PhD project generation event - main day

The main day of the PhD generation event consisted of two parts: The first part was designed to identify key challenges, while the second part was dedicated to identifying strategies to address these challenges that can be shaped into a PhD project.  

Mentora Ltd led the creation of PhD projects as an external facilitator and we also used academic and student facilitators to aid discussions.

To focus the event and start off the discussions, the CDT analysed research interests and topics using the software ‘well sorted'  and made the results available prior to the event. Based on the well sorted results of scientific interests seven tables with various scientific interests started off the discussions. After an icebreaker activity for each table, discussions started. Each attendant had the opportunity to move between tables during the day. The event had 5 tasks/steps during the day: 

• Define the scientific problems 
  Each group discussed current pharmaceutical problems/key challenges which need to be explored. After the discussion each group provided a summary of key challenges. 

• Exploring approaches to the main scientific problems, prioritising and assessing feasibility 
  Each group discussed how to approach pharmaceutical problems/key challenges and provided an update of the four most important ones. 

• Developing research ideas  
   Each table discussed their research approaches in more detail and provided an update to all. 

• Summarise 
  Each table summarised their ideas on paper, fed back to the entire group. Each summarised proposal was displayed.  

• Expression of interests and end of the day 
  Students, academics and industry scientists received stickers to indicate their interests in the projects, 

This productive and interactive event was attended by 18 industry partners, 13 students, 35 academics from UCL and Nottingham, 8 student facilitators, 3 academic facilitators, 2 Advisory board members, 3 professional facilitators and 1 CDT manager. After the event, 30 outline projects were generated. These projects will now be written up in more detail by the lead scientists assigned to each project. The submitted project proposals will be checked for CDT and EPSRC remit and signed off by the CDT Management group.