Year One
Embedding research culture
Year one training embeds Wellcome Scholars in SCHARR’s interdisciplinary, team-based research culture. The cohort develops interdisciplinary grounding and methodological skills through taught masters modules.
Students receive generic research skills training, engage with public health decision-makers, and ‘road-test’ potential supervisors and topics during three research attachments.
Finally, together with the programme directors, they select a supervisory panel and generate a detailed research proposal outlining the planned PhD work for years two to four.
Induction, mentors and training needs analysis (month one)
There is an induction session at the start of the programme to ensure students are aware of the range of University services available to them. There is also a social event so students can meet each other, programme directors and potential supervisors.
All students are assigned two programme directors to support them in year one. With their tutors, students discuss their aspirations and expectations, undertake a formal training needs analysis and devise a personal timetable of four taught masters modules, generic skills training, and research attachments. Training for students from mathematical disciplines focuses on public health, while students with health-related backgrounds focus on economics and mathematical modelling.
To assist students in deciding with whom they would like to undertake their research attachments, a series of seminars is held for potential supervisors to introduce their research area to students.
Research attachments
Students undertake three eight-week research attachments with different potential supervisors, joining their teams, projects or groups when not in lectures and seminars. They explore a number of potential PhD research topics and plans in each attachment.
Research proposals
Towards the end of year one, students develop a detailed research proposal in one of the topic areas they explored, and supervisors and tutors are available to provide guidance in topic and supervisory panel choice.