Scheduled RDP workshops and events
The Researcher Development Programme provides year-round training and development opportunities to help you successfully complete your research degree, and prepare for your future
RDP workshops open for booking at the start of each academic term, on a rolling basis, and close to bookings one working day before each session. If a workshop is not bookable, add your name to the waiting list and we will let you know when registration opens. Visit the all workshops pages for the full list of workshops taking place this year, and to access the waiting lists.
If you have any questions about our workshops, or any issues with booking a place, email us at researcher-development@sussex.ac.uk.
Planning, structuring and writing your thesis (Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences)
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 3 March 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Teaching Room
Description: This session provides advice and guidance on a variety of approaches to writing a thesis. As well as content on planning and structures, there will be space to write and to reflect together as part of a supportive writers' network.
Understanding and using publication metrics responsibly
Theme: Realise
Date: Tuesday 4 March 2025
Time: 10.00-11.00am (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop will introduce the benefits and limitations of a number of tools which provide publication metrics for both the individual researcher, research output and for institutional level analysis.
PGR interviewing for success
Theme: Grow
Date: Tuesday 4 March 2025
Time: 1.00-2.30pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: In this workshop we will discuss and answer your questions about what to expect at recruitment interviews, how to give a convincing performance, and help you feel confident about your interviews.
Copyright and your thesis
Theme: Realise
Date: Wednesday 5 March 2025
Time: 2.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: As well as covering the publication of your thesis on Sussex Research Online (SRO), this workshop will explain the main principles of copyright, consider how and when UK fair dealing exceptions can be applied and establish, if you need to seek permission to use other people’s work in your thesis.
Literature searching part 1: sources and search strategies
Theme: Core
Date: Thursday 6 March 2025
Time: 2.00-3.30pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop explores how to effectively apply search strategies and techniques to online databases in order to find the most relevant literature to support your research.
Elements and your research profile
Theme: Core
Date: Friday 7 March 2025
Time: 10.00-11.00am (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description:The workshop will demonstrate how to build your Elements profile to showcase your research, professional and teaching activities and as well as ORCiD, Google Scholar and other researcher profile tools.
Please note: This workshop is not relevant to PGRs based in BSMS.
Literature searching part 2: citation searching and making connections
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 10 March 2025
Time: 10.00-11.30am (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop, by following on from Part 1, takes a less structured approach to search strategies and considers the connections which are made between authors and papers, normally in the form of citations.
Managing your research data: Supporting qualitative data sharing
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 10 March 2025
Time: 2.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: Qualitative data has rich potential for re-use in future research, but it can be challenging to navigate routes for data sharing. This session will support attendees with data management planning that will help embed consideration of data sharing principles throughout the research process.
How to edit your own academic writing
Theme: Core
Date: Tuesday 11 March 2025
Time: 1.00-4.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Teaching Room
Description: Are you close to a full draft of your book, article, or thesis chapter? Does it resemble a baggy monster that needs taming? If so, this workshop is for you. Through activities and tutorials, you’ll learn techniques for getting your writing into shape.
Accessible presentations
Theme: Realise
Date: Thursday 13 March 2025
Time: 11.00am-12.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: We have a professional and legal obligation to ensure that all of our digital content is accessible. In this session we’ll look at what we mean by accessibility and why it is important, then we’ll explore some practical techniques and useful resources for producing and delivering accessible presentations.
Please note that being familiar with creating and editing files using Microsoft PowerPoint is a necessary prerequisite for this workshop.
Copyright in publishing: understanding your rights as an author
Theme: Realise
Date: Monday 17 March 2025
Time: 10.00-11.00am (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop will summarise the principles of copyright and explain the copyright relationship between authors and publishers for both journals and monographs.
Preparing for your viva (Sciences)
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 17 March 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop will de-mystify the viva process rules and requirements and provide you with useful guidance about how you can prepare for the big day throughout your PGR journey. You will also receive tips on interacting with your examiners, and benefit from an opportunity to participate in a mock viva.
Preparing for your viva (Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences)
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 17 March 2025
Time: 2.00-5.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop will de-mystify the viva process and requirements, and provide you with useful guidance on preparing for the big day. You'll also hear examples of real questions and experiences from recent successful vivas across different Schools, and benefit from the opportunity to participate in a mock viva.
Using Zotero for PGRs
Theme: Core
Date: Wednesday 19 March 2025
Time: 2.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This hands-on workshop will help you to stay organised and reference accurately using Zotero. You will learn how to add items to your Zotero Library, how to start creating collections, how to automatically add citations from Zotero to your work, and more.
Important: there is an expectation that attendees will have made an account with Zotero and installed the desktop app, the web importer and the Word plug-in.
Making progress amid change and uncertainty
Theme: Realise
Date: Thursday 20 March 2025
Time: 11.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: We are living and working in times of rapid flux and development, both within the Higher Education environment and in our world more generally. Remaining productive, focused, and motivated while navigating significant change and uncertainty is challenging.
Undertaking a literature review
Theme: Core
Date: Friday 21 March 2025
Time: 1.00-4.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: Through clear examples, individual exercises, and group discussion, this workshop gets you started with your literature review.
Please note: This workshop has been adapted from an Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences focus to include all PGRs, so there might be a few discrepancies here and there at this point in time. Please be mindful of that fact and, if possible, provide any feedback to help improve this session for everyone in the future.
An alternative guide to PGR funding
Theme: Realise
Date: Monday 24 March 2025
Time: 1.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: Are you a current postgraduate student who needs extra funding for fees, living expenses, research, conference or 4th year postgraduate writing-up costs? If the answer is 'yes', then consider attending this session!
Open research: principles, practices and purpose
Theme: Core
Date: Tuesday 25 March 2025
Time: 10.00-11.30am (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop will look at the concept of open research, and explore opportunities for implementing open research principles into your own practice.
One-day academic writing retreat for PGRs and ECRs
Theme: Core
Date: Wednesday 26 March 2025
Time: 9.30am-4.30pm (UK)
Location: Library Teaching Room
Description: This intensive one-day writing retreat can help you get back on track and make significant progress with your chapter, article or book. You get the time and space to focus. With guidance from an experienced facilitator, you’ll set realistic goals and achieve them in a supportive environment.
Looking after yourself during your research degree
Theme: Induction
Date: Friday 28 March 2025
Time: 1.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: In this workshop, we will explore these challenges and the factors that influence wellbeing and mental health during the research degree (like isolation or the relation with supervisors) in a supportive environment.
Literature searching Part 2: citation searching and making connections
Theme: Core
Date: Tuesday 1 April 2025
Time: 2.00-3.30pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop, by following on from Part 1, takes a less structured approach to search strategies and considers the connections which are made between authors and papers, normally in the form of citations.
Copyright and your thesis
Theme: Realise
Date: Thursday 3 April 2025
Time: 11.00am-12.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop will explain the main principles of copyright, consider how and when UK fair dealing exceptions can be applied and establish, if you need to seek permission to use other people’s work in your thesis.
Open research: principles, practices and purpose
Theme: Core
Date: Tuesday 8 April 2025
Time: 10.00-11.30am (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop will look at the concept of open research, and explore opportunities for implementing open research principles into your own practice.
Literature searching part 1: sources and search strategies
Theme: Core
Date: Friday 11 April 2025
Time: 2.00-3.30pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop explores how to effectively apply search strategies and techniques to online databases in order to find the most relevant literature to support your research.
Using Zotero for PGRs
Theme: Core
Date: Wednesday 16 April 2025
Time: 2.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This hands-on workshop will help you to stay organised and reference accurately using Zotero. You will learn how to add items to your Zotero Library, how to start creating collections, how to automatically add citations from Zotero to your work, and more.
Important: there is an expectation that attendees will have made an account with Zotero and installed the desktop app, the web importer and the Word plug-in.
Planning, structuring and writing your thesis (Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences)
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 28 April 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This session provides advice and guidance on a variety of approaches to writing a thesis. As well as content on planning and structures, there will be space to write and to reflect together as part of a supportive writers' network.
Copyright and publishing: understanding your rights as an author
Theme: Realise
Date: Wednesday 30 April 2025
Time: 10.00-11.00am (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This workshop will summarise the principles of copyright and explain the copyright relationship between authors and publishers for both journals and monographs.