Research students have many opportunities to gain skills training during their time at UCL.  This can be done via the following means:

• Graduate School Skills Development Programme & UCL Advances
  
• Departmentally Organised Training
• Royal Literary Fund Fellows

Information about funding available through the Graduate School's External Training Courses Fund can be found here.

Important: all Research Council funded research students are required by their funding bodies to participate in the Graduate School Skills Development Programme and/or appropriate departmental courses to a degree equivalent to two weeks per year of their funded studentship (i.e. 3 years for 3-year MPhil/PhDs and 4 years for 4-year PhDs, EngDs etc).

All other research students irrespective of how they are funded are expected and encouraged to take full advantage of the training on offer and likewise should be aiming to participate in the Graduate School Skills Development Programme and the training events activities provided by the department to a degree equivalent to two weeks per year.

Each training activity listed on the Graduate School’s Skills Development Programme is assigned a number of points, which are known as Roberts Points.  A point is worth approximately ½ day of training: two weeks is therefore equivalent to 20 points per year.

These points can be accrued from the courses on offer through the Graduate School programme, departmental courses and other activities listed on the Skills Development Programme. 

Logging Roberts Points: it is useful to document your training activities on regular basis as you progress through the PhD programme, not only for your own records but also for the benefit of your Principal Supervisor, who is responsible for monitoring your academic progress and providing professional guidance.   Points accrued can be documented via the Graduate School Research Log.  Smply log in and follow the instructions on the site.