Researcher Development Framework consultation

The Researcher Development Framework consultation is now closed - thank you to those who completed the survey. A full analysis of the data will be made available in early 2013. If you have any questions regarding researcher development or the Doctoral College please contact Miles Willey, Doctoral College Manager on m.willey@brighton.ac.uk.

This consultation document proposes a framework to support doctoral learning and competencies. The proposal represents a response to the Vitae Research Development Framework (RDF).

Contribute your views now.

There is widespread support across the sector for the adoption of a strategic and student-oriented approach to doctoral training. The aim being to facilitate the development of the students’ range of capabilities throughout their doctoral program and into their early research career. The RDF outcomes describe intellectual and practical skills to be acquired while undertaking research degrees. Read more here.

The Brighton Doctoral College wants to adopt a student-centred approach where students’ self-evaluation of need, in discussion with their supervisors, shapes their personalised learning program. Students can access a variety of researcher development options provided through modules, seminars, workshops, conferences or via distance and virtual learning media. The Brighton Doctoral College has identified competencies, or attributes, to underpin the key stages in the doctoral process. Progression is linked to the Vitae framework to facilitate a systematic and deliberative approach to researcher development.

This consultation focuses on the framework, the desired attributes we wish to encourage in all Brighton research students and how we might collate this information and share this between students and supervisors, DPSs’ and the Doctoral College. The purpose is to gather opinion on how the Doctoral College proposes to run a contemporary researcher development programme to address the expressed needs of students and supervisors alike.

We have posed questions throughout the document to guide the reader through the critical elements. We welcome constructive comments or suggestions that might not have been captured by these questions. Our pilot respondents have suggested this will take 30–40 minutes.

Respondents are asked to comment on how these attributes have been described and whether any other elements should be included in order to develop an agreed set of characteristics of a competent Brighton researcher at doctoral level.

The consultation is open until 30 November 2012 and feedback is welcomed from individuals (staff and students), or on behalf of teams, departments or institutions. Meetings to gather feedback will additionally be held at each site.

Responses will be treated in confidence, with a consultation summary to be made anonymous.

Please review the executive summary here, for more information. If you wish to discuss this proposal further please contact our Doctoral College manager, Miles Willey at m.willey@brighton.ac.uk.