oxford dtp handbook 2014 - university of oxford · 2015-09-29 · updates to the 2015 dtp handbook...
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Oxford
DTP
Handbook
2015-16
Updates to the 2015 DTP Handbook
Since the handbook was first published on 22nd September, there have been the following updates.
Section Update
1. Advanced Training Advanced lecture list for Physical Climate Stream.
2. Training Programme Diagrams for Training programme progression
3. Space & Equipment Clarified Zoology access instructions.
Table of Contents
Part 1 Introduction p1
Key DTP Contacts p3
The role of the DTP p3
The Purpose of this Handbook p4
Key divisional contacts p4
Arriving in Oxford p6
Induction Schedule p6
Space & Equipment p6
Student Supervision during year 1 p7
Matching Students to Supervisors p8
Graduate Progression p9
Research Partners p10
Open Day p10
Table of DTP Partners p11
Part II The Training Programme p14
The Field Course p14
Pre term training p16
Induction week p17
Core Training p19
Advanced Training p24
Personal & Professional Development p28
Weblearn p29
Part III NERC and Your studentship p33
Our responsibilities to NERC p33
Monitoring Outputs p33
Your Responsibilities to NERC p35
Your studentship p35
Appendix A The RTSG Guide p37
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NERC-Oxford DTP Course Handbook 2015
The Examination Regulations relating to this course are available at
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/examregs/2015-16/dtproginmpls. If there is a conflict between
information in this handbook and the Examination Regulations then you should follow the
Examination Regulations. If you have any concerns please contact Victoria Forth,
The information in this handbook is accurate as at 22nd September 2015 however it may be necessary
for changes to be made in certain circumstances, as explained at
www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/coursechanges webpage. If such changes are made the department will
publish a new version of this handbook together with a list of the changes and students will be
informed.
Part I
Introduction
Welcome to the NERC-Oxford Doctoral Training Partnership in Environmental Research.
You are the second cohort of students to be selected for this training programme. The DTP has
created the foundations for a new way of training D.Phil students in the environmental sciences. Our
programme is student-led, cohort-based and multi-disciplinary. In practice, this means that i)
students are able to develop their own research projects in line with the interests of their
supervisor(s); ii) students from the full range of NERC science disciplines come together to take part
in our core training programme iii) where they will develop a critical understanding of the key
concepts and methods used across the breadth of environmental research. (To see the specific
research areas that fall within the NERC remit, check out the list of NERC’s Science Topics
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/howtoapply/topics/ . Furthermore, the DTP offers
hands-on, intensive training courses in research and quantitative skills, and opportunities to work
together to solve a range of environmental problems. The programme is particularly dedicated to
helping students engage with those who are interested in environmental research, including our
partners in industry, government, and the non-profit sector..
The DTP offers a novel training environment across three broad science streams, each of whichincludes the influence of, and consequences for, human-environment interactions:
a. The ‘Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Processes’ stream spans research intobiological processes, systems and their interactions, at scales ranging from the organism tothe population, in spheres ranging from human health to natural ecosystems, over alltimescales.
b. The ‘Physical Climate System’ stream spans research across all aspects of the PhysicalClimate System, present, past and future, with strong links to climate impacts andmitigation.
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c. The ‘Dynamic Earth, Surface Processes and Natural Hazards’ stream spans activities fromtheoretical seismology and isotope geochemistry to the analysis of natural resources,quantification of surface processes over all timescales, and geophysical hazards and risk.
There are six departments involved in the DTP in Environmental Research: Research Lab of
Archaeology & the History of Art (RLAHA), Earth Sciences, School of Geography & Environment,
Physics, Plant Sciences and Zoology. These departments span two divisions in the University: the
Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division and the Social Sciences Division. The DTP is
hosted by the MPLS Division; therefore all DTP students are members of the MPLS Graduate School
(http://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/learning/graduate-school).
Key DTP contacts
Academic Director: Prof. David Pyle (Earth Sciences) is responsible for the development and
implementation of the DTP ([email protected]).
Course Director: Dr. Elizabeth Jeffers (Zoology) developed the training programme, will oversee the
delivery of training courses and monitor student progress through the programme
Programme Manager: Victoria Forth is responsible for administration of all aspects of the
programme, including marketing, admissions, induction, monitoring and record keeping of student
progression, course assessments, communicating with applicants and students, timetabling, DTP
finance and managing student funding awards ([email protected], ext. 71193).
Administrative Assistant: Claudia Azevedo assists the Management Committee, the Course Directorand the DTP Co-ordinator to run the programme ([email protected], ext. 71194).
Management Committee: The committee is the decision-making body of the DTP and is generally
responsible for overseeing the training programme, admitting students and managing DTP finances.
The committee is made up of one representative from each of the six departments involved with the
DTP and provide the important links between the DTP and the departments:
Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art: Christopher Ramsey
School of Geography & the Environment: David Thomas
Plant Sciences: Andy Hector
Zoology: Mike Bonsall and Tim Coulson
Earth Sciences: Helen Johnson and Ros Rickaby
Physics: Philip Stier
Student Representatives (2014 Cohort): Amy Creese & Alex Gyorffy
Each year a student representative will be appointed to the Management Committee from each
cohort to represent the interests of their cohort and act an information conduit between the
committee and the student body. Student Reps will attend the open session of each MC meeting.
The Role of the DTP
The Oxford DTP in Environmental Research offers a world-class, multidisciplinary training
environment for the next generation of researchers working at the frontiers of Environmental
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Research. Students coming through the DTP have been selected because of their demonstrated
potential for becoming scientific and research leaders of the future, able to tackle the leading
environmental problems that will confront society over the 21st century. We will provide a unique
training environment that supports you in undertaking cutting-edge scientific research whilst
understanding its role within the larger realm of environmental science and society.
To this end, we have created a multi-disciplinary training programme that will provide students with
the key skills required for environmental scientists in the 21st century (as outlined in NERC’s Most
Wanted Report: Postgraduate and Professional Skills Needs in the Environment Sector). The nature
of the DTP means that students will be admitted from a wide variety of different disciplines. We
have physicists, biologists, archaeologists, earth scientists, geographers and also some who do not
fall into any of these categories. Some have just completed undergraduate degrees, others have
been researchers in the field for a number of years. It is this diversity of experience that makes the
DTP an exciting place to begin a research degree.
It is important that you are introduced to the key questions and research approaches used in the
range of scientific disciplines operating within the NERC remit. Most topics you will encounter
during the first term will be outside of your field of expertise, and our aim is for you to use this
opportunity to consider new areas of research for your DPhil project and/or to enable you to
communicate more effectively with researchers in cognate disciplines. You will find that some
courses are well within your capability and others are completely new to you. Don’t get frustrated if
you feel that a particular course is not necessary because you already know this area. This is a great
opportunity for you to support your fellow students through peer to peer learning, and the favour
will be returned.
The Purpose of this Handbook
This handbook applies to students starting the course in Michaelmas term 2015. The information in
this handbook may be different for students starting in other years. It provides information that is
relevant to students joining the DTP in Environmental Research; it is not a handbook of Graduate
Study at Oxford. There is an excellent MPLS Graduate Handbook on the MPLS Graduate School
website (http://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/node/453) which serves this purpose. The MPLS Handbook
describes what you can and can’t do, and how to make adjustments to your progress, for example,
suspension of status if you become ill for a long period, or dispensation from statutory residence if
you need to carry out research elsewhere in the first two years.
Key Divisional Contacts
For complex [personal? Academic?] problems you can also contact the Graduate Studies Officer, in
the Graduate Studies office at the Divisional Headquarters 9 Parks Road, for advice if the DTP office
is unable to resolve the issue.
MPLS Graduate Studies Officer – Mrs Helen Beauchamp, University of Oxford, MPLS DivisionalOffice, Graduate Office, 9 Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PDTel: 01865 (2)82584 [email protected]
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MPLS Graduate Studies Assistant – Miss Rebecca Reynolds, University of Oxford, MPLS Divisional
Office, Graduate Office, 9 Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PD, Tel: 01865 (2)82579,
The Social Sciences Division Graduate Studies contact is:
Ms Mary Smith Hayes House, 75 George St, Oxford OX1 2BQ [email protected]
In term 2 you will transfer into one of six departments to carry out your D.Phil. research and once
this occurs, your progression through the D.Phil. will be mostly governed by the rules set by each
department. Therefore, you should read through the handbook(s) for the department(s) you wish to
join. You can obtain copies by going to the following links or contacting the relevant graduate
administrator.
Archaeology - http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/current-graduates.htmlGraduate Administrator: Ms Barbara Morris, [email protected],Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) Dr Rick Schulting
Physics - http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/atmospheric-oceanic-and-planetary-physics/graduate-handbookGraduate Administrator: Ms Sarah Harrison, [email protected] Dr Neil Bowles
Geography & the Environment - http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/graduate/ (accessible only via the SoGEintranet)Graduate Administrator: Mrs Ruth Saxton, [email protected] Professor Craig Jeffrey
Earth Sciences - http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/graduate_courseGraduate Administrator: Mrs Elaine Sherrott, [email protected] Professor Chris Ballentine
Plant Sciences – available on the Plant Sciences intranetGraduate Administrator: Ms Gem Toes, [email protected] Dr Nick Kruger
Zoology - http://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/graduates/formsGraduate Administrator: Mrs Heather Green; DGS Professor Adrian Thomas
This table should help you to decide which handbook you need to consult:
Handbook Information
DTP DTP Training programme, funding, matchingstudents to projects, NERC requirements
MPLS University regulations governing the DPhildegree, supervision and assessment, what to doif you encounter problems.
Departmental Departmental procedures involving progressionthrough the DPhil degree.
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Arriving in Oxford at the start of the course
Registration/Enrolment
Your College will officially enrol you as a student when you collect your University Card. Colleges
have their own rules regarding the dates that students can collect University Cards, so contact your
College Graduate Administrator to arrange a suitable time to collect your card.
Payment of Stipends and fees
Once you are officially enrolled in the University, we can issue your first stipend payment in the form
of a cheque. This payment will be for the first quarter (3 months) of stipend to help you cover the
costs of relocation, deposits etc. Subsequent payments will be paid directly into your bank account
in monthly instalments (for students who have a full NERC stipend). For students with a College
Funding Award, the stipend payments will occur quarterly, in line with established College Finance
procedures.
Students should not be billed for their University or College fees. The Colleges are responsible for
collecting fees from postgraduate students; however, we have arranged for them to send the invoice
for your fees directly to the DTP office so that we can pay these on your behalf. Please ensure that
your College has not added your University or College fees to your college battels. If this happens,
contact your College Finance Office immediately and remind them that they need to invoice the DTP
office as per your funding letter.
Inductions
DTP Induction activities take place on Monday and Thursday of 0th week, the week starting 5th
October 2015. On Tuesday of 0th week, you can attend induction activities in any of the departments
in which you intend to conduct your DPhil research. The Induction week schedule is listed on page
16.
Space & Equipment
During the first year of your D.Phil., you will be undertaking the core training programme and
developing your D.Phil. research proposal. You will have a dedicated desk space (with Ethernet
access and a lockable set of drawers) in the DTP suite (on B-level in the Department of Zoology) for
this purpose. This space remains yours throughout Michaelmas Term. Due to current building plans
within the Department of Zoology we are, as yet, unclear as to what desk space we can offer in
Hilary Term and Trinity Term 2015, but we are assured that some provision will be made for our
students when they are required to move. You can move out to your department as soon as you
have submitted your project proposal and can then start working on your project while the
Management Committee assesses your proposal. At this point you can start to access your RTSG.
Zoology Access - You will need to complete a key fob form in order to be issued with a key fob to let
you into your study. You also need to register your card with Zoology reception so that you can
swipe into the building.
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Darwin’s canteen runs a cashless system where cash is loaded onto your Darwin’s account using the
cash loader located within Darwin’s which accepts £20, £10, £5 notes and £2 and £1 coins. Students
are automatically registered. .
The Zoology Department has pidges on D-level which are arranged alphabetically. Any mail that
comes to the department for you will be put in the pidge for your surname.
Also on D-Level is a photocopying room (on the admin corridor opposite the faculty pidges). Here
there is a stationery desk where you may help yourself to items that you need. Also, paper for our
printer/photocopier can be collected from here.
The IT office is also located on D level, but in the first instance you should email them at
You will also be issued with a DTP laptop at the ice-breaker session on 22nd September, so that you
can get online immediately and have the tools you need for the training programme. This will be
handed back at the end of the year by which time you will have decided what type of computer you
need in order to be able to carry out your research project. It will then be refurbished and handed
to the next intake, so please take care of it and use the case we provide to protect it. The Zoology
IT Support team will provide you with support for your laptop throughout the year. You may be able
to use your Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) to purchase your project computer (see RTSG
guidelines for details about what is and is not permitted).
Once you are situated in your new department, you will maintain your links to the DTP in a number
of ways: ongoing (core and advanced) training, research seminars, and social events. The DTP will
continue to manage your funding award from NERC (including fees, stipend and RTSG) from NERC.
As you progress through the programme, you will be able to help with training new DTP students.
You will be paid for such teaching.
-
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Student supervision during year 1
DTP students have multiple sources of supervision. In term 1 each student is assigned to a relevant
Management committee member until their project supervisor is confirmed. Assignments are as
follows:
Students can also seek advice from the Academic Director, the Course Director, the Programme
Manager, their College advisor, the faculty who are leading the graduate research seminars, the MC
members representing the department they wish to join, and – most importantly – the research
supervisor(s) that they aim to work with. Once students move to their department, the DPhil
supervisor will ensure that an appropriate team of advisors are in place to support the student while
they undertake their proposed research. The DPhil supervisor will also oversee (and need to
approve) your registration for advanced training courses, and approve all spending from your RTSG
grant.
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Matching students to DPhil supervisors
Students are admitted to one of the three streams of the DTP, and will develop their research
project during their first 6 months of study. Students are expected to develop their own project
ideas in conjunction with their intended research supervisor. The core training courses during the
first term provide you with an excellent opportunity to learn more about potential lines of research
and to meet most of the eligible research supervisors. The DTP website provides details about the
range of research questions that potential supervisors (both within and beyond Oxford) are keen to
work on with DTP students. We recommend that you read through this as you consider which
supervisor you might wish to work with. In week 1 of Michaelmas term, there will be a Student
Conference where potential supervisors will make a brief (i.e. 2 minute) presentation on the
research topics being investigated in their respective laboratories or research groups. Use this
opportunity to broaden your ideas about the research project you will undertake during your DPhil.
Students who are fully funded by the DTP have the freedom to choose their project supervisors and
research direction. Students should be aware that if their proposed supervisor has several
interested students, they may need to keep in mind an alternative research supervisor that could
oversee their proposed work, whether in the same or a different research group. Again, the Student
Conference and the DTP website are important tools for you to use while you navigate this process.
Following the Student Conference, students will submit a list of potential research questions and
preferred supervisors (this is due by noon on Friday of week 4). These will be submitted direct to
Weblearn using the Assignments tool – see the Weblearn section further down. They will get
feedback on these from the DTP Course Director and the Management Committee. Students will
then submit an abstract that outlines their intended research project (students can submit more
than one abstract if they have not yet decided upon their project). This must be submitted via
Weblearn by the end of week 8.
We expect students to use Hilary Term to develop their full research proposals. The proposal should
be at most 3 pages, identify the intended supervisory team and must include: Background,
Objectives, Methods, Timetable and Budget. A full research proposal must be submitted by 5pm on
Friday week 8 in Hilary Term but we can accept proposals at anytime after the end of Michaelmas
Term week 10. The Management Committee will evaluate all proposals to ensure that projects are
feasible within the given time and budgetary constraints, can be appropriately supervised and
implemented in Oxford (in conjunction with external partners where appropriate) before granting
permission to start on the DPhil project. Students are able to revise and resubmit proposals up until
the end of Hilary Term.
Process for approving project proposals and transferring to departments.
All students will submit their 2-page research proposal to the DTP via weblearn by Friday of week 8
in Hilary Term.
There is a formal process in place for evaluating the proposal before students will be transferred
from the DTP to their host Department.
1. Each proposal will be assessed by a management committee member and another academic
(but not the supervisor) from the chosen department.
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2. A meeting will then be set up between the student, the Management committee member
and the second departmental assessor. It is also possible that the Departmental Director of
Graduate Studies may attend the meeting if the department wishes it. The aim of these
meetings is to provide students with constructive feedback that will help them to improve
their research plan. At the meeting, the student will be asked to give a ten minute
presentation on their proposed project, and this will be followed by up to 20 minutes of
discussion.
3. The student will be advised if any changes or improvements are required and given a time
limit to complete them.
4. If no further changes are required for the proposal, then the MC member and the second
departmental assessor will sign the formal agreement for transferring students to the
department (available on the weblearn site in Information for Students).
5. The form should be prepared by the student in advance of the meeting and a brought to the
meeting as hard copy ready for signature by the MC member. Signatures should then be
obtained from the supervisor and departmental DGS by the student. The form should be
sent to the DTP office for signing off as this will trigger processes within the office including
those that will enable students to access their RTSG.
This formal process will take place up to 2-months after submission; therefore, students are allowed
to begin initial work on their project before the formal transfer takes place
RTSG funds will be available from the point of proposal submission.
Graduate Progression - The stages of a D.Phil
1. PRS You will begin as a Probationary Research Student (PRS) and you will retain this status for up
to six terms, until you have successfully transferred your status to D.Phil student.
2. Transfer of Status Each department has its own rules regarding the transfer of status to DPhil
student. This process typically involves the submission of a full thesis proposal (sometimes including
completed chapters), a public presentation, and evaluation by faculty not involved in the supervision
of the research project. Typically in MPLS, PRS students complete their Transfer of Status by the end
of term 4, but departments are aware that DTP students – who join the department one or two
terms after non-DTP students – may require more time to achieve this. The absolute latest point at
which DTPs student can complete the Transfer is by the end of term 6. If transfer is failed the
opportunity to re-attempt is allowed and 1 further term is permitted. If students do not transfer
status within the approved time-frame then they are unable to complete their degree.
3. Confirmation of Status During your 9th term you will go through another process called
Confirmation of Status. This confirms that you are on track to submit your thesis within the
maximum of 48 months required by NERC. Again, each Department has their own procedures which
are described in their handbook, but all are governed by the university’s over-arching regulations
and you can find these in the MPLS Graduate Handbook.
We expect you to submit your thesis by the end of your 11th term. If you need more time then you
can apply for an extension for a further term (Trinity term is a 6 month term). At 12 terms you must
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submit. Failure to do so will jeopardise future funding for this programme and may cost future
students the opportunity to carry out a D.Phil.
Once you have submitted you will undergo examination by viva, and you must tell us your viva date
once this is arranged, as NERC will want to know this, and the outcome.
Research Partners
The DTP has a number of exciting research partnerships with research organisations, government
agencies, non-governmental organisations and industry. These Partners bring important
perspectives to the DTP, in helping to define the problems that will need to be addressed by
Environmental Researchers of the future, and by offering insights into the world beyond the
laboratory. Student engagement with our Partners will help students to maximise the societal and
scientific impact of their D.Phil. research and will provide excellent opportunities for students during
and beyond their degree. There are a number of ways that our partners wish to engage with DTP
students and these are laid out in the table on the next page.
Each partner has a page on the DTP website which gives a little information about their research
areas and the ways in which they have asked to be involved. It is worth looking at these pages to see
if any partners might be a good match for your proposed project, and would be able to support it.
Partners will also be attending the student conference and this is a great opportunity to meet their
representatives, to discuss project ideas, and partner involvement. Partners may be able to feed
into the project development process, and in some cases may even wish to “CASE” projects that are
of direct benefit to them. A CASE award will involve additional funds to the student stipend as well
as spending some time with the CASE partner either as part of the project, or as an internship.
Students will have the opportunity to visit partners in week 10, details will be confirmed during
Michaelmas Term.
Open Day: On Wednesday of 8th week there will be an Open Day for potential applicants to come
and see what the DTP has to offer. DTP students are an essential ingredient in the Open Day to help
host the day and answer questions from candidates. That day is free of training courses and we hope
very much that you will participate in the Open Day activities.
Partners will, again, be present at the Open Day , as will many supervisors and it is another excellent
opportunity for networking, as well as meeting potential applicants.
List of DTP Partners
Partner Co-Supervision
CASEstudentships
Access toFacilities
Access toData
Access toModels
Access toStudySites
TrainingCourses
ExpertAdvice
WorkPlacements
FieldWorkSupport
TravelGrants
PublicEngagementOpportunities
BGS X X X X X
Birdlife X X X X X X
Bond Group X X
CEH X X X
Earthwatch X
Elsevier X X
ECMWF X X X
Eco-Exist X X X X X X
ESA X
Kew X X X X
Met Office X X
NCAS X X X X
NCEO X X X
NOO X X X X
NaturalEngland
X X X X X
NHM,London
X X X X X
OperationWallacaea
X X X X X X X X
RutherfordAppleton Lab
X X X
ScienceOxford
X X
BGS = British Geological Survey; ECMWF = European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting; ESA = European Space Agency; NCAS = National Centre for
Atmospheric Science; NCEO = National Centre for Earth Observation; NOO = National Oceanography Centre; NHM = Natural History Museum.
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Part II
The Training Programme
Key Dates
Michaelmas Term
Monday & Tuesday week 1 - Student Conference
Friday 12pm week 4 – submit 3 research questions
Friday 12pm week 8 – submit proposal abstract
Hilary Term
Friday 12pm week 8 – submit research proposal
The DTP Training programme in Term 1 (Michaelmas Term, MT) is full time from weeks 1 to
9. Week -1 offers a selection of optional courses to help you prepare for the term ahead by
getting the skills you need in order to participate in the training programme. Induction
week (or 0th week) is dedicated to familiarising you with how the programme is run and
making sure you have the tools you need. Use this time to let us know if you have any
special needs we don’t already know about, and to ask any questions you feel have not yet
been addressed. The core training courses run between weeks 1 and 9, and week 10 has
been given over to partner visits. A full schedule is given on the weblearn site
www.weblearn.ox.a.uk along with individual lesson pages that describe the activities
planned for each course, list any required reading, which you should complete before the
session, and provide details about course assignments which are to be uploaded to the
Weblearn site for peer and instructor assessment. Every Wednesday has been allocated an
independent study day, to allow you to read, research, network and reflect on your project.
In term 2 (Hilary Term, HT), you will be writing your research proposal, as such the timetable
will be much lighter to allow you time to do this. There will be a small number of core
training courses, and some advanced training courses will begin. You are required to
attend all of the core training courses. This includes the Graduate Research Seminars, which
run during the entirety of the first year. In exceptional cases, we can allow students to miss
a training session. Arrangements must be made with Elizabeth Jeffers and Victoria Forth
before the scheduled session and students will be require to attend any missed training
sessions in the following year. DTP students are also required to complete a minimum of
three Advanced Methods courses and three Advanced Data Analysis & Modelling courses.
The Advanced Course requirements can be completed at any point throughout your four
years, as long as it does not conflict with the core training programme.
If you have any issues with teaching or supervision please raise these as soon as possible so that they
can be addressed promptly. Contact your Management Committee supervisor in the first instance, or
if this is not possible, the Programme Manager who will be able to help you.
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ICE- BREAKER AND COMPUTER SET UP 22ND SEPTEMBER 2015
Buffet Lunch 12.30pm – Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS followed by
Computer set up – You will be issued with your DTP Laptop and set up on the Zoology network.
These are the laptops you will use in your pre-term training. You should take this opportunity to
download the software required for the Python course here http://jpallen.net/2015-09-28-oxford/
FIELD COURSE – 23RD TO 25TH SEPTEMBER 2015
9.00 Welcome and Introduction – in Zoology building
Introduction to the DTP in Environmental Research (upon arrival at Nettlecombe Court) led by DTP
staff and MC
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Field Research: There will be five distinct research activities for the three-day course, each of which
will give you a hands-on introduction to the types of research being conducted across the NERC
remit at Oxford:
Inferring Environmental Information from Sedimentary Rock Sequences
Moth Trapping, identification, logging, and release.
Rapid Photogrammetric Surveys and Digital Topographic Models
Natural Environmental Records
Radiosonde Launch at Larkhill weather station.
These activities will provide students with ideas, samples and data that will form the basis of
practical research activities occurring in the Departments throughout Michaelmas Term.
WEEK -1
Pre-Term Training: In the week following the field course but prior to Induction, students will beable (but not required) to attend basic training in a range of topics that aims to equip all studentswith the minimum scientific knowledge required to actively engage with all aspects of the DTPtraining course. Proposed topics include the following
Software Carpentry Workshop – A Software Carpentry workshop is hands-on two-day event thatcovers the core skills needed to be productive as a researcher writing, using and sharing Pythoncode. We’ll cover three main topics:
The basics of the Unix shell so that you are comfortable working from the command line.
A programming language called Python, which is a popular and flexible language used indata analysis and modelling.
How to use version control to regularly save your work, revisit past changes, and share yourwork code others.
– session led by James Allen
Understanding Maths – Introduces the underlying concepts behind using calculus to describe rates
of change, with application to examples such as ecological population dynamics, diffusive heat
transfer in a magma chamber, and advective transport by ocean currents. We will also introduce
selected concepts from probability. session led by Andrew Wells
Guided Reading Groups – for the three course texts, led by DTP Management Committee.
Biodiversity Stream: The Emerald Planet: How Plants changed Earth’s History (OUP 2008) by David
Beerling www.amazon.co.uk/The-Emerald-Planet-changed-history-dp/0199548145
Session led by Elizabeth Jeffers
Dynamic Earth Stream: How to build a habitable planet: the story of earth from the big bang to
humankind (2012) Charles H Langmuir & Wally Broeker http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Build-
Habitable-Planet-Humankind/dp/0691140065
Session led by David Pyle
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Physical Climate Stream: Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast (2006) David Archer
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Global-Warming-Understanding-David-Archer/dp/1405140399/
Session led by Richard Millar
INDUCTION WEEK
Monday 5th October, Monday of 0th week.
9.30am Welcome: Elizabeth Jeffers, Course Director
10am Library Induction & Bibliographic Tools: Monday 10am-11.30am workshop during 0th week
led by Science Librarians Sue Bird and Oliver Bridle at the RSL. The induction is aimed at students
(limit 20) who are new to Oxford (or returning after a few years). It will cover:
General induction lecture covering library resources, access rights, privileged reader status(1 hour)
Tour of the RSL, where to find material, how to access resources in closed stacks (1/2 hour –half of the cohort) How to use the Bodleian catalogue system - practical Solo session (1/2hour – half of the cohort)
Students who have already completed a degree at Oxford are free to attend any departmentalactivities that interest them during this time.
1pm Engaging with the Public and Industry led by Alice Miller (Enterprising Oxford) and MichaelaLivingstone (Oxford Sparks)
2pm Navigating the D.Phil – led by Lizzy Jeffers. Lizzy will go into the DTP programme in more depthand explain the progression of a D.Phil at Oxford, essential deadlines within the DTP and universityD.Phil system. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions.
3pm Introduction to Weblearn led by Stephen Burholt of the Weblearn WISE initiative who createdthe DTP’s weblearn site. This will be a demo of the site followed by some simple activities tofamiliarise you with the site and get you contributing to it.
Tuesday 6th October
Departmental Inductions – Students are able to attend the Induction Days in any of the six
Departments associated with the DTP.
Wednesday, Thursday AM & Friday PM
College Inductions - your college will provide you with the details of what they have planned.
Thursday 8th October 1PM - Welcome event hosted by the 2014 cohort. Please assemble in the
Zoology department Foyer at 12.30.
Friday 9th October.
10am Introduction to Blog Writing: a 1-hour introduction to writing a blog (i.e. a cogent, 500-word
essay on a topic of interest to a wide range of people) led by Amanda Coutts on Friday of 0th week.
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11am Grand Challenges Meeting: this is the first planning meeting for the Grand Challenges
Seminar, which first-year DTP students organise. In the first meeting, we will compile a list of
potential ‘Grand Challenge’ topics from which students will be able to choose for the 4-5 seminar
series. Friday of 0th week after Blog writing.
DTP Training Progression
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Core DTP Training Programme for 2015-16
1. The Earth System – Day 1: In the first 1-2 weeks of the term, students will attend one (or more)of three lecture series in this course. Each series will introduce students to the core conceptsrequired to understand current research in the i) Biodiversity, Ecology and EvolutionaryProcesses; ii) Dynamic Earth; and/or the iii) Physical Climate System streams. Each course istargeted at non-specialists. By the end of the course, students should be able to actively engagein all aspects of the cross-cohort Earth Systems Processes course and many advanced coursesthereafter.
a. Earth’s Climate: Building-blocks of the contemporary Climate System. This course istargeted to students coming from biological sciences, geography, and earth sciences, butwill also be of interest to students in the Physical Climate System stream.
b. Earth’s Structure: Introduces the fundamental chemical and physical processes thatunderlie most phenomena in the earth system. This course is targeted to studentscoming from biological sciences and physics, but will also be of interest to students inthe Dynamic Earth Stream.
c. Earth’s Biota: An introduction to the key terminology, concepts and research approachesin biodiversity research, and how they related to physical processes in the environment.This series is targeted to students coming from the physical and earth sciences andgeography.
Note: students who require additional training in these areas will be offered up to 4 hours ofprivate or tutorial teaching as necessary.
2. The Earth System Days 2-3: In subsequent weeks of term, all students will participate in thiscross-cohort course to develop their understanding about current research questions andapproaches in the i) Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Processes; ii) Dynamic Earth; and/orthe iii) Physical Climate System streams. By the end of this course, students should be able tocritically assess any scientific paper published in Nature Climate Change, Nature Geosciences orNature Plants.
a. Physical Climate System. Over this 2-day course, students will investigate the drivers,time-scales and impacts of climate change.
b. Dynamic Earth. [TBD]c. Biodiversity, Ecology & Evolutionary Processes. This 2-day course is organised
around the Generation, Maintenance and Loss of Biodiversity and will take place in the OxfordUniversity Museum of Natural History.
3. Methods in Environmental Research Course: This course provides an overview of the researchmethods available to students for investigating the natural environment. These modules providethe basis for advanced methods courses offered at the end of the first year and thereafter.
a. Module 1: Earth Observation (MT-1) This module will introduce students to thetheoretical foundation of satellite-based remote sensing and the applications ofremotely sensed data in biodiversity, earth and climate research. This is a one daycourse led by Peter Long, Anu Dudhia, John Elliott.
b. Module 2: Theory & Application of Proxies in Environmental Research (MT-1) In order to
extend environmental histories back in time beyond the limits of instrumental records,
researchers must rely on proxies of environmental change. These are derived from ice,
marine and terrestrial records. This one-day course will give students the opportunity to
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experiment with some key methods used in environmental reconstructions, followed by
small group discussions about their usefulness as proxies.
i. Session 1: proxies of biological processes in terrestrial and ocean systems:Elizabeth Jeffers, Marc Macias Fauria, Ros Rickaby.
ii. Session 2: proxies of earth processes (tephras): David Pyle.iii. Session 3: Indicators of atmospheric processes (speleotherms): Stuart Robinson,
Gideon Henderson.
c. Module 3: Introduction to Scientific Chronology Development (MT-1): We need to be
able to put past events onto a timescale if we are to understand them properly.
Scientific dating allows us to explore the relationship between different sites and
regions. Furthermore, chronologies built up from dating and other evidence enable us to
understand processes at work in the archaeological record. This half-day introductory
session will provide students with an overview of key topics in chronology development
that will be taught in the advanced course entitled Short Course in Radiocarbon Dating
and Bayesian Chronological Analysis (co-offered with the Dept. for Continuing
Education) to be offered in HT. Christopher Ramsey
d. Module 5: Isotope Tracers in Environmental Systems (MT-1) This 4-day course covers the
basic principles of stable light isotope biogeochemistry, and their use as natural
abundance tracers in the environment. It will provide a primer for their use in climate
reconstruction, ecology, evolution, plant sciences, conservation science, archaeology &
human origins, and environmental and forensic science. It will deal with the applications
of stable light isotopes across these fields. The format of the course is a series of short
lectures by experts and practical exercises in the mass spectrometry laboratory using
materials collected during the field course. Julia Lee-Thorpe
e. Module 6: 3D Topography OR Analysis of Large Data sets (MT-1)
Information will follow shortly.
f. Module 4: Practical Research Experience in Physics, Earth Sciences, Archaeology,
Geography & the Environment, Plant Sciences, Zoology, the Museum of Natural History
and the Herbarium (MT-1). Each department will organise a series of practical research
experiences to introduce DTP-EnvRes students to the facilities available for Oxford
researchers working in the six Departments across the NERC remit.
4. Introduction to Data Analysis and Modelling This course provides students with a foundation in
quantitative analysis. It is taught as a series of six core modules during the first termof the DPhil.
a. Module (1) Frameworks for statistical analysis in the Environmental Sciences (MT-1) This
module will introduce students to the main approaches to statistical analysis used by
researchers in the environmental sciences including frequentist, information theoretic,
Bayesian and resampling approaches. The course will (re-)introduce students to the
methods used to summarize data, probability models and data modelling within these
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four statistical frameworks. It will prepare students for more advanced data analysis
courses in their respective disciplines. This is taught as a one-day course led by Yann
Hautier.
b. Module (2) Foundations of Scientific Programming & Code Management (MT-1) This
module will introduce students to key concepts and best practices in scientific computer
programming that are generalizable to the range of programming languages used in the
environmental sciences (e.g. Matlab, Python, R). It assumes a basic knowledge of
computer programming (as covered in the Software Carpentry workshop). Students will
work through a practical problem, this time in Matlab. It is taught as a one day course
led by Rich Katz.
c. Module (3) Modelling Environmental Systems (MT-1) This module gets students to ‘open
the black box’ of environmental models so that they become more critical users and
consumers of models and model-based research. It will firstly introduce a range of
models of differing complexity (from simple dynamics to whole systems), then get
students to decide which type of model might be appropriate for particular research
contexts. Students will work to identify the common logic underpinning models that are
used in a variety of applications. Lastly, students will be taught how to analyse model
output using a range of sensitivity tests. The course is taught as a one day course, led by
Tim Coulson.
5. Communicating Research Course This is a series of short practical workshops that will train
students in the science of communicating research. Each workshop is offered as 1-2 hour long
module led by expert communicators from across the University.
a. Module (1) Blog writing (MT) – Amanda Coutts
b. Module (2) Research Profile (MT-1) – Elizabeth Jeffers
c. Module (3) Mastering Social Media (MT-1) – David Pyle
d. Module (4) Specifying Research Questions (MT-1) – David Pyle
e. Module (5) Abstract writing (MT-1) – Elizabeth Jeffers
f. Module (6) Proposal writing (3 sessions spanning end MT to start HT-1) – Conall
MacNiocaill & others
g. Module (7) Designing and preparing posters (HT-1) - tbc
h. Module (8) Preparing and submitting scientific papers (HT-1) - Conall MacNiocaill
i. Module (9) Small grant writing (TT-1) – David Pyle
j. Module (10) Preparing a scientific presentation (TT-1) – tbc
k. Module (11) Writing a Thesis (MT-2)
l. Module (12) Conferences: Choosing, Funding & Networking (HT-2)
m. Module (13) Writing a Press Release (TT-2)
n. Module (14) Using Film to Communicate Research (MT-3)
o. Module (15) Viva Preparation & Practice (HT-3)
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6. Foundations for a Successful DPhil: This course involves a series of three 2-hour modules led by
Elizabeth Jeffers and invited speakers that will introduce students to the rules and requirements
governing the DPhil degree from start to finish.
a. Module (1) Components of a good DPhil Thesis What is the DPhil thesis, what is required
and when? This session will introduce University and Departmental rules regarding the
completion of the DPhil degree. (MT-1). Darren Jeffers
b. Module (2) Strategies for finishing on time This will be a 2-hour session involving
discussion with a panel of 3rd year DPhil students, researchers and academic faculty (MT-
1). Louise Baron
c. Module (3) Managing the student-supervisor relationship This session will cover
responsibilities of students and their supervisors and the key assessments points
throughout the DPhil degree. (MT-1). Darren Jeffers
7. Planning and Managing Research This course involves a series of modules offered during the
first year of the DPhil that will guide students through the process of planning and managing
their research.
a. Module (1) Research Project Design & Management (MT-1) This 2-hour module will get
DTP-EnvRes students to identify a suitable plan for completing their DPhil thesis on time.
Topics include: guidance on how to plan a feasible DPhil research project and breaking
down a DPhil project into a series of ‘taskable items’. Rebecca Morris
b. Module (2) Keeping up to date with Research Literature (MT-1) This is the first of three
2-hour bibliographic training modules led Science Librarians Sue Bird and Oliver Bridle in
DTP teaching space. This module will combine lecture and practice to introduce students
to: Search strategies; How to get automatic updates from these searches; How to use
(and not use) Google Scholar; Setting up an Oxford ORCiD account; and How conduct a
targeted research search using ORCiD.
c. Module (3) Research Ethics (MT-1) This module, which will be included in the Field Trip,
will provide a general introduction to ethical issues in the planning, conduct and
publication of academic research. Students will discuss the ethical considerations
governing NERC-funded research at the University of Oxford. Mike Bonsall
d. Module (4) Field work planning, safety & risk assessment (MT-1) A half-day workshop led
by FieldSkills Expedition Services that will introduce DTP-EnvRes students to Fieldwork/
expedition planning; risk assessment; communications; systems of support/ contingency
planning and back-up; planning phase scenarios; practical phase scenarios; post
fieldwork reviews.
e. Module (5) Principles of Reference Management (MT-1): This is the second of three 2-
hour bibliographic training modules led by RSL Science Librarians Sue Bird and Oliver
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Bridle in DTP Teaching Space. This module will introduce students to the basic principles
of reference management and the range of tools available for conducting and managing
literature searches and citations. Practical sessions will enable students to work with
references in their preferred software (e.g. Mendeley, Endnote). Students already
familiar with these tools are not required to attend this session.
f. Module (6) Bibliometrics and Open Access Publishing (HT-1) This is the final of three 2-
hour bibliographic training modules led by RSL Science Librarians Sue Bird and Oliver
Bridle in DTP Teaching Space. This module will combine lecture and practice to introduce
students to: How to measure and track your research impact through bibliometric and
altimetric indices; Choosing where to publish your paper whilst complying with RCUK
and Oxford University’s Open Access requirements; Managing access to publications on
personal research websites.
g. Module (7) Data Management & Archiving: Meeting NERCs requirements (MT-1): This 3-
hour module will introduce DTP-EnvRes students to NERC’s data archiving requirements
and to the software tools available that can help them to meet these requirements:
Describes what databases exist; introduces general practices in archiving and
considerations to be made when choosing a repository; The mechanics of creating
metadata and uploading data to repositories. Meriel Patrick.
8. Stream-specific Graduate Research Seminars Each week during term-time, there will be 1-hour
research seminars dedicated to discussing key papers in (i) Biodiversity, Ecology and
Evolutionary Processes; (ii) Dynamic Earth, Surface Processes and Natural Hazards; and (iii)
Physical Climate System. Students must attend the Seminars in their chosen stream throughout
the first year.
9. Impact & Engagement This training series, offered during the first year, gives students first-hand
experience in the practice of making links between academic research and societal and
economic impacts.
a. Grand Challenges Seminar Series: during MT, students will work together to (1) identify
the grand challenges in environmental research, (2) identify University and external
experts to invite to Oxford to speak on this topic, (3) arrange meeting space and catering
for the seminars, (4) promote the seminars on the DTP website (the students can be
responsible for creating the Grand Challenges site); (5) host the speakers during the
event; and (6) report on the event for the DTP student blog. Students will meet in weeks
0, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9 during MT-1 to plan and organise the Seminar Series. There will be
four to five GC seminars in HT.
b. Seminar on Environmental Policy (HT-1): Prof. Charles Godfray will lead a half-day
seminar on the ways that scientists can influence policy.
c. Science Communication and Public Outreach (TT-1): Alison Daley (Oxford University
Museum of Natural History and Zoology) and Mikaela Livingstone (Oxford Sparks) will
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offer a half-day introductory workshop on communicating science to the public. This will
lay the foundation for advanced training workshops for those interested in undertaking
science engagement activities during their DPhil.
ADVANCED TRAINING COURSES
Advanced Methods in Environmental Research DTP-EnvRes students will be required to complete a
minimum of three advanced courses in environmental research methodologies over the course of
the programme. These will be chosen by the student (with guidance and approval from their
research supervisor) from a selection of advanced course options listed below. Courses offered by
the DTP will run during HT-1 and thereafter.
Materials Characterisation & Micro-analysis Provides a hands-on introduction to scanning electron
microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation ICP MS. Offered by John Wade and
others in Earth Sciences.
Scientific Chronology Development (HT-1) We need to be able to put past events onto a timescale if
we are to understand them properly. Scientific dating allows us to explore the relationship between
different sites and regions. Furthermore, chronologies built up from dating and other evidence
enable us to understand processes at work in the archaeological record. This course looks at the
scientific dating methods most commonly applied, including the practical aspects of radiocarbon,
luminescence, tephrochronology and dendrochronology. It also provides an introduction to the use
of statistical methods for combination of information from direct dating and other archaeological
information. There is a strong emphasis on the critical evaluation of dating evidence. The first
portion of the course is focused on radiocarbon dating and is part of a multi-day workshop offered
through the Department of Continuing Education
(https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/details.php?id=V400-523).
Plant diversity Land plants first appeared on Earth around 465 million years ago and subsequent
diversification has been central to the establishment of the complex terrestrial environment. The
aim of this course is to equip the student with the skills to place any plant into one of the major
groups of land plants and to introduce the tools needed to identify plants to genera. This practical
course will introduce the main groups of land plants, illustrate their important characteristics and
illustrate general evolutionary trends as revealed by the most recent developments in phylogenetics.
There will be four 3-hour sessions. The first session will be a general introduction to plant
morphology. The second will provide an overview of land plant diversity; the third will focus on the
major groups of flowering plants; the final session will involve a more detailed introduction to
important families of flowering plants. This course will take place in Michaelmas Term 2014, weeks
1-4 (Wednesday 14.00-17.00; Oxford Botanic Garden). The course is offered to D.Phil. students in
the Plant Sciences Department. Interested students should contact Dr. Stephen Harris to register
Advanced Training in the Physical Climate System (HT and TT-1) These advanced courses will buildupon the material covered in the Climate sessions of the Introduction to Environmental Research
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course. Each of these courses will be organised by the following faculty members as a weeklylecture or small-group tutorial):
Hilary Term
Atmospheric Physics (Philip Stier); This course will introduce composition and structure of
Earth’s atmosphere as well as the basic thermodynamics of dry and moist atmospheres.
These concepts will be applied to understand the formation and basic dynamics of clouds
from the initial droplet crystal formation, the growth of spherical and non-spherical
hydrometers to the formation of precipitation. Clouds play a fundamental role in the climate
system that will be discussed in terms of their radiative effects and potential responses to
anthropogenic activities. We will also introduce the (difficult and uncertain) representation
of clouds in climate models that is key to understand large differences in current climate
predictions.
Atmospheric Radiation (Don Grainger); This course is offered by the DTP in Environmental
Research and the Department of Physics. It will be adapted to suit student interest. Possible
topics that will be covered include: Black body radiation, Earth's emission spectrum, the
solar spectrum, thetotal solar irradiance, molecular spectra, line shape, Rayleigh & Mie
scattering, radiative properties of clouds and aerosols, the equation of radiative transfer,
band models, inverse problems, optimal estimation, weighting functions, application to
satellite remote sensing.
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (Andrew Wells) The circulation of atmospheres, oceans and
many other geophysical flows are underpinned by fluid dynamics featuring an interplay
between rotation, stratification, and buoyancy-driven flow. This course explores the
theoretical and physical fundamentals which underpin many key phenomena in geophysical
fluid flows. Pre-requisite knowledge: the course assumes some familiarity with introductory
level fluid dynamics, and mathematical modelling techniques (including methods for solving
ordinary and partial differential equations). Please contact [email protected] if you need
further information.
Trinity Term
General Circulation of the Atmosphere (Tim Woolings); This course will give an overview of
atmospheric circulation, including the three-dimensional structure of the mean state and its
variability on a range of timescales. Among other things we will examine the jet streams,
storm tracks, stationary wave patterns, Hadley and Walker circulations, monsoons and the
stratospheric flow. We will look at the energy and angular momentum budgets and how
flows on different time and spatial scales affect each other. We will also take a brief look at
the circulation in isentropic coordinates.
General Circulation of the Oceans (David Marshall); This course is offered by the DTP in
Environmental Research in conjunction with the Department of Physics. It will provide a
brief introduction of the global ocean circulation, covering challenges and methods of
observation, theory of the wind-driven and thermohaline circulation, and time-dependent
motions.
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Climate Dynamics (Myles Allen); This course is about our understanding of anthropogenic
climate change at the global level and its policy implications. We will discuss the evidence
that most of the warming over the past 60 years is attributable to human influence on
climate and the implications of climate change over recent decades for key climate system
properties. Regarding the future, we will cover the main properties of emission scenarios
that determine the global response, including the distinction between cumulative and non-
cumulative drivers. We will introduce a simple model of climate change economics to
explain how some policy-makers are attempting to balance the costs and benefits of climate
change mitigation. The course will be built around a highly idealised “integrated assessment
model” coupling (a) the physical climate system; (b) carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gas life cycles; and (c) the impacts of both global climate change and greenhouse gas
emission reductions on global economic welfare. It should be accessible to all DTP students,
not simply those in the climate stream, who are interested in the policy implications of these
large-scale drivers of environmental change
There are also a wide range of NERC-funded advanced training courses in research methodologies
available (for free) to DTP students. See the NERC website for further details:
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/postgrad/advanced/atsc/
The Department of Continuing Education offers Professional Development courses (primarily taught
online) that may be of interest to DTP students, including:
Ecological Survey Techniques
International Wildlife Conservation Practice
Environmental Management
The full list of courses can be found here:
https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/professional/index.php. Registration is via the Department of
Continuing Education and – in most cases – will require a fee to be paid (either from your RTSG
account or from College funds).
Bespoke training courses can also be developed with instructors according to student interests and
demand. To propose a course, students should provide a description of their proposed course,
including the course objectives, duration and proposed course leader to Elizabeth Jeffers, the DTP
Course Director.
DTP Students are also able to enrol in courses being offered by our Research Partners:
National Centre for Atmospheric Science: https://www.ncas.ac.uk/index.php/en/
British Geological Survey: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/
Science Oxford: http://www.scienceoxford.com/
Birdlife: http://www.birdlife.org/
European Space Agency: http://www.esa.int/Education/Courses
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Check the Researcher Training Tool regularly as it is will be continuously updated with new advanced
research methods courses offered by the DTP and other Departments in the University as they
become available.
Advanced Data Analysis and Modelling DTP-EnvRes students will be required to complete a
minimum of three advanced data analysis and modelling modules throughout the course of the
programme. These will be chosen by the student (with guidance and approval from their research
supervisor) from a selection of advanced course options listed below. These will be offered during
HT-1 and thereafter.
Good graphics in R (HT-1) Graphs are often the clearest and most accessible way to present results.
But what makes a good graph? This short course draws on expert advice and empirical evidence to
establish some guidelines for producing good graphics. It also demonstrates how to implement
these guidelines using the open source R statistical programming language for statistics and
graphics.
Time Series Analysis in R (HT-1) This short course taught by Prof. Mike Bonsall (Zoology) will offer an
overview of time series analysis (using ecological/population ecological data). The ideas of basic time
series regressions and the use of more sophisticated mechanistic model and mixed model
approaches for the analysis of temporal sequences will be introduced using the open source R
statistical programming language.
Mixed-effects models in R (HT-1): This course offered by Prof. Andy Hector (Plants) gives a short
introduction to implementing mixed-effects models and how to implement them using the open
source R statistical programming language for statistics and graphics.
R4All Statistics This is an advanced statistics course using the R programme, which is offered by
Owen Petchey (Sheffield) and Andrew Beckerman and runs annually in March or April. This course is
available for Zoology students via application to the Graduate Office ([email protected]).
Scientific Computing for D.Phil. students This course, taught by Prof. Nick Trefethen, offers an in-
depth introduction to numerical analysis in Matlab. It runs over two terms (MT and HT) most years.
Topics covered include the main techniques used to solve linear and nonlinear systems of equations,
fit data, compute eigenvalues, and solve ordinary and partial differential equations. This is a six week
course that includes 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of practical instruction each week. There are four
marked assignments each term and students should commit to participating fully in order to make
the most of this excellent but demanding course. For further information, contact Prof. Tefethen at
There are also a wide range of NERC-funded advanced training courses in data analysis and
computing available (for free) to DTP students. See the NERC website for further details:
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/postgrad/advanced/atsc/course-list2014-15.pdf.
The Researcher Training Tool will be updated with new advanced data analysis and modelling
courses offered by the DTP as they become available.
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PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES
The MPLS Course Programme for Graduate Students offers a wide range of short, intensive training
courses for professional and personal development. Further details for the courses are available on
the MPLS Training webpage (http://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/learning/graduate-school/graduate-
training/course-prog-students) and registration is conducted via the Researcher Training Tool. Some
courses that may be of particular interest to DTP students include the following:
Teacher Training: The MPLS Division the following courses aimed at developing best practices in
higher education teaching:
Preparing for Learning & Teaching at Oxford;
Developing Learning & Teaching at Oxford;
Teaching & Learning: Science, not Magic
Get That Job: Get that Job provides information about a variety of career options, preparing your
CV, interview requirements, and aims to deliver information, tips and examples of successful
approaches to posts within and outside academia.
Work Placement with Research Partners: DTP students can arrange a work placement programme
with a variety of DTP partners (anytime after the first year). This can range from a week-long job
shadowing to a 3-month internship (e.g. British Ecological Society Policy Internship or an industry
placement). See the partner pages on the DTP website for more information about what is on offer
from each partner and for contact details www.environmental-research.ox.ac.uk/partners. You can
either contact partners yourself directly, or contact the Programme Manager to initiate contact. If
you do establish a partner relationship, please make the Programme Manager aware of it.
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Weblearn
Weblearn is the University’s online e-learning site at this url.
https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal
You log in by selecting “Oxford Account Login” and using your SSO. This will take you to a page
where you can select “My Sites” and you will find the DTP in Environmental Research is one of them.
The new DTP weblearn site will be available from 22nd September 2015.
We have created an Arrivals Lounge discussion forum where you can drop in to ask questions. To
access this click on the Arrivals Lounge link under “Forums”
On this site you will find information to help you navigate through your D.Phil whether it be during
DTP training or during your research project.
Information for students
Timetable and DTP events
Lesson pages
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Schedule - There is a schedule which gives the timetable for training.
Student Information – click on Student Information to find a list of information documents,
guidance and forms relating to many different aspects of your studentships. This includes RTSG
guidance, information about transferring to departments, expenses and advances claim forms,
engaging with partners and much more. There is also a link direct to this Handbook.
Lesson Pages - Each module has a lesson page giving information about the instructor(s) course
description/learning objectives, a lesson plan and learning materials some of which you will need to
access prior to the module especially if the module is in an area that is not within your area.
Access the lesson pages by clicking on “Core Training” or “Advanced Training” on the welcome
page, or use the buttons on the left under “Sub-sites” to get to the same areas. Once there you will
see all the different core courses on offer, and you can click on the one that interests you to get to
the lesson pages.
Some lesson pages will contain a link called “student pages” where you can create your own page,
and here you can upload some assignments, such as blogs and other pieces of work for peer review,
and comments from the whole cohort.
Assignments – Some assignments will be set on the lesson pages, or in the Assignments area, and
these should be submitted by clicking on the Assignments button, on the left of the page, and
selecting the assignment you wish to submit. Then follow the instructions to upload the file. This
way all assignments are gathered in one place and the responsible tutor doesn’t have 30 different
email threads with attachments clogging up their inbox. In addition, some assignments, such as
blogs, will have a peer-review process whereby you can read each others work, comment, and make
constructive suggestions before the final submission.
The Core Training Welcome page
You can go to the course and lesson pages either by
clicking on the link, or on the button on the far left.
When navigating back, use the breadcrumb trail, as weblearn will
remember which lesson page you were on, and this can sometimes
lead to it returning to a lesson page instead of a course area.
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You can give feedback direct via weblearn and each module has a feedback form at the bottom of
the lesson page for this purpose. We encourage you to give full and honest feedback about the
programme so we can build on what we have achieved so far.
Weblearn also hosts the Researcher Training tool which will enable you to sign up for advanced
courses.
Signing up for courses using the Researcher Training Tool on weblearn.
There is no sign up for core training courses, you are expected to attend them all and attendance will
be monitored using sign in sheets so that we can provide you with a record of your training
programme and also use this information in our annual report to NERC.
You will sign up for the advanced training courses through the Researcher Training Tool:
https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/hierarchy/grad/.
Go to the link above to browse courses until you find the correct one, and then sign up for it. It is
essential for monitoring purposes that you sign up for courses and do not just turn up on the day.
You may not be credited for a course that you have not signed up for.
This is an example of a lesson
page in pre-term training.
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Email List for Communicating about Training
We have created a mail list of all DTP student addresses that will be shared with training course
instructors. This will be used to communicate directly with you about the courses and to highlight
other courses that might be of interest. This mail list is not to be used for communicating about
social events, etc. We are happy to help students to create a similar list for this purpose that each
person can choose whether or not to be included. Some students prefer the enhanced functionality
of Facebook.
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Part III
NERC & Your DTP Studentship
What is a DTP?
The DTP represents a new way of funding studentships. Research Councils previously used to give
awards direct to individual departments to fund studentships, but this meant that RCUK funded
students sometimes existed in isolation from one another and could receive varying support and
training which was dependant on their supervisor alone. All Research councils in the UK have
stressed the need to ensure that students across the board receive comparable support and training,
and that it is very important to build a strong sense of cohort. These are the connections that you
will forge now and maintain throughout your professional life and they start here, with us.
The DTP is here to ensure that a comprehensive training package is available not only to all NERC-
funded students, but also to the wider student body. The partnerships are between us and the
departments, between us and our external partners, between you and your fellow students.
NERC and Our responsibilities to them
NERC has invested a significant amount of public money in the Oxford DTP for Environmental
Research, providing for 24 full studentships per year over a five year span. This amounts to about
£10 million. Unsurprisingly they require that we report back to them on various aspects of the
programme and this means that we must monitor the progress and activities of our students very
closely. You received a memo about this with your contract documents as we are obliged to let you
know, and obtain your consent, to share this information with NERC in order for you to be able to
take up your funding.
Monitoring Training
We must be able to tell NERC exactly how many students have attended each one of our courses,
and what training each of our students has received over the course of their studentship. We
therefore ask students to sign an attendance sheet so that we can keep track of attendance. This
has two added benefits. One is that we can provide you with full record of your tailored training
plan. The other is a health and safety benefit, and ensures that in the event of e.g. a fire any
building where you are receiving training is aware that you are there.
Monitoring Outputs
NERC recently issued the following announcement to DTPs
“Following a successful trial of capturing Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded
studentship outcomes via Researchfish in 2014, NERC now intends to invite all Research
Council funded students to inform us outcomes arising from their studentship.
We plan to include all current students in this exercise as well as those who completed their
PhD in the last year. Students starting in Autumn 2015 will be excluded from this first period
of data collection (but included next year). A list of all students to be included in the 2015-16
exercise will be uploaded into Researchfish and accessible to your Research Organisation’s
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central Researchfish contact (usually based in the Research Office) shortly. This activity
forms part of an annual exercise to share the list of individuals to be surveyed via
Researchfish. If there is any reason for students not to be included in the survey (e.g.
maternity leave) this can be raised via your central Researchfish contact.
An email is also being sent to all students and their primary supervisors, explaining data
collection via Researchfish. In September, students will be sent links to register an account
with Researchfish. Students will be able to add / edit their information all year round, but will
need to log on and submit a return during the annual data submission period to confirm that
the information is accurate and complete. The next submission period is 1st February
until 10th March 2016 and all students will receive reminder emails closer to the time
reminding them of this.”
NERC will request details of every publication made by a DTP student that is related to their NERC-
funded research, both during the course of the D.Phil itself and up to five years after completion.
We have also been asked to keep a record of impact activities, such as schools outreach, speaking or
presenting at conferences, developing new technologies etc. Please let us know of any such
activities you are involved with as and when they happen. It can be difficult to know exactly what
constitutes an impact activity, but the research councils created the diagram on the following page
as guidance.
If in doubt, report it.
How to report?
You should email the DTP office whenever you have a paper published, giving us the full citation so
that we can keep a record.
You should email the DTP office each time you carry out an impact activity and describe it to us in
full, date, location, what the activity involved, why it is classed as an impact activity.
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Your responsibilities to NERC
Keeping us informed about your outputs, activities, and progression (including viva dates
and onward destinations after completion of your degree).
Archiving of your research findings
Securing additional funding wherever possible to supplement your RTSG
Submission of your thesis within 48 months.
Your Studentship
The DTP is responsible for managing your funding award from NERC throughout the duration of your
programme. A full NERC studentship comprises the university tuition fee, a stipend of £14,057 in
2015-16 and an RTSG (Research Training Support Grant) allowance. If you have any questions
regarding your award, or if any problems arise, please contact Victoria Forth, the Programme
Manager.
Fees: NERC does not pay for college fees, and for the most part the college fee will be paid for by the
DTPs own departmental funds. NERC covers the University fees in full for Home and EU students.
The Stipend is a grant for living expenses and for Home students this is funded by NERC. EU
students are only entitled to have their university fees paid for by NERC, but we have been
successful this year in obtaining very generous college support for our EU students and so have
managed to ensure that the 2015 cohort of EU students will have stipends paid for jointly by their
colleges, and the DTP. We very much hope we can continue this in subsequent years.
RTSG: Each student will receive an annual RTSG allowance of £1000 towards research costs. In
addition there is a central RTSG fund to which students can apply if their project requires additional
support, up to a maximum of £4000 over the course of the degree. The total ring-fenced RTSG per
student is therefore £8000. These applications must be applied for with the support of the
supervisor, and must be justified. A template form is available for such applications on the weblearn
site.
In addition to this, there will be a bi-annual call for bids if additional funding is needed for
particularly high-cost projects. These will be available in years 2 & 3 of the project. The deadlines
will fall in early August and early January. Funding for these is made possible by co-funding secured
for studentships by the DTP, which allows excess funds from other areas of the grant to be vired
across to the RTSG. There will be approximately £10,000 available in each call, spread across the
cohort.
Supervisors’ travel expenses will not be met by the RTSG and supervisors should secure funding from
other sources.
Conferences: If you require funding to attend conferences you should consider applying to your
college first as most colleges do have money available to support conference attendance and travel.
You should also apply to external bodies, perhaps your project partner, or companies. Your
department may publicise funding opportunities and your supervisor may also have some ideas
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about where to look for additional funding, and should be able to help you put together an
application. If no other sources are available, you are able to use some of your RTSG allowance to
meet these costs.
Once you have spent your RTSG budget you will have no safety net, so try everything to avoid
spending it unless you have to.
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Appendix A, The RTSG
RTSG Allowance
Each student receives an annual budget of £1000 for four years to cover e.g. day to day running
costs for the project and attendance at UK conferences. A further £4000 is available as a
supplementary fund for the purchase or larger items, or attending conferences overseas, helping to
fund student exchange programmes and other high cost activities. In addition, in years 2 & 3, there
will be bi-annual funding calls with deadlines in early January and August, for unforeseen project
costs, or for particularly high-cost projects that need additional funding.
Accessing the RTSG
The RTSG is administered from the DTP office and all requests for spending against the RTSG should
be made on one of two forms which are given to students as soon as their projects have been
confirmed and the transfer to department form returned to the DTP office. Students will not have
access to their RTSG in term one while the core-training is underway.
There are two forms available for accessing the grant, both of which require supervisor approval.
RTSG Approval form – This should be used for day to day costs, small items such as train tickets, or
for attendance at UK conferences.
RTSG Supplementary form – this should be used for large individual purchases of equipment, or if
the £1000 annual budget is exceeded.
Please note: The RTSG should not be used for the cost of supervisor travel or fieldwork costs.
Supervisors should find alternative sources of funding.
NB: Please note the line “The RTSG is not intended to relieve an RO of any part of its normal
expenditure.” In other words RTSG cannot be used, under NERC rules, for anything which the
research organisation normally provides to its graduate students. This means that whatever
guidance your department usually applies to standard D.Phil students also applies to DTP students.
If your department has any kind of understanding in place that supervisors should provide or
contribute towards computers for students from their grants, then that should extend to DTP
students as NERC expects the same rules to apply to students across the board. They will not
support the blanket provision of computers to all DTP students from the RTSG.
Both forms should be submitted to the DTP office once completed. Items up to £500 can be
approved immediately by the DTP Manager, over and above that the relevant MC member must
approve. Once approved goods can be procured in one of three ways:
A. make the purchase themselves (e.g. for travel) and claim it back using the expenses form
with receipts attached.
B. fill in a purchase order requisition form (available from the DTP office) which will enable us
to raise the purchase order on their behalf and pay for the goods directly.
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C. have the purchase made within their department (e.g. by the Dept IT office in the case of a
computer, or Zoology stores for lab consumables) who pay in the first instance, but then we
arrange for a transfer of funds (journal) to the department.
The Research Council guidelines on how RTSG should be used are as follows:
Full document available here:
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/RCUK-prod/assets/documents/publications/TrainingGrantGuidance.pdf
Accessing supplementary RTSG funding
Each student can access a further £4000 during the course of their D.Phil by completing an RTSG
Supplementary form. These requests will need to be approved by the management committee.
Once approved the same procedures apply as regards accessing the funds.
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Graduate Research Training and Support Grant
RTSGs aim to contribute to support research and conference attendance of DPhil students, with direct relevance to their DPhil
project and training.
RTSG Approval Form, for spending within annual budget.
Approval form for use of personal RTSG budget, requires supervisor sign-off.(you may expand the boxes according to how
much information you need to give us, you are not limited to the size of the boxes as they appear below.) Please submit
signed approval forms as email attachments to: [email protected]
Name of Supervisor
Name of Student
Title of DPhil Project
Start and expected end date
of DPhil.
Student funding. NERC/RS/College/EU
Justification of resources
sought.
Budget breakdown (in GBP).
Total RTSG accessed to date
Please list
alternative/additional
sources of funding for the
proposed work currently
available.
Please list alternative
pending applications to fund
this proposal.
Signature of Applicant Date
Signature of Supervisor Date
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