Postgraduate research training
All postgraduate researchers at Keele are required to undertake some level of research training.
Training requirements
All postgraduate researchers at Keele are required to undertake some level of research training. The requirements for successful completion of this training are dependent upon when you first registered with the University:
- Postgraduate researchers who registered before 1 August 2013 must take approved Research Training modules to meet the formal minimum module credit requirements for research training (60 for PhDs and MDs and 20 for Masters programmes). The requirement varies depending on the programme you are registered for. You should refer to the Code of Practice for full details.
- Postgraduate researchers who registered after 1 August 2013 are not formally required to obtain credits for their Research Training, but they must meet the minimum subject-specific training requirements set by their Research School and the institutional requirement to engage with personal development and employability skills training at a level at least consistent with Research Council expectations.
Research training exemption request
Personal development and learning plan
In line with the Code of Practice on Postgraduate Research Degrees (Section 9), all postgraduate researchers at Keele must maintain a Personal Development and Learning Plan (PDLP). The PDLP serves as a record of academic details such as your progress through the milestones of the degree (including formal progress reviews), and registration changes. It also includes a section on learning needs and skills development objectives, where you log ongoing research training and skills acquisition as well as training and development completed prior to the degree.
You can access your PDLP via your eVision account. If you experience any problems with logging into or accessing the PDLP from eVision, please contact IT Services at it.service@keele.ac.uk or use the Self Service Portal to report your difficulties.
You can find guidance on maintaining the PDLP within the record itself. For more detailed instructions, please consult the relevant guidance documents for students and supervisors below.
- ePDLP Student Handbook (PDF, 504KB)
- ePDLP Handbook for Supervisors (348KB)
- ePDLP Handbook for PGR Co-Supervisors/Administrators/Directors (303KB)
Skillsforge
We are currently implementing a new PGR records system called Skillsforge. Postgraduate researchers should now record supervision meetings and Interim Progress Reviews via the new system. Please visit the Training Centre Sharepoint for information on training available but also training resources including the Skillsforge user guide.
Research training
If you are unsure what training requirements are applicable to you, you should contact your supervisor and your Research School for further details.
British Library training
A large number of postgraduate researchers will find it helpful during their degrees to access the British Library's extensive collections. The Library has various resources to help researchers in locating information that will be helpful to them. You can access these resources on the Help for Researchers online pages.