Training Needs Analysis
You will need to register with Inkpath , a skills and career development app that will enable you to track your personal and professional development during and beyond your doctorate.
- Download the Inkpath app, or visit https://webapp.inkpath.co.uk to see a browser version on a laptop/PC.
- Select 'Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP' as your destination and accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. When done, press 'Next'.
- When prompted, enter the email address that you use at your home university (open.ac.uk, ox.ac.uk, cam.ac.uk). Press 'Next'.
- When prompted, enter your name and press 'Register'.
- You will receive an email from Inkpath with a link to set a password for your profile. Once it has been set you can return to the Inkpath login page and use your email address and newly-set password to log in.
- If you need any help, please contact the Inkpath team on info@inkpath.co.uk
Once you have created your profile in Inkpath you will be taken through a series of short questions to help you assess your existing skillset and identify areas for improvement.
We use the Cambridge Researcher Development Framework (CamRDF) for this. The CamRDF maps out what is involved in conducting up-to-date, professional research, in what is an ever more interdisciplinary and international context. It breaks this down into fifteen competencies, all of which are highly valued and sought after by employers both within and beyond academia.
The work required to complete your research and write your PhD thesis is one part of that process, but you will also be able to learn through formal training and by applying your skills in non-research situations.
The competencies are grouped into four inter-connected areas:
- Research Expertise
- Personal Effectiveness
- Engaging Others
- Career Progression
Once you have completed your TNA questions in Inkpath, please meet with your supervisor to discuss the TNA and any specific training that you require for the successful completion of your doctoral research. You might also take this opportunity to remind your supervisor about the AHRC expectation that you will submit your thesis within your funded period, and discuss whether you might be eligible to apply to the OOC DTP for an extension to your studentship funding.
Please see the pages on additional funding for further guidance on how to apply to the DTP for research-related expenses, support for individual training needs and extensions to studentship funding.
If, following the discussion with your supervisor, you feel that you need further assistance, please contact the OOC DTP team on training@oocdtp.ac.uk for further advice about the ways in which study visits, conference trips, placements, workshops, language tuition, and other forms of training might contribute to your doctorate or broader professional development.
The OOC DTP Manager will be able to advise further on extensions to studentship funding.
