GRADskills
Key details: GRADskills is operated by CEED for St Leonards College and supports the development of research postgraduate students to improve their research capability and widen their employability inside and outside of academia.
Booking not required
Audience
- PG research
Programme information
GRADskills is a suite of workshops and activities designed specifically for research postgraduate students (i.e. PhD, MPhil), delivered by the Centre for Education Enhancement and Development (CEED) for St Leonard's Postgraduate College.ÌýGRADskills aim is to support the development of all research postgraduate students at the University of 51ºÚÁÏ, to improve their research capability and widen their employability inside and outside of academia. .Ìý
Workshops are groupedÌýinto thematic bundles which roughly follow the trajectoryÌýof the research degree (first year, mid-way, final year).Ìý
Further online or asynchronous resources can be found on the .
More information on Vitae's Researcher Development Framework (RDF) and how you can use this to plan yourÌýprofessional development can be found .
Individual workshop booking links
Links below indicate an upcoming event, but please noteÌýbooking for each will open approximately five weeks ahead of each one. If a workshop title is not actively linked below, then dates for the current term have already passed and dates for the upcoming term have not yet been chosen. Further enquiries and last minute bookings (online bookings close the day before an event) should be directed to .
If you can no longer attend a workshop, please cancel your booking at least 2 working days in advance. Failure to do so may mean that future bookings are not approved.ÌýThis shows how to find, book and later print a certified training record.
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the overall learning experience, we are pleased to inform you about some significant updates to our courses. Starting Semester 2, 2024 for our PGR Courses. We will be implementing a new course etiquette; model policy and cancellation procedure specifically tailored to streamline administrative processes and provide clear expectations for students participating in workshops.Ìý
Key Changes:Ìý
Course Etiquette:Ìý
To foster a more collaborative and respectful learning environment, we have introduced a set of course etiquettes. These guidelines aim to promote constructive communication, inclusive participation, and a positive atmosphere during workshops. We believe that adhering to these etiquettes will contribute to a more enriching educational experience for everyone involved.Ìý
Model Policies for Workshop Participation:Ìý
Our new model policies outline the expectations and responsibilities of students participating in workshops. These policies cover various aspects, including attendance requirements, active engagement, and cancellations. By establishing clear guidelines, we aim to ensure that all students have a comprehensive understanding of what is expected of them, thus facilitating a smoother administrative process.Ìý
Cancellation Procedures:ÌýÌý
The new procedure outlines a step-by-step process for course cancellation, making it more transparent and straightforward for our students. We believe that this enhanced clarity will contribute to a more seamless experience for all participants.Ìý
The updated policy includes specific timeframes and requirements for cancellations, helping students understand when cancellations can be made and what information is needed to facilitate the process. This specificity is designed to eliminate confusion and promote a more efficient administrative workflow.Ìý
We encourage you to thoroughly review the new course etiquettes and model policies, which will be available here ( link here will be provided for the webpage below). Familiarising yourself with these guidelines will ensure a smoother transition into the updated learning environment.Ìý
Should you have any questions or need further clarification on any aspect of the new guidelines, please do not hesitate to reach out gradskills-pgr@ or ceed@ We are here to assist you and ensure that you have all the information you need.Ìý
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we implement these changes. Our goal is to create an educational environment that is conducive to your success, and we believe that these updates will contribute significantly to achieving that goal.Ìý
Thank you for being a valued member of our learning community.Ìý
Theme 1) Getting started
6 courses - these are all optional.
- An introduction to Endnote
- Monday 10 November 2025
- Thursday 26 February 2026
- Getting and staying organised for success
- Wednesday 15 October 2025
- Tuesday 27 January 2026
- Positive habits for your doctorate: Managing your time and wellbeing
- Postgraduate Researcher Welcome Event
- Monday 29 September 2025
- Monday 6 October 2025
- Monday 2 February 2026
- Wednesday 4 February 2026
- Wednesday 15 April 2026
- Monday 1 June 2026
- Wednesday 3 June 2026
- Rapid, critical and strategic reading
- Welcome event for taught postgraduates
- Tuesday 9 September 2025
Theme 2) Carrying out my research
10 courses - these are all optional.
- Build a research website in under three hours
- Copyright for research
- Copyright for teaching
- Finding funding during your PhD
- Friday 14 November 2025
- Let's Discuss...Imposter Syndrome (Postgraduate Researcher)
- Managing your research and working effectively with your supervisor (Arts)
- Managing your research and working effectively with your supervisor (Sciences)
- NVivo (day 1): Introducing the software and qualitative analysis
- Thursday 30 October 2025
- Monday 16 March 2026
- NVivo (day 2): Advanced features and customising your approach
- Friday 31 October 2025
- Tuesday 17 March 2026
- Research Data Management Plans: Starting from Scratch
Theme 3) Dealing with my data
6 courses - these are all optional.
- Data Management Skills
- Thursday 9 October 2025
- Thursday 23 October 2025
- Posters and graphical abstracts: how to present your science visually
- Research Data Management Plans: Starting from Scratch
- Research data underpinning theses: requirements and submission process
- Tuesday 7 October 2025
- Tuesday 18 November 2025
- Tuesday 24 February 2026
- Thursday 23 April 2026
- Research data: how to store and effectively manage them
- Research data: why, when and how to publish them
Theme 4) Conferences, networking, and public engagement
10 courses - these are all optional.
- 'This is what I do'...talking about your research
- Build a research website in under three hours
- Finding funding during your PhD
- Friday 14 November 2025
- Funny research: Bright Club stand-up comedy workshop
- Get podcasting! Creating your own podcast
- Introduction to Working with Policymakers
- Tuesday 28 October 2025
- Thursday 9 April 2026
- Online Kintish Networking Courses - /osds/my-development/kintish/ - PGR
- Pitch perfect: public speaking, networking & engaging
- Speak up for success: Voice coaching for everyone
- Writing conference abstracts, proposals and bios
- Wednesday 25 March 2026
Theme 5) Writing and publishing (in various media)
30 courses - these are all optional.
- A language approach to unpacking exam questions
- An introduction to Endnote
- Monday 10 November 2025
- Thursday 26 February 2026
- Artificial Intelligence writing tools and assessment
- Get podcasting! Creating your own podcast
- Grant writing: writing for success
- Friday 26 September 2025
- How to be your own best editor
- Is my writing 'academic' enough?
- Thursday 25 September 2025
- Tuesday 24 February 2026
- Language for introductions and conclusions
- Paraphrasing, summarising and synthesising
- Publish or perish: academic publishing in a nutshell
- Tuesday 3 February 2026
- Reporting information from sources vs. author voice
- Wednesday 8 October 2025
- The writing process: getting started
- Write your journal article! Abstracting your article
- Write your journal article! Advancing your argument
- Write your journal article! Analysing your evidence
- Write your journal article! Crafting your claims for significance
- Write your journal article! Designing your plan for writing
- Write your journal article! Editing your sentences
- Write your journal article! Opening and concluding your article
- Write your journal article! Presenting your evidence
- Write your journal article! Refining your works cited
- Write your journal article! Selecting a journal
- Write your journal article! Sending your article!
- Write your journal article! Strengthening your structure
- Writing a lab report (Sciences)
- Tuesday 10 February 2026
- Writing a lab report (Social Sciences)
- Writing a literature review in the Arts
- Wednesday 18 February 2026
- Tuesday 7 April 2026
- Writing a literature review in the Sciences
- Writing conference abstracts, proposals and bios
- Wednesday 25 March 2026
- Writing well: coherence, structure and argumentation
- Tuesday 11 November 2025
- Tuesday 17 February 2026
Theme 6) Teaching
12 courses - these are all optional.
- AI in education: algorithmic decision making
- Tuesday 7 October 2025
- AI in education: conversation online and the impact agenda
- Tuesday 3 February 2026
- Artificial Intelligence writing tools and assessment
- Assessment and academic misconduct: an introduction (Arts)
- Wednesday 10 September 2025
- Assessment and academic misconduct: an introduction (cross-faculty)
- Wednesday 27 August 2025
- Wednesday 8 October 2025
- Friday 23 January 2026
- Assessment and academic misconduct: an introduction (Science)
- Friday 12 September 2025
- Diversity in the workplace online training module
- Stepping into Teaching: Effective Lecturing for Postgraduates
- Student services: supporting students and teachers
- Wednesday 27 August 2025
- Tuesday 9 September 2025
- Thursday 11 September 2025
- Wednesday 8 October 2025
- Friday 23 January 2026
- Teaching at 51ºÚÁÏ: an introduction (Arts)
- Tuesday 9 September 2025
- Teaching at 51ºÚÁÏ: an introduction (cross-faculty)
- Tuesday 26 August 2025
- Tuesday 7 October 2025
- Thursday 22 January 2026
- Teaching at 51ºÚÁÏ: an introduction (Science)
- Thursday 11 September 2025
Theme 7) Finishing up: what's next?
13 courses - these are all optional.
- Career planning: exploring careers beyond academia
- Career planning: pursuing an academic career
- CVs and job applications: getting onto the short-list
- Friday 5 December 2025
- Thursday 30 April 2026
- From PhD to postdoc: making the transition (Arts/Divinity)
- From PhD to postdoc: making the transition (Sciences/Medicine)
- Fundraising your first postdoc
- Grant writing: writing for success
- Friday 26 September 2025
- HEA Associate Fellow Application workshop
- HEA Senior Fellow Application workshop
- Influencing skills: How to handle challenging conversations to achieve your goals
- Interview skills: academic and competency based interviews
- Preparing for your Viva
- Tuesday 18 November 2025
- Thursday 12 March 2026
- Submitting your final thesis to the Library: What you need to know
Programme organiser
IELLI
Email: ielli@st-andrews.ac.uk