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These are things you should do in your first month as a UCL student.
Doctoral School Welcome Event
All research students should attend the Doctoral School Welcome event.
Introduction to Skills & Research Log
The Introduction to Skills & Research Log offers an extensive catalogue of courses available for free via UCL's Organisational Development team.
Key contact: od@uc.ac.uk
After attending this induction session, you should start using the Research Log. Start by making sure your log is set up, and you've completed the initial section and assessment.
Programme of mandatory training
In addition, there is a programme of mandatory training that all research students are required to complete. This consists of eight modules. The first seven overlap with the staff mandatory training. The final one is unique to research students.
1. Fire Safety
The Fire safety course needs to be completed on your first day at UCL, in addition to a local fire safety induction run by your Department’s fire evacuation marshal.
2. Safety induction
The Safety induction course will help you identify hazards and mitigate risk of injury or ill-health. You should also receive a safety training as part of your local induction, which will cover any safety information specific to your area of work.
3. Information Security Awareness
The Information security awareness course will help you with understanding information security threats at UCL.
4. Data Protection and Freedom of Information
The Data Protection and Freedom of Information course covers legal requirements relating to GDPR, the Freedom of Information Act and related legislation.
5. Disclosing and Managing Conflicts of Interest
The Disclosing and Managing Conflicts of Interest course will teach you how to recognise, report and manage conflicts of interest.
6. Understanding and Protecting Intellectual Property
The Understanding and Protecting Intellectual Property course will demo how Intellectual Property applies to your role at UCL.
7. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training details the key concepts that should inform our ways of working and interactions with staff and students across UCL.
8. Research Integrity
All research students should complete training on research integrity, for example locally via the Dilemma Game or via the Doctoral Skills Programme. You should also read UCL’s Statement on Research Integrity.
Your integrity training, regardless of the source, should cover:
- Research Integrity – its importance to UCL and to ensuring high quality in all aspects of research
- Research Data Management and IT
- Open Access and Copyright
- Research Ethics
Find out more on the Doctoral School's Research Integrity and Ethics page.
Recommended training
In addition, we recommend research students to complete the Active Bystander training, which helps combat sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment at UCL.
Additional mandatory training courses for PGTAs
Further to the above, for those students who are Postgraduate Teaching Assistants (PGTAs) there are a few further mandatory training courses you will need to complete as a UCL staff member.
PGTAs are entitled to receive payment for these trainings, but not for any training that they are required to complete anyway as students (i.e. any of the seven modules above such as the Fire Safety training).
1. Change Possible – Be Part of a Sustainable UCL
The Change Possible – Be Part of a Sustainable UCL course is focusing on sustainability at UCL and how to improve your impact.
2. Prevent Duty
Understand your Prevent duties as a member of staff, what to do if you are concerned about someone and information about freedom of speech and organising events.
3. Gateway
The Gateway course helps prepare you for your teaching responsibilities.
Additional mandatory training may also be required for certain roles such as working with animals, or under-18s and adults at risk.
Optional Training
We recommend PGTAs also take the optional Teaching Associate Programme, which can help you develop as a PGTA and work towards HEA Fellowship.