Whether you hope to pursue the academic path, are interested in non-academic careers in HE, want to start your own business, or intend to transfer your skills into the industry, policy, or social sectors, UofG has a PGR Careers Manager who can help smooth the path. In this short session they will give you ideas of what other UofG researchers have gone on to do after their PhD, outline what services the university has for researchers and suggest tools to help you reflect on your skills, strengths and values, and how these might impact on your choices.  

Self-paced: Work through these materials. They will take around an hour to complete. 

 

Personal and Campus Safety

Glasgow is a very safe city, and you should not be worried about living, researching and travelling here. Nevertheless, it is always better to be safe than sorry. The UofG Campus Security team is responsible for creating and maintaining an environment for you to study, work, and live in safely. In this session they will introduce you to the SafeZone App, a must-have for everyone to enable the team to keep you safe 24 hours a day, whether on campus or away from it. The team also leads on other security provision such as the ‘Get Home Safe’ taxi scheme and lost property. They are good people to know! 

Self-paced:

PGR Community and Wellbeing

Wellbeing and Inclusion

Doing research is exciting, but also daunting. It is helpful to put in place good strategies from the start. Whether you are worried about time management, procrastination, imposter syndrome, making friends, or work-life balance, the Wellbeing team are running this advice session to help you build mechanisms for handling some of the hurdles all researchers face. This session will also let you know about the wider support landscape and services that you can access at the University, including the disability service, counselling & psychological services, chaplaincy service, student support officers, peer-wellbeing service and more.  

Self-paced: Work through these materials on Postgraduate Wellbeing:

 https://rise.articulate.com/share/q3qlsR2TmRRl0oJag_z2y52nVae7DGtr#/.

You can also review the student services webpages: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/studentservices/  

PGR Pizza Party

Who doesn’t love free pizza? This social gathering is simply an opportunity for you to meet fellow researchers from disciplines across UofG, make some friends, and eat some pizza. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options will be available, and soft drinks will be provided. 

 

 

Campus Tours

Take a turn about our beautiful Gilmorehill Campus with fellow PGRs. You’ll get to meet other new researchers in real life, work out where all the buildings are, learn some fun facts about the University, and stretch your legs in good company. 

Self-paced: Check out this video from your fellow PGR, Charlie Rex. There is also a video tour of the Dumfries campus here.

'How to Fail Your Research Degree' Game

Build a fake research project. Watch in horror as events destroy it and learn how to avoid these risks in real life!

This tabletop board game, played in small teams, is a light-hearted way to reflect on how you will plan your research, some of the risks and pitfalls that can affect it, and the academic skills and activities you will need for success. You could watch a 3-minute run-through first to see if this is for you: http://howtofailyourresearchdegree.com/. 

Grill a PGR

So you have been to all the sessions about different services at the University of Glasgow, but honestly, what is it REALLY like to do postgraduate research? We round off Induction Week with a staff-free zone. Join a panel of willing PGRs from across the Graduate Schools to ask them all the hard questions!  

Self-paced: Watch this video from a fellow PGR about their experience.   

You could also watch PGR talks from previous This PhD Life conferences: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/ris/researcherdevelopment/pgr/this-pgr-life/  

Part-Time Research: Getting Started

If you are doing your PhD part-time alongside other things, it can sometimes seem difficult to find other researchers in the same position. This informal virtual meet-up is a chance to talk about the distinctive features of part-time research. Using a few prompt questions we will break into groups and share experiences and advice about non-full-time researcher life at UofG.

Run Talk Run

If you are the kind of person who fancies kicking off the weekend with a bit of physical and mental fitness work or have been meaning to dust off those trainers and get out and meet others, Run Talk Run is for you! This weekly 5km jog is for all runner abilities and is a friendly space for folks to talk about how they are doing. It provides a confidential and non-judgmental outlet to chat, meet new people, speak about what's on your mind, and to burn off some of the week’s adrenaline. There is no pressure to ‘keep up’, just a chance to meet with other people from across all areas of the University and finish off the week in a positive, active space. 

To join:

  • Download and register for the 'Heylo' app, or click here.
  • Join the 'Run Talk Run Scotland' group.
  • Go to the 'Events' tab.
  • RSVP to the 'Glasgow University Avenue' run.

Format 

In person: Every Friday, 18.00-19.00. Meet outside the Wolfson Building on University Avenue.

PGR Gardening

Tucked down Viewfield Lane is something of a Gilmorehill campus secret. The Viewfield Gardens are community spaces for growing vegetables, flowers, and for taking time out of study and research. The PGR Gardening Group meets every Wednesday at 5pm to cultivate these spaces. Join the group for an introduction to the group and the gardens led by the Researcher Development intern team. Be prepared to be outdoors and to get a little muddy. Please be aware that, unfortunately, Viewfield Lane gardens are not yet wheelchair accessible. 

In person: Wednesday 25 January 2023. 13.00-14.30. Viewfield Lane Gardens. Book here.

 

This PhD Life

Conferences are a big part of academic community and knowledge sharing. Go to your very first one straight away with the one-day, online This PhD Life symposium. This by-researchers-for-researchers event is a chance to hear talks from your UofG peers about what the PhD journey is really like: from managing your time, to handling your supervisory team, to planning your writing and more. Do some networking, make some new friends, and learn what it is like to go to an online conference all in one event! 

Self-paced: Watch recordings of previous This PhD Life conference papers here.