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A collection of the questions asked most frequently about the UCL Doc Skills programme.
Questions related to Covid-19
Is there any face to face training?
Due to the global Coronavirus COVID-10 pandemic, UCL has announced the suspension of all face-to-face teaching and learning on campus until the end of the current academic year (September 2020).
Will my course be running?
We are working to adapt as many courses as we can for online delivery. You can find your course status on the UCL Learning and Development updates page. This will be updated twice a day for the foreseeable future.
My course is cancelled/postponed – are there any alternative materials you can offer?
We are continuously adding links to our Learning & Development portfolio page which will direct you to relevant resources.
When can I enrol on Doctoral Skills Development Programme courses?
Courses open for booking on a termly basis. Booking will open on the last day of the previous term.
Note: during Covid-19 emergency, face-to-face training is suspended. Please check the status of your course on Course status website. Full listing of all training planned for the coming months will be advertised on the L&D portfolio page.
General questions (relevant to management of face to face training)
Who can attend the Doctoral Skills Development Programme courses?
Doctoral Skills Development Programme is open to all fully-enrolled, in-progress postgraduate researchers UCL. This includes those studying for:
- MPhil/PhD programmes
- Professional doctorates
- MRes
- ESRC research recognised programmes and other research degrees
If there are places available on the course 2-3 days before the first session, Research Staff may email docskills@ucl.ac.uk to obtain permission to participate.
How do I enrol on a course?
We only accept bookings for the sessions scheduled in the current academic term. In order to make full use of the Doctoral Skills Development Programme, you will first have to complete your registration to the UCL Research Student Log.
To book a place you will need to log into the Doctoral Skills Development Programme website (Research Student Log option). Find the relevant course, the registration link is located at the bottom of the page, under the session details. If the course is full, you will see this message: "Sign up to the Waiting List for this course".
Note: for registrations during Covid-19 emergency, please follow instructions on the main L&D portfolio page.
Am I eligible to register on a course if I have entered my ‘Completing Research Status’ (CRS) year?
Yes, you can still attend our courses during your CRS year.
How do Roberts/Training Points work?
Please visit our “Training Points” website for a comprehensive overview of how Training Points work.
How do I register for a new account?
Please activate your Research Student Log on the Research Student Log website. Once you have done it, you will be able to log in on our website.
There is no registration box on the course website. What should I do?
If the registration box is missing, the course is not yet scheduled or available for booking. Courses are only available to book in the current term. Bookings open on the last day of the previous term.
There is a registration box on the course website, but the registration link is missing. Why?
Our courses are open on termly basis, to allow students joining UCL during the year fair access to the programme. As soon as the course dates are confirmed, we will publish all repeats on the course website, but only sessions in the current term will be open for registration. This way students will be able to plan their commitments over the year.
I am trying to book a place, but the system tells me I already have a place. What should I do?
Please check your registration status in the Skills & Courses section of your Research Student Log account, or in My Training on UCL Doc Skills website.
How do I cancel my bookings?
If you need to withdraw from a course please be sure to cancel as soon as possible. Cancellation within three days of the course will incur a "Did Not Attend" status being recorded on your account. This is essential in order that we can offer your place to students from the waiting list.
To cancel your bookings please log in on our website, select My Training and press 'Cancel' next to the particular course. You can also cancel your booking in the Skills & Courses section of the Research Student Log. When cancelled correctly the course will disappear from the list of your training. The system will also send an automated message to your registered email address confirming that you successfully cancelled your booking.
I have put my name on the waiting list, when will I know if I have a place on the course?
As soon as we receive a cancellation for a place on a course we seek to reassign that place to the next person on the waiting list. If a place is made available with less than two days’ notice, we notify all students from the waiting list and assign it to the first person who confirms their interest and availability.
Please note that if your availability changes you should cancel your registration on the waiting list via "My Training" section of your account.
Can you reserve a place for me before the registration is open?
To keep the registration process fair and transparent we do not reserve places on courses or the waiting lists. Students should make reservations themselves. We also do not have "rolling" waiting lists - students need to commit to specific dates once they are published on the course website.
I am not sure if I have received a place/cancelled my booking. How can I check it?
You can check the list of your upcoming courses in My Diary section of your account. All your training, including waiting list places, is listed under My Training and also in the Skills & Courses part of your Research Student Log.
I need to download preparatory work files. Where do I find them?
All available course material can be accessed through the Hand-outs / Presentations section of your account.
I attended training outside of UCL Doc Skills programme. How can I gain training points for that?
On the Skills website, please go to My Department Training section of your Skills account and scroll down the page to find a link to a suitable category. You will be able to add the details of the event in the course description box.
Alternatively, on the Research Log, go to Skills &Courses > Add Courses > Department.
For the full list of recognised activities, please first search for your department under the "Department Based Training" search box.
I cannot see my Inkpath bookings in the Research Log. Will they be added automatically to the Log?
Yes, ISD will be migrating Inkpath training to the Research Student Log. This unfortunately encountered delays due to REF efforts but will be available from term 3 (2021).