Research support

Supporting your research journey

As a postgraduate research student it’s important to develop your personal and professional skills. Liverpool John Moores University recognises this and promotes skill development as an essential part of their research programme.

To help researchers excel and reach their full potential we offer a full range of personal, professional and career development opportunities through the Researcher Development Programme.

Together with the University's Research Degrees Committee, we have produced a Postgraduate Research Student Skills Training and Development Framework. This is to assist postgraduate research students and their supervisors in developing an appropriate skills training programme. 

Researcher Development Programme

The Researcher Development Programme aims to equip postgraduate researchers with the skills, attributes and knowledge to thrive as independent researchers and professionals. It focuses on the delivery of transferable skills to complement subject specific training, providing graduates with a competitive edge when developing a research career or entering employment. 

Developing personal and professional skills is an important part of being a postgraduate researcher. The skills gained will assist your personal development and will improve your ability to undertake focused research and to present your work to a variety of audiences. The courses will also help you to develop an understanding of the role of research in the wider world - encouraging you to reflect on the social, ethical implications of your research along with the commercial possibilities.  

It also offers opportunities for researchers to interact with others from different schools and disciplines, who you may not otherwise meet in the ordinary course of your degree. Designed around the Researcher Development Framework, which summarises the knowledge, behaviours and attitudes of effective and highly skilled researchers, our programme aims to support you in acquiring the transferable professional attributes identified by the framework.  

Courses and opportunities

Our courses vary in length and format, from one-hour information sessions to series of interactive workshops spanning three-months. Training runs throughout the year and you can attend courses to develop your skills in communication, project management, academic writing, collaboration and networking, career management, creativity, entrepreneurship and more. You can also take up one of the many opportunities for public engagement including poster presentation and lay summary competitions to help you share your research with others.