10: Supporting Wider Development of Doctoral Candidates

Attaining a PhD is an intense journey for most doctoral candidates. The research process is often demanding and requires students to possess multiple skill sets to achieve the twin aim of finishing their research successfully and charting a fulfiling career path afterwards. Doctoral candidates require several interventions that bolster their professional development during their PhD and beyond. First, they need varied technical skills such as proficiency in academic writing and communication, a deep knowledge of specific research methods and how to make compelling research presentations among other skill sets. Once individuals complete their doctorate, a new set of skills are needed, for example, how to manage research collaborations, especially with researchers from other fields and institutions, how to craft successful grant applications and increasingly how to use social media as a means to facilitate and build their research profile. In addition, doctoral candidates need to manage their mental and emotional well-being during the duration of their study, given the intensity and length of most PhD programmes. Too often, universities focus on equipping PhD students with technical skills at the expense of soft skills such as managing the supervisory process or developing resilience and harnessing well-being during the research process.