UCD Research and Professional Development Planning and Implementation

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UCD Research and Professional Development
Planning and Implementation
Dr Emer Cunningham Graduate Studies
Office University College Dublin IUA Fourth level
network Annual Conference, Trinity College,
Dublin Tuesday 10th November 09
UCD Graduate Studies Office
UCD Oifig an Léinn Dochtúireachta
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UCD Structured PhD

• Key Elements
• Doctoral Studies Panel
• Research and Professional Development Plan
• Transferable Skills training
• Credits and Modules
• Progression

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• What is it?
• A Planning tool for the timely progression and
  completion of the students research and
  professional development
• A Framework that facilitates communication
  between students and their supervisors by giving
  the discussion a structure

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• The Aim of the RPDP is to Create PhD graduates
  who
• Have specific research skill and general
  professional skills
• Have a greater awareness of their opportunities
  worth
• More employable both in academia and outside
  academia.

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Structure of RPDP
• 1) Research Planning
• 2) Professional Development Planning
• 3) Doctoral Studies Panel Meetings Record

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Research Planning
• Guidelines for preparing a research plan and
  using it as a roadmap during the students
  doctoral programme
• Flexible
• Is a useful resource when it comes to writing up
• Best Practice

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Professional Development Plan-1
• Guidelines are provided to help the student
  identify the skills the student has and those
  which they need and to what level
• Provides a format to plan for the development of
  these skills
• Builds into a record of skills developed over the
  course of study.
• Important for future employment opportunities

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Professional Development Plan-2
• Self Assessment of Existing Skill Set and
  identify needs
• Ethics
• Communication Skills
• Personal Effectiveness
• Team working /Leadership
• Career Management
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Meetings
• The RPDP process involves the formal
  documentation of a series of regular meetings
  between the student, their supervisor and their
  doctoral studies Panel.
• It is recommended that the students has a
  formal meeting within the first month of their
  arrival at UCD then at 3 month, 6 month 12
  months intervals.

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan
Doctoral Studies Panel
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• Monitors progress of
• student with RPDP
• Offers advice guidance
• RPDP can be used to to advise on
• transfer final submission

School Office

• Holds RPDP
• records
• Sends reminders
• receipt for
• submission

PhD Student

• Owns RPDP
• Completes RPDP in
• consultation with
• Supervisor DSP
• Responsible for
• timely submission

PhD Supervisor

• Supports student
• in the development
• completion
• Responsible for
• sign-off of relevant
• sections
• Reviews RPDP to
• advise on transfer
• and final submission

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Background
• Based on a PDP developed in University College
  London
• Piloted in UCD with a group of 85 PhD students
  who started in Sept 06
• Monitored and reviewed 2006-2007
• Amended versions in place for all UCD PhD
  students from Sept 07, further updated for 08
  intake

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Survey of 2006 PhD Students and their Supervisors
• Online survey
• Discussion sessions with Supervisors
• 3) Coffee mornings with students

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UCD Research and Professional Development Plan

• Results of online Surveys
• 66 of students and supervisors believed the
  RPDP a useful tool in progressing a student
  through their PhD programme
• 83 of students 75 of supervisors believed
  completion of a Research Plan is an important
  tool to aid the students research.
• 92 of supervisors agreed or strongly agreed that
  it is beneficial for students to use the RPDP to
  develop their professional skills.

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Positives of RPDP

• Significant buy-in from students
• RPDP considered to contain relevant questions
• Keeps student focused
• Regular formalised meetings were viewed as
  essential ensuring the researcher is prepared for
  and have thought about the important issues for
  discussion
• Meetings generate momentum
• Framework was considered useful by supervisors to
  provide quality supervision

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Weaknesses of RPDP

• There had been a lack of communication with
  Supervisors regarding the RPDP
• Original version in 2006 was considered too long
  and there was too much jargon
• Original version in 2006 Perceived as too formal
  and over complicated
• No formal acknowledgement of receipt of
  documentation by the Graduate School
• Professional Development Plan needs to take into
  account the variety of ages/experiences of
  students

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Recommendations

• Imperative to involve the Supervisor in RPDP
  Planning from the outset- rolling information
  sessions
• Engage with the RPDP at the earliest opportunity
  to gain the most benefit
• Have a flexible approach to the documentation
  -College specific versions designed

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