In-Person

Aimed at:  1st Years

Duration: 3 days

CENTA Training Credits:  6

Training Area(s): Personal Effectiveness 

Venue: Edgbaston Park Hotel (UoB Campus), Pevsner Suite (Nearest Rail Station: University, Nearest Car Park: North East Visitor Car Park)

The CENTA Field TRiPP (Training Residential in Publishing and Policy - formerly known as the Speed PhD) is an opportunity for you to make connections with the rest of your cohort whilst learning skills that will help you during your PhD and beyond. Whilst the main CENTA Field TRiPP will take place in March 2025, you won't have to wait that long to meet your cohort and get a headstart on the valuable skills you'll need to get the most out of working as a team - we have a 3-day session of pre-training designed to be fun, relaxed, and to get you thinking about your own working style, attitude and roles within a team, and how to connect to your colleagues with confidence and emotional intelligence. 

The first two days are only open to first-year CENTA students. The final day will be open to other CENTA cohorts. Each day will finish early and we encourage you to use this time to continue your conversations and get to know each other!

The general schedule is as follows:

Day 1: Confidence and Overcoming Fear of Failure (30th October, 10:00-15:30)

Renowned 'PhD Life Coach' Vikki Burns will discuss one of the biggest challenges to any PhD student: overcoming fear of failure and presenting themselves with confidence and certainty in their skills and value. 

Day 2: Teamwork: Not Everyone Is Like You (and that's a good thing!) (31st October, 10:00-15:30)

In this session, CENTA Teaching and Training Fellow Dr Stephanie Smith will help you explore how you fit into teams and how your natural personality and role preferences can integrate with others to create strong, diverse and harmonious teams with a higher chance of success. 

Day 3: Networking: Networking with Sue Tonks (1st November, 09:30-15:30)

Did you just read the word 'Networking' and your heart sunk? You're not alone! Many scientists are terrified by the idea of approaching strangers in a large conference hall, or reaching out on LinkedIn.

Sue Tonks is a Networking Expert, famous for her fun, high-energy practical sessions delivered to many scientists over the years. If you think Networking just means schmoozing like you're a contestant from The Apprentice, think again! Sue's practical sessions will help you spot the subtle clues and ways to be your authentic self that can give you an advantage in Networking - helping you feel calm and in control of your approach to making connections, a vital skill for all scientists. 

This is CENTA-organised training, and therefore expenses for travel and food may be claimed in accordance with the UoB expenses policy via a non-staff expenses form (we will send a copy of these to you at Induction). Accommodation is available to those who require it. Please detail any accommodation requirements in the registration form.

This training is considered mandatory for first years; however if you do have commitments which mean you cannot attend/will only be able to partially attend, please let us know. Unfortunately due to the interactive and single-trainer led nature of these sessions, we cannot offer hybrid delivery on this occasion.