Induction and training

All registered research students must receive appropriate training to enable them to undertake and present research effectively and efficiently.

An induction programme, the timing and content of which reflects the diversity of needs of specific groups of research students (including part-time and newly arriving international students) must be delivered at the most appropriate levels (ie School or institutional level). Supervisors must ensure that new students will receive an induction programme appropriate to them.

The training programme must take account of an individual’s needs and comprise subject-specific training as well as training which leads to the acquisition of relevant transferable skills and generic research skills.

It is the responsibility of Heads of Schools, in conjunction with supervisors and School Postgraduate Student Advisers (SPSAs), to identify the training needs for individual students, to ensure that these needs are met and to determine the means by which they are met.

It is recognised that needs will vary according to the student’s registration status (MPhil or doctoral, full-time or part-time) and according to each individual student’s previous experience. The training needs of part-time students must be considered in planning and timetabling, and they must be encouraged to participate in suitable courses.

For more information about the SPSAs, please consult the Related Regulations, Policies and Procedures section below.

Students must satisfy the School’s requirements for research training. Failure to do so may result in the submission of an unsatisfactory annual report to the Head of School.

It is the responsibility of a student’s School to provide subject-specific training by means of, for example, attendance at taught theory or practical courses (either undergraduate or postgraduate), seminars, colloquia, conferences, etc.

Schools must decide and inform the student at the outset of the training whether or not the student’s knowledge will be formally assessed at the conclusion of any subject-specific training.

It is the responsibility of the Researcher Academy to provide training and development ​opportunities which span the needs of different disciplines. This provision will address the requirements identified by the Research Councils and Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in the Researcher Development Framework. Normally the training and development training will not be formally assessed.

Students can download certificates confirming their attendance at courses and workshops run by the Researcher Academy and other University training providers such as Health and Safety from the Central Short Courses website. The Researcher Academy will provide Schools with annual attendance information on students registered within the School.

For more information about Central Short Courses, please consult the Related Regulations, Policies and Procedures section below.

All research students, in collaboration with their supervisors, must establish a full training record or portfolio to keep a record of personal progress, assess skills needs, record development of research and other skills, and supplement their curricula vitae.

The information to be provided as part of the induction programme must include:

• general information about the institution and its postgraduate portfolio in the relevant subject(s);
• the institution’s registration, appeals and complaints procedures, assessment requirements and research degree regulations;
• the names and contact details of the student’s supervisor(s) and information about how supervisory arrangements work;
• the institution’s research ethics and codes and those of relevant professional bodies and discipline groups, including consideration of issues concerning authorship and intellectual property;
• the institution’s expectations of the independence and responsibilities of the student;
• student support and welfare services such as counselling and advice centres;
• a summary of the facilities that will be made available to the student, including the learning support infrastructure;
  
• relevant health and safety and other legislative information;
  
• where appropriate, a brief outline of the proposed research programme, together with the normal length of study and the facilities that will be made available to the student;
• reference to the research and personal challenges that research students typically encounter during the course of their studies and where guidance may be sought in the event of difficulties;
  
• an opportunity for the student representative body to introduce themselves, including specific postgraduate representation;
• social activity, including that provided specifically for postgraduates;
• opportunities for postgraduates to be represented by the student body;
• details of opportunities and requirements for skills development.

Responsibilities of the Postgraduate Student Advisor

About Central Short Courses

Version Control Table

Version Number	Purpose/Change	Approving Committee	Date
1.0	Reformatted to align with new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework based on content last modified on 18/06/2024	QSC	May 2025