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Skills development for researchers

At Birmingham, we believe your PhD journey is about more than research alone. We are committed to helping you grow as a confident, capable, and impactful researcher - equipped with the skills and resilience to lead in academia, industry, and beyond.

What skills will I develop?

As a researcher at Birmingham, you'll develop much more than just core research skills. With the support of the University Doctoral School and your academic community, you'll develop knowledge, skills and values in line with Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework. You'll develop skills across 3 key strands:

  1. Researcher: personal and professional values and behaviours of effective researchers, such as being strategic, collaborative, reflexive and responsible.
  2. Research: knowledge and skills to undertake research and deliver outcomes, through knowledge and practice, research management and engagement and impact.
  3. Research Communities: knowledge and skills to engage and work with others, such as teamworking, leadership and networking.

  • A skills development plan tailored to your needs

    Being a postgraduate researcher is about more than producing a thesis. You have the opportunity to identify and develop the skills you need for your research and future career - in whichever direction that may take you.

    At least once per year, you will formally discuss your strengths and development needs with your supervisory team, and draw up a personal development plan. This plan will set out the activities you will engage with over the year to ensure that you develop as a researcher and progress on your chosen career path.

  • Workshops and development opportunities

    Our extensive programme of workshops, training series, and events is designed to support your growth as a researcher. Workshops cover academic writing, research processes, productivity, open research, communication, and thesis preparation.

    Writing sessions focus on literature reviews, thesis structure, and clear expression, while research process workshops cover literature searches, citation justice, and AI tools. Productivity workshops help with planning, professional development, and working with supervisors. Open research sessions introduce ORCID, research data management, and data planning. Communication workshops enhance conference participation, presentation skills, and research visibility. Whilst thesis preparation sessions guide researchers on thesis completion and viva preparation.

    These workshops are complemented by other development activities within your subject area, ensuring that our researchers have access to a comprehensive range of learning opportunities.

An open research culture

Our postgraduate researchers are encouraged to be part of an open research culture - a dynamic approach that fosters transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in research. By openly sharing data, publications, and methodologies, researchers contribute to a global network where knowledge is verified, expanded, and enriched. This open approach strengthens academic integrity, drives innovation, and ensures research has a meaningful impact beyond academia.

Embracing open research means connecting with scholars across disciplines, engaging with the public, and enhancing the visibility of your work. It also supports career progression, as funders and institutions increasingly value openness in research practices. At Birmingham, you’ll find resources, training, and support to help you integrate open research principles into your work, ensuring that your contributions are accessible, reproducible, and influential.

  • Sharing your research with the public

    Postgraduate researchers have access to a range of public engagement opportunities designed to help them share their research with wider audiences.

    Tailored training helps researchers find creative ways to share their work with the public—through events at The Exchange, volunteering at events like Come to Campus, or taking part in the Three Minute Thesis challenge. Researchers can also plan and deliver their own events, with funding available through a dedicated grant scheme to pilot and test new initiatives.

    Additionally, an annual award recognises outstanding contributions to public engagement, highlighting the vital role researchers play in connecting academic work with the wider community.

What else is on offer?

In addition to all of the above, postgraduate researchers will also have the opportunity to engage with:

  • Academic English workshops: Designed specifically for international students, this 5-part series focuses on developing your academic English skills for postgraduate research.
  • Online group coaching: These supportive, expert-led sessions to help manage challenges like procrastination, imposter syndrome, and time management, while building confidence and community.
  • An annual writing summer school: This annual event gives you the opportunity to consider your writing from a range of perspectives; practise your writing in the context of your own work; increase your confidence in your writing; and network with other postgraduate researchers.
  • Extensive subject specific opportunities: Alongside central training options, your department, Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) will offer subject-specific training to support your research.