Welcome to our weekly update highlighting news and upcoming events for the PGR community for the week ending 16 October 2020.
In our edition this week:
- Extended Opening Hours for Bookable Workspace in Charles Street
- Research Ethics session for new SHU PGR students
- Planning your Development as a New Researcher – Where to Start
- Research Institute Dialogue Session: Ageing
- Events and opportunities from the SHU Students’ Union PGR Society
- Maths and Statistics Support Service
- Library Research Support Webinars and Skills Centre Sessions
- PubhD Sheffield Online #2
- The Brilliant Club – Opportunities for 2020-21
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1. Extended Opening Hours for Bookable Workspace in Charles Street
The opening hours of the bookable workspace in the Charles Street building have been extended. Access is now available from 0800 – 1900 Monday to Friday. As previously, bookings should be made via Resource Booker, and full instructions on this can be found on the RESEARCH DEGREES Blackboard site within the Coronavirus information folder.
Please note that the on campus bookable workspace is aimed at PGR students whose home set up / arrangements are not conducive to working from home. PGRs who can work at home should continue to do so, using online supervision meetings and online support as previously.
MERI labs and specialist PCs are planned to open on Monday 19 October.
Please refer to the Coronavirus Information tab on the RESEARCH DEGREES Blackboard site to keep up to date with amendments to, and support for, PGR study during the coronavirus situation.
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2. Research Ethics session for new SHU PGR students
If you are a new SHU PGR student you should have received an email inviting you to a Research Ethics session on Thursday 22 October from 1030-1200 BST
In this session, SHU Head of Research Ethics, Professor Ann Macaskill, will be introducing you to Ethics in the context of Doctoral Research and addressing key questions:
- Why do Ethics matter?
- What are your responsibilities?
- How do you apply for Ethical approval?
- What can go wrong?
Prof Macaskill will also briefly introduce you to the Converis system, used at the University to submit your applications for Research Ethics approval.
There will be a chance to ask questions within the session about any points raised or any concerns that you may have. We’ll be running the session through Blackboard Collaborate on the Research Degrees Blackboard Site and resources will be uploaded there after the session for anyone who is unable to attend.
Please book your place via Eventbrite using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ethics-briefing-for-new-doctoral-students-tickets-125338461713.
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3. Planning your Development as a New Researcher – Where to Start? | Thursday 29 October | 1400-1500
As a researcher you will be developing a unique set of knowledge, skills and behaviours that are important both for timely completion of your research degree and your future professional success. Success looks different for all of us, so it is up to you to decide what your priorities are, how you need to develop and how that can be achieved.
Dr Elizabeth Scanlon is leading a session to take you through the process of Development Needs Analysis against the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) that is required for RF1. There will be the chance for discussion to help you identify what you need to know right now and seek out opportunities for practising, improving and reflecting on these skills.
This session is for all Doctoral Students across SHU and is aimed at those in the first 3 months of doctoral study (6 months if part-time) i.e. pre-RF1 stage.
Further information about the session can be found on the Doctoral School blog on Planning your Development Link
Please book your place at the event on Eventbrite via: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/planning-your-development-as-a-new-researcher-where-to-start-tickets-125309073813
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4. Research Institute Dialogue Session: Ageing
Building on the success of the CK online conference this year the four Research Institutes would like to invite you to join us for a new series of online dialogues for 2020-2021.
Each dialogue session will have a different inter-disciplinary focus, the first dialogue session on Wednesday 21 October, 1530-1700 BST will be on ageing.
The aim of the dialogue sessions is to bring researchers together from different disciplines and perspectives to look at the unsolved issues around a themed area. A number of outcomes are anticipated from these events:
- The opportunity for researchers and academics to make connections with individuals working in a similar field from an area outside their immediate department, College or Research Centre.
- The possibility of building future research proposals around the areas of need identified through the discussions.
The 90 minute sessions will include a 30-45 minute discussion from a panel facilitated by a chair (the chair will be one of the Research Institute Directors). This will be followed by an open discussion where audience members can join the debate. PGR students are welcome.
To book for this first dialogue session please use the Eventbrite link here.
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5. Events and opportunities from the SHU Students’ Union PGR Society
Nominations are now open for committee roles
Are you interested in getting more involved in the SHSU PGR society and the committee? There is a great opportunity to nominate yourself for a committee role from Monday 19 October 1300 BST. Please see: https://hallamstudentsunion.com/soc/prss/ (scroll right to the bottom!). You can also join the SHSU PGR Society at that link and there is an opportunity to connect with the group on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shsuprss
Weekly Focus Thursday
Join other SHU PGR students via Zoom on a Thursday 0930-1130 BST
Every Thursday the SHU PGR Society meets on Zoom to work in 30-minute blocks interspersed with opportunities for quick chats/short conversations. Thirty minutes is a good time frame to keep focused. You can spend the time reading, writing, or thinking, and chatting with fellow students in the break can be a great way to acknowledge your progress or get tips on how to ‘get out of a rut’ or shift ‘writer’s block’. Peer motivation can make a massive difference to our study practices.
The Focus Thursday initiative offers a means of supporting your productivity in a social setting. You can attend as often or as little as you wish. We will send out a link to all members. Join here: https://www.hallamstudentsunion.com/soc/prss/
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6. Maths and Statistics Support Service
Did you know that there is a free Maths and Statistics Support Service provided at Hallam for students from any course, including PGRs? Help is available for any problems you might be having with mathematical or statistics content, any aspect of quantitative research and even with numeracy aptitude tests as part of job applications.
In semester 1 the Maths and Statistics Support Service is offering one-to-one Maths Support via online drop-in sessions
Bookable online appointments for individuals or small groups are available for Statistics Support throughout most of the year and key information can be found on this website.
There is also a wide range of maths and statistics resources available for you to browse through, including a new interactive statistical test chooser
Please direct any specific queries and feedback to Sarah Woodall for Maths Support or Ellen Marshall for Statistics Support.
You can follow the Maths and Statistics Support Service team on Twitter: @SHU_MASS
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7. Library Research Support Webinars and Skills Centre Sessions
Next week there are some great Library Research Support Webinars happening to support researchers at different stages of the doctorate. If you click on the links below you should be able to book your place via Unihub:
Tuesday 20 Oct 2020, 1000 – 1100 Library Research Support webinar – Open Access publishing – An introduction to open access
Wednesday 21 Oct 2020, 1000 to 1100 Library Research Support webinar – Your finished thesis – Session covering adding your completed thesis and related data to the university research archives
Thursday 22 Oct 2020, 1400 – 1500 Library Research Support webinar – Reference management using RefWorks – Introductory session on RefWorks
Friday 23 Oct 2020, 1400 – 1500 Library Research Support webinar – Research data management – Introductory session on research data management
Friday 23 Oct 2020, 1400 – 1500 Library Research Support webinar – Choosing where to publish – Introduction to important issues in choosing where to publish
If you are interested in a session but cannot attend next week, please see the Doctoral School blog on https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/doctoralschool/webinars-from-the-library-research-support-team-and-skills-centre/ or the Skills Centre page on Unihub https://libguides.shu.ac.uk/skillscentre/events/doctoral_skills as some of these sessions will be repeated on other dates, and new dates are continually being added.
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8. PubhD Sheffield Online #2
The second monthly PubhD event of academic year 2020/21 is running online on Wednesday 21 October, 1900-2030 BST featuring talks from Sheffield PGR students on: climate change and fictional authors; understanding antibiotic resistance; utopian studies and the Hebrew Bible. This is a great opportunity to observe PGR publication engagement skills in action.
If you’d like to attend the Google Meet, please fill out the form on the pubhdsheffield site. You can also find PubHD Sheffield on social media: @PubhDSheffield on Twitter and PubhD Sheffield group on Facebook.
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9. The Brilliant Club – opportunities for 2020-21
The Brilliant Club is an award-winning university access charity. They recruit and train doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to deliver programmes of university-style teaching to pupils in schools that serve under-represented communities.
You can find out more about the work of the Brilliant Club and the current opportunities available on via the following link: Link to Brilliant Club on Doctoral School Blog
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If you would like to share any good news stories, highlight any events that might be of interest to the SHU PGR community or wish to request any specific development sessions that would appeal to cross-disciplinary PGR students or supervisors, please get in touch via doctoralschool@shu.ac.uk We’re always pleased to hear from you.
Looking after our physical and mental health remains important. You can find help and information about supporting your wellbeing via the University website on https://www.shu.ac.uk/wellbeing
Although we are facing restrictions on meeting indoors socially, we are always pleased to meet members of our PGR community face-to-face online at our Friday morning Drop-in PGR Virtual Café (1000-1100 BST every week). It’s important to keep connecting with others. Please join us via https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/89bfd7f66eec43798d8286d9ef0830c3
Best wishes
Nicola, Elizabeth and Liz