November 2019 – UoB PGR Development

Spotlight on the RDF: “Perseverance”

In one of our occasional series of spotlights, we take a closer look at a specific descriptor from the RDF, in this case one which will be particularly useful 21 days into #AcWriMo!

In this series of “Spotlight on…” posts, we’ll be delving into the detail of the descriptors in Vitae‘s Researcher Development Framework (RDF). Each one of the sixty-three descriptors is a characteristic of an excellent researcher, and we’ll be looking at how UoB PGRs can develop these characteristics.

Elizabeth Warren: “Nevertheless, she persisted”

Perseverance is a valuable quality for a research programme, so much so that one of its synonyms is specifically mentioned in the Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Research Students: “a PhD is 10% intelligence and 90% persistence”. Perseverance requires self-discipline and motivation in general, but also specifically refers to your response when things go wrong. Continue reading “Spotlight on the RDF: “Perseverance””

Join The Conversation

This month is #AcWriMo (academic writing month), so Vicky Wallace, Research Skills Advisor, talks about academic writing, but perhaps not for an obvious audience.

What is The Conversation?

Launched in Australia in 2011, and then in the UK in 2013, The Conversation is an independent source of informed opinion from the academic and research community. The Conversation is funded by universities, research institutions, corporate bodies, foundations and reader donations, enabling it to be free for readers and authors. And PhD students may write for The Conversation! Continue reading “Join The Conversation”