Training and development

by | Feb 11, 2022

We offer a host of training and development sessions for staff and students. The sessions are a mixture of presentations, activities and discussions to provide you with the knowledge and practical skills needed for public engagement activities.

Training courses

The following sessions available to available to book via the Training Catalogue.

Public engagement

Getting started with public engagement

This half-day workshop is designed for researchers who are new to or have limited experience of public engagement, and want to build up their skills for more effective public engagement.

Beginner's guide to evaluating public engagement

This interactive back-to-basics workshop will encourage you to think about why evaluation of engagement is important.

It will also look at ways to get started, explore different techniques you can use and enable you to consider what your findings can tell you.

Masterclass in evaluating public engagement

This interactive workshop will provide an opportunity for you to reflect on your own practice and consider how to maximise the value of evaluating your engagement activities.

Science busking

This practical session looks at how you can improve your communication skills for public engagement activities such as science busking.

From style and approach to content and delivery, this session will get you started in engaging with a variety of non-specialist audiences.

Widening participation

Widening Participation Evaluation (online)

This online training course introduces and explores the concept and role of evaluation in The University of Manchester’s widening participation work.

The training is a mix of written and visual information with assessments at the end of each module, and should take up to two hours to complete.

Engaging with schools

This interactive workshop is for researchers from any discipline who are interested in communicating their research to a secondary schools audience.

It explores the why, what and how of engaging with secondary schools.

PPIE

Lay abstracts with impact

This session will help you to prepare and test out your lay summary, which will form an important element of your future grant applications and ethics applications, and are increasingly being requested by research journals to increase the accessibility of research.

Introduction to public and patient involvement

This half-day workshop has been designed for researchers who are new to, or have some experience with public and patient involvement (PPI).

This interactive workshop will give you an understanding of the current NHS policy/health and social care research landscape and where PPI fits within it, as well as providing practical advice for developing your PPI strategy.

Masterclass: Communication skills in public and patient involvement (PPI)

This workshop has been designed for researchers who would like to improve their communication skills for the purposes of involving the public in research.

It will use a combination of presentations, discussions and activities to help you to feel confident in communicating with the public when doing patient and public involvement work.

This workshop is for individuals with some experience of public involvement.

Masterclass: Setting up a PPI group

This masterclass has been designed for academics and researchers who are planning to set up a patient and public involvement group, either for the purposes of a research study or to support a research theme/centre/organisation.

Attendees should have some experience of PPI or have attended the introduction to PPI workshop.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) training

Being able to describe what you do and why it is an essential skill for any researcher. This workshop will help you take your communication to the next level.

We will show you how to turn your research into the most interesting, engaging and memorable presentation possible.

Discover the hints and tips that will make your talk stand out from the crowd and how to banish nerves to give a confident performance.

Social media

Academic blogging for content and dissemination

In this workshop, you will learn about a specific type of academic blogging that focuses on content and dissemination.

This type of blogging is a practical and efficient tool to disseminate research, develop new writing skills, raise your academic profile and have an impact on society.

Research blogging

The workshop will provide you with a structured approach to planning, writing and curating content for a research blog.

Making the most out of social media

This workshop deconstructs how you can engage social media and use it to your advantage.

Focusing particularly on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter, we will cover:

  • examples of effective social media profiles;
  • pros and cons of having a social media presence;
  • some does and don’ts;
  • hints, tips and techniques to manage a successful media presence;
  • identifying opportunities to develop your research career.

Impact

Altmetrics to measure non-academic impact

Find out how to demonstrate the impact your research is having beyond traditional academia.

The emerging area of altmetrics offers new and powerful ways to track and report on the online attention of research.

Impact training for researchers

Understanding the impact agenda can help develop robust responses to these requirements and justify additional funding to support impact generation.

 

Other support

Bespoke sessions

We are able to provide bespoke courses for faculties, departments and CDTs.

We can develop training sessions tailored your specific needs and integrate public engagement training into existing schemes.

If you are interested in a bespoke session, get in touch with us to discuss your requirements.

Email: engagement@manchester.ac.uk

Advice surgeries

If you are looking to design a public engagement activity, submit a grant, evaluate your activities or embark on a career in public engagement, you can meet up with our team in Social Responsibility for a one-to-one advice surgery.

To set up a session, please contact us.

Email: engagement@manchester.ac.uk

PGR Knowledge Exchange Programme

Our programme is designed for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to support you in engaging with external partners, create impact with your research and develop skills and networks that can boost your professional development and employability both inside and outside academia.

Find out more about the PGR Knowledge Exchange Programme.

Public engagement champions

This initiative aims to empower and develop staff and students to help shape and deliver the University’s public engagement vision.

Champions are provided with bespoke engagement professional development and coaching opportunities.

Find out more on the public engagement champions page.

artsmethods@manchester

This is a programme of talks, workshops and events running throughout the academic year.

The programme explores approaches to arts research, research methods and the dissemination of arts and languages research at the University and beyond.

Find out more on the artsmethods@manchester website.

Public contributors

We have developed a programme of induction and learning opportunities and a PPIE toolkit to aid public contributors with their involvement and engagement in our research and teaching.