General Training for Research Students

All students registered for research degrees receive the following general training. The detailed timetable for these activities is published on the WWW. In addition, each student must undertake an approved programme of study specific complying with the School's Guidelines.

Induction Week Programme for Research Students

• Welcome and General Introduction Lunch (1 hour)
  • Introduction from Head of School Research Committee
  • Welcome from your Postgraduate Representative
  • Introduction to the Course
  
  
• PhD skills workshop (1 day)
  • Research methodology
  • Time management
  • Scientific ethics
  • Intellectual property rights
  
  
• Tour of the School of Physics (1 hour)
  • Research Groups:
    • Astrophysics,
    • Biomedical Physics,
    • Electromagnetic Materials Group,
    • Quantum Interacting Systems Group,
  • Student workshop, main workshop and stores
  • Sample preparation facilities
  • Helium liquefier
  • School Student Services office and accounts office
  • School library
  
  
• Safety Lectures (3 hours)
  • General Safety
    Legal framework; Safety Policy; Premises; Health; Machinery, plant and equipment; Special risks; Health and Safety Management
  • Chemical Safety:
    COSHH, assessments; Handling of chemicals; Storage of chemicals; Disposal of hazardous waste
  • Electrical Safety:
    Overview of employee's responsibility under the Electricity at Work Act; Physiological effects of current passing through the body; Protection Methods
  • Radiation Safety:
    Physiological effects of ionising radiation on the human cell; Stochastic and deterministic effects; Definitions and use of units in radiation protection; Dose limits Health and Safety at Work Act; Key statistics
  • Laser Safety:
    Laser hazards; Legal provisions; Laboratory management
  • Cryogenic Safety:
    General Hazards; Handling of cryogens in the laboratory; Emergencies

Core Training for Research Students

• Introduction to Student Workshop (1 hour)
  This introduction gives students a general information about the use of machine tools (such as drills, lathes and milling machines) and other facilities in the student workshop.
   
• Fire Prevention Training (3 hours)
  Provided by the University Safety Office. Hands-on experience of using a fire extinguisher is included in this course.
   
• Introduction to Statistics (6 hours)
  Probability; Bayes theorem; Discrete distributions; Probability density function, probability distribution function; Summary statistics; Mean, standard deviation, etc. moments of distributions; Mean value theorem; Hypothesis Tests; The null hypothesis; T-test, F-Test; Parameter estimation; Common estimators: least-squares, minimum chi-squared, maximum likelihood, maximum entropy; Curve fitting; Covariance and bias of parameter estimates; Non-parametric methods and simulation.
   
• Research Talks by 2nd Year PhD Students
  Each of the second-year research students will give a talk about their work during the first week of the Autumn term. The programme will be arranged by the Research Student Training Programme Co-ordinator.