Colleges, Schools, DTP training

Languages for All is a specialised language teaching division of the Department of Modern Languages, which provides free language courses for students and staff.

In addition, the following opportunity is open to CAL students:

Reading [a Language] for Researchers

• French, German and Arabic
• Learn to read in the target language specifically for the purpose of research (this is not a standard language course!)
• Live Online: on campus or DL
• Students are taught by a mixture of tutor-led and workshop sessions, typically alternating between the two.
• Register: Stella Hart at matranslation@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Information about other training opportunities can be found in School PGR Canvas Courses.

CoSS offers a range of research methods training opportunities linked to the MGS DTP. Primarily these are in the format of core and advanced research training modules, available to all CoSS PGRs. Details can be found on our Canvas PGR Hub.

In addition, CoSS all host seminars/workshops for researchers through the CoSS Essentials series.

Individual Schools/Departments have their own seminars/events/workshops, so please check with your respective Schools for more further information.

A summary of training opportunities available to PGRs in EPS is provided below by School. PGRs are advised to contact their PGR administrator and/or check their School Canvas course for further information.

Chemical Engineering

• Thesis Writing Workshop open to Final year students and covers the following:
  • University regulations and paperwork required in order to submit a thesis
  • what is expected from each thesis chapter and how to start drafting a thesis
  • how a viva works and what the outcomes can be

Chemistry

• Workshop covering academic writing skills and plagiarism awareness

 Computer Science

• Induction session for new researchers (within 4-6 weeks upon arrival), which also covers research skills and statistical analysis

Engineering

• A training event introducing the PGRs to the Maker Space in the School (December)
• A seminar from BEAR on the opportunities for High Performance Computing (November), including some practical elements using the BEAR portal
• A training session on the progression process in the School (January)

Maths

• Maths specific training event for PGTAs
• All students are required to take 50 credits of mathematics specific training over the 3 years.  This is provided within school modules and membership of the magic consortium. Students from other schools would be welcome to attend magic courses. 

Metallurgy and Materials

• For 2022-23 there are going to be three talks given by Prof Moataz Attallah covering:
  • Literature Review writing (Thursday 10 November 2022)
  • Electron microscopy 
  • X-Ray diffraction
•  There is also a seminar series, which all PGRs are expected to attend.

Physics

• Regular PG lecture courses in the framework of MPAGS – Midlands Physics Alliance Graduate School.  Typically, there are 6 courses from Birmingham (20-30 hours each), and similar numbers from our partners from Warwick and Nottingham. They are for the 1st and 2nd year graduate students. In each place, courses are in-person with live online links to two other places. Obviously, courses are field-specific but a typical student takes 2 to 4 per year.

Information about training opportunities can be found in School PGR Canvas Courses:

Biosciences PGR Canvas 

Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences PGR Canvas 

Psychology PGR Canvas: Coming soon!

Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences PGR Canvas 

Visit the MDS Graduate School Canvas Course to learn more about the College’s tailored training and development programme.

The University of Birmingham is involved in several different DTPs and CDTs funded by UKRI. These DTPs and CDTs offer training opportunities that are sometimes open to all postgraduate researchers in their home College or postgraduate researchers in other Colleges.

Please find links below to DTPs and CDT webpages for more information.

CENTA

The Central England NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) Training Alliance (CENTA) is a consortium of universities and research institutes that are working together to provide doctoral research training in Earth and Environmental Sciences.

EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs )train engineers and scientists.

IMPACT 

IMPACT (Integrated Midlands Partnership for Biomedical Training) is a Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

lifETIME

The lifETIME (Engineered Tissues for Discovery, Industry and Medicine) CDT is a partnership funded by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council).

M4C 

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C) brings together eight leading universities across the Midlands.

MGS

The Midlands Graduate School (MGS) is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership.

MIBTP 

Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) is a BBSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership.