Loughborough Doctoral College

Centres and partnerships

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Training provision for Centres for Doctoral Training and Doctoral Training Partnerships

Loughborough University’s provision for  Doctoral Researchers is increasingly programme-specific and bespoke, especially across our portfolio of 12 externally funded CDTs/DTPs, and it delivers on the core aspirations of RCUK’s Joint Vision for Collaborative Training. All Doctoral Researchers benefit from a structured programme of support and guidance, and many work with partner organisations to further enhance their employability.

The Doctoral College works with colleagues across the university to deliver training opportunities to students in these CDT and DTP cohorts; these can be mapped directly to RCUK requirements.

Responsible Research

The Doctoral College works with colleagues in Research Policy and the Library to offer the following:

  • An introduction to research data management
  • How to write an effective data management plan
  • Research data management: managing personal and sensitive data
  • Ethical thinking in research
  • Research integrity

Impact and Translation

The Doctoral College works with both internal and external providers to deliver training in:

  • Protecting your research: IP for scientists and engineers
  • Communicating your research to a wider audience
  • Using the media to communicate your research
  • Enhancing Research Impact

Students can particularly benefit from the expertise of colleagues in Enterprise@SBE (formerly the Glendonbrook Centre), whose remit is to ensure that Loughborough University students not only acquire academic know-how, but also develop enterprising and innovative skills with which to put their knowledge and expertise to good use.

Computational and Data-Driven Research

A number of courses in numerical analysis are offered via the Doctoral College, delivered by academic colleagues in the Mathematics Learning Support Centre:

  • Introduction to statistical methodology
  • Introduction to SPSS
  • Introduction to data analysis using SPSS
  • Introduction to the design of surveys and experiments
  • Using SPSS to analyse questionnaires
  • Introduction to correlation and linear progression
  • Questionnaire design
  • Paired and unpaired T-tests
  • Non-parametric statistics
  • Introduction to analysis of variance
  • Introduction to the design of multifactor experiments

The MLSC also works with individual Centres to develop bespoke courses to meet the needs of individual CDT cohorts.

CDT and DTP students can also take part in the Training and Development opportunities that the Doctoral College provides for all Doctoral Researchers, as well as the opportunity to participate in a range of wider activities:

  • Participation in University-wide events, such as the Annual Research Conference.
  • Participation in School or Department events, such as a seminar series or a journal club.
  • Undertaking typical doctoral activities that are not specific to the topic of research, such as publishing research and attending an international conference.
  • Participation in the activities of the Institute of Advanced Studies and the Advanced Research Methods Institute.