Questions for PhD training

The wind-up..•EPSRC commit to maintain DTA funding 2008-11

•In flat cash•Looking for strategic use at University level

•By 2007 EPSRC were supporting new PhD students per year:ca 1200 DTA ca 120 DTCca 600 Project PhD students.

The 2008 Centres for Doctoral Training call will add from 2009:ca +400 DTC student starts pa

•2008 DTC call NOT capacity building. Criteria influencing shortlisting included:

built around research capacity with international standingadded value in the programme, beyond DTAtraining with focus and track recordcoherent vision of the programme across 4 years

•Next major DTC-like funding call expected with new funding cycle (3 yrs). No assurance that DTA allocations will continue thereafter. WILL YOU BE READY?

What is a PhD for?• How is it used?  • How should it be?

Warwick Complexity DTC aims to:•train a new generation of complexity scientists at PhD level,

teaching knowledge and skills to •understand, control and design complex systemsdo innovative research in complexity science

via•critical thinking•interdisciplinary teamwork•end-user interaction.

The leaders of tomorrowVision Communication Presentation

Networking

Practical skills

Theoretical analysis

Teaching

Focus

Designing the programme…

• Benefits from specific training?• Learning from everyone…• Added value in the programme?

• How does one maximise the impact?

• Role of Transferable Skills

Taught MSc modules:1. Self-organisation and Emergence.2. Complexity Science in the real world.3. Complexity in the time domain.4. Advanced Statistical Methods.5. Time Series from a Stochastic Viewpoint.6. Micro to Macro: PDE methods and applications.7. Quantifying correlation and spatio-temporal complexity8. Option from MOAC or Systems Biology.

Skills training:

• Teamwork,

• collaboration,

• public communication of research,

• decision making,

• career advancement

• Two 10/12 week miniprojects (summer term, summer vac)

• 3 year PhD projects each having two supervisors (different depts)

currently listed research areas– Agent-based modelling– Networks and Emergent Behaviour– Self-Organisation and Assembly– Non-linear Dynamics– Spatio-temporal Complexity– Management & Bounding of Complexity

Research TrainingWarwick Complexity DTC

Who owns a PhD project?Stakeholders include:

• Student;• Supervisor;• Research unit;• Funding agency

How do they relate?

Environment and Events• Seminars & Colloquia• Structured research fora – e.g. Journal clubs

•Dedicated research days (tutorial front end?)•Joint events/schools with other Centres

•‘Retreat’ style events – include the students!

•Highlight lectures - let students see who staff look up to!

MOAC:DTC conference (1617 April): 100% organised by 2004 cohortfor MOAC, CBC and White Rose.

Publicity group: Improving open days, web sites, photos, interviews, podcasts.

Industrial mentor group: Ian Nussey (IBM) plus 3 students have established a web-system for mentors and mentees to sign up. 15 ‘marriages’ to date. Already led to IBM giving seminars and arranging problem solving workshops for students.

NewslettersAdobe illustrator training courseCake days

What can students lead?

Capacity and Critical Mass?Opportunities for discussion & collaboration:• within peer group• beyond supervisor’s own group• across disciplines/areas• internationally

Near peer role models of post-PhD success:• Academic• Research employment• Professional (non-research) employment• UK & international

Some key words …• Grounding• Specialisation• Collaboration• Teamwork• Presentation• Teaching• Networking• International• Role models• Inspiration• Leadership