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DSDP: Personal Effectiveness

Nurture your full potential by becoming a powerful researcher and leader in your field.

*Please note: course dates and booking links will be gradually added on a termly basis. Please check back again to stay tuned. If not indicated differently, courses will take place online. 

1. Wellbeing and Resilience
Date:Course Title:Format:
21 Oct 2025Overcoming imposter syndromeLive Online (limited)
23 Oct 2025Defeating self-sabotageLive Online (limited)
18 Nov 2025Build your resilience with self-compassionBlended Mixed (limited)
21 Nov 2025Overcoming low confidenceLive Online (limited)
04 December 2025Staying well in researchLive Online (limited)
2. The PhD Journey
Date:Course Title:Fornat:
01 Oct 2025The PhD Journey: 7 methods for common challengesLive Online (limited)
15 Oct 2025The PhD Journey: Reading and literature reviewLive Online (limited)
22 Oct 2025Preparing for your vivaLive Online (limited)
11 Nov 2025The PhD Journey: Preparing for your Viva for students with English as an additional languageLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
12 Nov 2025The PhD Journey: Reading and literature reviewLive Online (limited)
21 Nov 2025The PhD Journey: Techniques to manage stressLive Online (limited)
24 Nov 2025Succeeding as a part-time doctoral researcherLive Online (limited)
24 Nov 2025The PhD Journey: Preparing for your Viva for students with English as an additional languageLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
26 Nov 2025The PhD Journey: Managing as a researcherLive Online (limited)
28 Nov 2025The PhD Journey: How to thrive as a professional researcherLive Online (limited)
03 Dec 2025The PhD Journey: Reading and literature reviewLive Online (limited)
Accessible all yearPhD survival Self-Paced
Accessible all yearThe good Doctorate Self-Paced
Accessible all yearThe good presentationSelf-Paced
Accessible all yearThe good UpgradeSelf-Paced
Accessible all yearThe good VivaSelf-Paced
Accessible all yearThe UK Doctorate Video - Coming to Britain for your PhDSelf-Paced
3. Time Management
Date:Course Title:Format:
10 Nov 2025Time for research: taking control of your timeLive Online (limited)
19 Nov 2025Productivity and managing your workloadLive Online (limited)
05 Dec 2025Balancing competing commitments for academics and researchersLive Online (limited)
4. Careers Within Academia
Date:Course Title:Format:
07 Oct 2025Academic career planning for research staffLive Online (limited)
09 Oct 2025Academic career planning for Doctoral ResearchersLive Online (limited)
13 Oct 2025Effective academic applicationsLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
29 Oct 2025Effective academic interviewsLive F2F (limited)
04 Nov 2025What's the story with narrative CVs?Live Online (limited)
19 Nov 2025Effective academic applicationsLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
03 Dec 2025Effective academic interviewsLive F2F (limited)
15 Dec 2025Academic career planning for research staffLive Online (limited)
16 Dec 2025Academic career planning for Doctoral ResearchersLive Online (limited)
5. Careers Beyond Academia
Date:Course Title:Format:
07 Oct 2025Researcher careers in government, policy & professional bodies panelLive Online (limited)
16 Oct 2025Researcher careers in economics and financeLive Online (limited)
21 Oct 2025Researcher careers in environment and sustainabilityLive Online (limited)
28 Oct 2025Making the leap: How researchers find non-academic jobsLive Online (limited)
03 Nov 2025Careers spotlight session with an invited speaker (background varies by event)Live F2F (limited)
05 Nov 2025Marketing yourself in person: non-academic interview skillsLive F2F (limited)
11 Nov 2025Presenting your skills to non-academic recruiters: CVs and application form questionsLive Online (limited)
12 Nov 2025Researcher careers beyond academia: data taster sessionLive F2F (limited)
12 Nov 2025Researcher careers in the Life & Health Sciences Industry Panel and NetworkingLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
17 Nov 2025Researcher careers in consultancyLive Online (limited)
18 Nov 2025Marketing yourself to non-academic recruiters: cover letters and personal statementsLive Online (limited)
TBCHackathon (with commercial sector)Live Online OR Live F2F (limited)
6. Careers within/beyond Academia
Date:Course Title:Format:
16 Oct 2025Discover LinkedIn Learning - free online learning for everyone at UCLLive Online (limited)
20 Oct 2025How do I know what I'll like? Identifying your motivator, strengths and interestsLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
26 Nov 2025How do I know what I'll like? Identifying your motivator, strengths and interestsLive Online OR Live F2F (limited)
02 Dec 2025Marketing yourself online: LinkedIn lab Live Online (limited)
Accessible all yearAdvancing your research career (separate course)Self-Paced
Accessible all yearCareer planning in the Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesSelf-Paced
Accessible all yearCareer planning in the Sciences Self-Paced
Accessible all yearNature Masterclasses: Building a Strong Online Researcher ProfileSelf-Paced
Accessible all yearNature Masterclasses: Getting an Academic Research PositionSelf-Paced
Accessible all yearNature Masterclasses: Leveraging Your Online Researcher Profile (webinar recording)Self-Paced
Accessible all yearWhat next? Self-Paced
TBC1:1 Careers appointments: careers guidanceOnline or in-person

 

Explore training opportunities in other RDF course collections:

 

Contact Us

General Enquiries: docskills@ucl.ac.uk

Further Information

Researcher Development Framework

The framework describes the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers. For more information, please visit the Researcher Development Framework (RDF).

Course Catalogue

This catalogue provides an overview of researcher development courses for 2025/26 academic year. Courses have been arranged into helpful collections to assist you when navigating the development programmes.

You can also download the Course Catalogue as a word document. Download now:


Further Information: Course Catalogue 

Course Calendar

The Doctoral Researchers Course Calendar provides an overview of all the courses available in 2024/25 academic year.

Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network (BSPN)

BPSN is a network of leading HE institutions, created by UCL to share best practice in skills training for doctoral researchers.

BPSN