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.
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: Online via Zoom
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.
PGR Creative Outlets - Macrame wall-hanging
Theme: Community
Date: Wednesday 16 April 2025
Time: 4.30-6.30pm (UK)
Location: Jubilee 155
Description: For our April session, Creative Outlets are learning macrame! Come along and meet other PGRs, learn a craft, and have a fun break from busy research. All materials will be provided.
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 in 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.
Figures, images and visualising information
Theme: Thrive
Date: Friday 2 May 2025
Time: 2.00-5.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop covers the principles of visualising data, examples of excellent visualisations and poor visualisations and case studies including examples from the instructor’s own publications and experience.
Elements and your research profile
Theme: Core
Date: Tuesday 6 May 2025
Time: 2.00-3.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
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.
Posters: designing, presenting and networking
Theme: Thrive
Date: Thursday 8 May 2025
Time: 2.00-5.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description:This specialised course focusses on creating and presenting impactful research posters. Emphasising design, clear communication, structure and good information visualisation principles, the content is delivered through a mixture of presentations from the instructor, group discussion and practical exercises.
One-day academic writing retreat for PGRs and ECRs
Theme: Core
Date: Friday 9 May 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.
Preparing for your viva (Sciences)
Theme: Core
Date: Monday 12 May 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
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.
Open publishing: your options explained
Theme: Thrive
Date: Monday 12 May 2025
Time: 10.00-11.00am (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop will introduce you to open publishing for your research outputs and explain the options available to you as the author.
Preparing for your viva (Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences)
Theme: Core
Date: Wednesday 14 May 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Library Teaching Room
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.
How to edit your own academic writing
Theme: Core
Date: Thursday 15 May 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
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.
PGR Creative Outlets - Crochet bunting
Theme: Community
Date: Thursday 15 May 2025
Time: 4.30-6.30pm (UK
Location: Jubilee 155
Description: In our May session, Creative Outlets are learning crochet! Come along and meet other PGRs, learn a craft, and have a fun break from busy research. All materials will be provided.
Choosing where to publish
Theme: Thrive
Date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
Time: 10.00am-11.00am (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: If you’re new to publishing and not quite sure where to start, this workshop can help you sort out what's appropriate and what's not.
Podcasting
Theme: Thrive
Date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
Time: 2.00-3.30pm (UK)
Location: Library Seminar Room
Description: This interactive workshop helps you build the skills to present a podcast in either a talk or interview format.
Resolving conflict in your research relationships
Theme: Thrive
Date: Thursday 22 May 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: In this workshop you will choose from a range of techniques for handling conflict in situations that are relevant and meaningful to you.
Undertaking a literature review
Theme: Core
Date: Friday 23 May 2025
Time: 1.00-4.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
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.
Scientific writing: structure, language and style
Theme: Thrive
Date: Friday 30 May 2025
Time: 2.00-5.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This workshop covers how to structure an original research paper, designing and planning your article, how to articulate your argument, what to highlight, good practice and what to avoid.
Choosing where to publish
Theme: Thrive
Date: Monday 2 June 2025
Time: 10.00-11.00m (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: If you’re new to publishing and not quite sure where to start, this workshop can help you sort out what's appropriate and what's not.
Social media bootcamp
Theme: Thrive
Date: Thursday 12 June 2025
Time: 10.00am-1.00pm (UK)
Location: Online via Zoom
Description: This online workshop is tailored for researchers aiming to build a robust online presence and enhance their career opportunities through social media. It will also explore different types of content that researchers can experiment with.