Months 4-12
From month 4 students' training will be tailored to their
needs,
with students taking a mixture of methodological, or enabling courses
that are shared across the cohort, and more specialised courses in
disciplinary streams. Training will typically be delivered to
small groups (8-15), and practical classes will be supported by trained
postgraduate or postdoctoral demonstrators.
Skills Toolkit.
The skills toolkit will be delivered using intensive modules, typically comprising interactive lecures, problem-solving classes, or practicals, augmented by directed reading, student-led presentations and discussion groups. Each module will be worth 1 credit, representing 18 hours of class-contact time. Students will follow an individual training plan, but be expected to complete a minimum of 4 credits, including at least two cross-cohort courses and one specialist course, before the end of their first year. They will be expected to complete at least 2 additional credits before the end of their third year.
Specialist Research-Skills Training Courses
These will be worth 1 credit/18 hours each. Modules will be open to all students and offered annually. Students will follow a tailored choice, according to their needs and specialisation. Examples below will be augmented by courses that are shared between and across DTPs.
Cross Cohort courses
- Optical Spectroscopy
- Space Instrumentation and Remote Sensing
- Modelling Environmental Systems
- Earth Surface - Atmosphere exchange
- Geographical Information Systems
- Numerical Mathematics and Computational Modelling
- Inverse Methods & Bayesian Analysis
- Materials characterisation and microanalysis
- Isotope Tracers in Environmental systems
- Rates and Timing of Environmental Processes
- Scientific Programming (python, Matlab, C++)
- Critical Natural Resources
- Biogeochemistry of Environmental Systems
with an indication of the likely participants by stream (B,D,P):
- Bioinformatics (B,D)
- Biodiversity Assessment (B)
- Biodiversity Field Survey Techniques (B)
- Ocean and Climate Dynamics (B,D,P)
- Conservation Biogeography (B)
- Ecological Remote Sensing (B,P)
- Global Change and the Terrestrial Biosphere (B,D)
- Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (D,P)
- Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Environmental Systems (D,P)
- Thermodynamics, Aerosols and Clouds (B,P)
- Radiative Transfer and Radiative Forcing (B,P)
- Asymptotics, Scaling and Stability Analysis (P)
- The Stratosphere (P)
- Palaeoecological proxies (B,D,P)
- Remote Sensing and Modelling of Earthquakes and Volcanoes (D,P)
- Sedimentary Processes and Analysis (D)
In parallel to the research skills toolkit, professional and personal skills will be systematically and progressively build up over time. The DTP and partners will run monthly half-day workshops with over-arching topics including:
- Science Communication and Engagement
- Scientific Publishing (to be run with Elsevier)
- Research in Context
- Data and Metadata
- Project Mangement
- Developing Editorial Skills
- Writing and Completing a D.Phil
- Career Planning
Next: Years 2-4>