Education and Training Programme

The SMART education and training programme is carefully designed to reflect three principles: 

1. To equip doctoral candidates (DCs) with the generic and transversal skills required to undertake a successful research project and to deliver / apply its results.
2. To provide the specialist training necessary to support each individual DC in pursuing their particular research programme in river science.
3. To provide experience of work in a variety of environments (field research sites, associate partner organisations) to enhance the career prospects of each DC.

Table 1 (see download) illustrates how the education, training and research activities are articulated through the schedule of meetings / training opportunities designed to meet the three principles (a, b, c) and deliver appropriate A. generic / transversal and B. specialist training within the three- year programme.

A.   Generic and some specialist skills are acquired during an annual induction week (usually held in November of each programme year)

The induction week will include training in fundamental generic topics such as intellectual property rights, project and time management, data archiving and management, and health and safety in the field and laboratory. The induction week will also allow DCs time to meet one another, their research supervisors and also familiarise themselves with specialist training opportunities available at the partner institutions. During the induction week, DCs will start to assemble their individual Career Development Plan. This will provide a record of their research and training progress and experience, which will prepare them for entering employment at the end of their training. At this early stage, each will work with their supervisor(s) to identify their training requirements, particularly in relation to taught courses. The set of proposed training courses will be evaluated by the Supervisory Board to identify appropriate ones and also to identify any training gaps in the plan.

The annual workshop will also include generic training in topics such as communicating science (scientific writing, oral presentations, poster design), research ethics, further consideration of intellectual property rights (both in general and specifically related to the DC’s IPR in  their research project). Some of the generic training will be delivered by associate partner practitioners. The workshop will include presentations of research proposals by second year DCs and research findings by third year DCs. A written version of these will be placed in the Career Development Plan. These workshops will also facilitate networking with established scientists from full and associate partner organizations and with other DCs, and visits to nearby field sites (Adige / Tagliamento, Frome / Thames, Spree) where discussions of research methods and particular management issues can take place.

Additional generic training modules are available to DCs at partner institutions (Table 2, see download)

B.  Specialist Training

DC specialist training needs will be identified during their induction week and scheduled in their first two training years (Table 1). Training modules will be provided by the three partner organisations, and where appropriate will involve associate partners. The specialist modules that are available are listed in Table 2.