Cardiff Volunteers Sought for Professional Development Planner Pilot

Cardiff’s University Graduate College (UGC) are looking for 30 Cardiff postgraduate research students to take part in the pilot of the new Vitae online Professional Development Planner for a period of four months.

Vitae developed the Professional Development Planner to enable researchers to reflect record and plan their development against the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF). Originally in the form of an interactive excel spreadsheet, it has been improved and refined as an online tool. The RDF Planner supports researchers to:

  • Reflect on your achievements against the Vitae RDF
  • Identify opportunities for further professional development
  • Create a personal record of progress, backed up by evidence
  • Develop an action plan

The new online version has the advantage that the UGC can customise it with UGC development and training opportunities, such that these may offer solutions to identified skills gaps.The pilot will begin on 1 December 2012 and end 31 March 2013. Applications are welcomed from across disciplines, across year groups, including from those who are more sceptical of the benefits of such skills development planning! You would be required to complete at least part of the RDF on an ongoing basis throughout the four month period and give your views and feedback  via a questionnaire, telephone chat or focus group.

You can find out more information about the RDF or by view a short screen cast.

Cardiff students willing to take part should complete the short application form by 26th November.