An innovative development programme for Sussex doctoral students is in the running for a national education award.
Sussex has been shortlisted in the Times Higher Education Awards 2008, in the category of 'Outstanding Support for Early-Career Researchers'. The full shortlist, drawn up after a record number of entries from some 140 institutions, was published in the THE on 25 September.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London on 23 October.
Among the guests will be Gill Johnston and Helen Hampson from the Teaching and Learning Development Unit (TLDU) and Catherine Reynolds from the Career Development and Employment Centre (CDEC).
Working closely with research students, Directors of Graduate Studies and colleagues from IT Services, the three members of staff have collaborated in developing 'Profolio', a new development programme offered to doctoral students at Sussex.
The programme introduces participants to two innovative and complementary professional-development tools in the context of a series of workshops focused on the professional and career development of doctoral researchers.
Each student on the programme develops an individual online profile, hosted by their department, which provides an opportunity to promote their research to the online academic community and wider public and enhances their profile as an early-career researcher.
Each participant is also given a portable pendrive, loaded with the latest applications and custom-built templates, where they can store evidence of their research experiences, skills acquisition and career development.
The workshops give doctoral students the chance to network with fellow students, start building an academic identity and clarify their future career goals.
130 doctoral students - more than 50% of the full-time first-year cohort - took part in Profolio in 2007-08. Their feedback has helped to shape the programme for its second year.
Detailed information about Profolio
Sussex submitted four entries for the THE Awards, which aim to raise awareness of and reward the huge contribution that British universities make to the economic and cultural health of the country. More information on each of the Sussex entries