What is it?
An online area dedicated to PGRs contained within the new Luminus portal, which will consolidate many of the current University systems and provide a single location where you can:
- Book your formal training through SPIDER student web.
- Access the new software that replaces the current PDR, including the new Record of Supervisory Meetings, PGR Portfolio of Activity and Record of Formal Training.
- Explore the Graduate School online resources currently in Vital
- Discover information about upcoming events and other relevant announcements in one area, combining information from the PGR News @Liverpool blog and the @livuniGSSP Twitter account
Our Aim:
To provide a central online area that offers all the information and links to support PGRs throughout their research degree.
What has changed in the PDR?
The software supporting the PDR has been completely rewritten to produce a significantly more reliable system based on modern technology.
You will still be required to:
1. Complete a record of 8 formal meetings per year (June to May, or pro-rata if you begin after June), through the Record of Supervisory Meetings.
2. Complete a record of additional training, events and achievements, through the new PGR Portfolio of Activity, which is submitted to your supervisor each May.
Record of Supervisory Meetings
This area will include facilities to arrange dates for supervisory meetings through your Outlook Calendar. Here you will also be able to set agenda items for your meeting.
The PGR Portfolio of Activity
This section replaces the current Record of Informal Training and will offer an area to record all generic training, further activities and the achievements made during your research degree.
This new facility makes use of the new Researcher Development Framework, which provides descriptors to assist you in recording, reflecting and planning your development activities.
As a result, you will be able to assign your own descriptors to each activity, which will assist you in building and preparing your CV.
Record of Formal Training
The Record of Formal Training will align your completed modules to the requirements of the Postgraduate Skills Programme, and so to clearly display your record of your progress in completing the programme.
In this section there will also be support for the generic components of First-Year Training, Poster Day events and Career preparation.
Online resource centre
The Liverpool PGR Toolbox will also provide central access to a range of online resources to help you develop skills in research methods, presentation skills, poster preparation research writing, and preparing for your viva. This area will also include the current ‘Career Management Skills’ resource, which we hope to develop as a central area for advice on careers preparation.
When will this happen?
The full development is being completed in three phases, and, initially, the new software will only contain the Record of Supervisory Meetings from June 2012. Further functionality including the revised Record of Training will become available in the second phase, to be implemented in September 2012. The full system will become available in November 2012.
What do I need to do now?
Nothing for now. But if you are planning a PDR meeting for June 2012, please contact pdrgrad@liv.ac.uk as soon as possible for advice.
To keep up to date on this development, subscribe to this category, “Toolbox”.