PhD Programmes UAB is internationally renowned for its quality and innovation in research.
Choose your future, choose UAB.

Training Activities 2023-2024

PhD programmes include both transversal and specific activities in the area of each programme.

Transversal activities are useful for people who are doing their doctorate outside their area of knowledge, since they offer the opportunity to acquire transversal competences during the training period of the PhD programme. You can find the transversal activities organised by the UAB and presented by the School for Doctoral Studies in all together in this section for quick and easy access to the information.

For the specific activities, you can find the information in individual folders for each of the PhD programmes.

Within the transversal activities, the Language Service of the UAB offers language courses specifically addressed at PhD students: the course Support for writing a doctoral thesis in Catalan and the course Thesis writing in English.

The Doctoral School also offers some seminars related to the competences of Industrial Doctoral Research such as How to validate your research, Technology-based intellectual property, Leadership techniques, Home office or How to expand your network of contacts to get a job, among others. The activities offered may change each academic year depending on the trainers' availability. In the description of each activity the course language is also detailed.

For further information on how to get the attendance certificates for transversal activities, please contact Gestió ed.transversals@uab.cat.

To include these activities in your academic record, please check this video (click on the subtitle icon at the bottom right corner). Select the type of activity 65 (Transversal Activity) and write the name of the activity in the field “Description”. It is highly recommended to fill this field in the three available languages (Catalan, Spanish and English).

Below you can find the available courses. These activities are exclusively addressed to early stage researchers enrolled at UAB Doctoral School as students of a doctoral programme offered by the UABPlease bear in mind that the scheduled activities may be subject to some changes.

WRITING A THESIS IN ENGLISH

Sciences, Health Sciences and Engineering
Date: 23/10/2023 to 27/11/2023, Mondays and Wednesdays from 17 to 19 h
Mode: on-site
Language: English
Trainer: Servei de Llengües

Law, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities
Date: 24/10/2023 to 23/11/2023, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 17 to 19 h
Mode: on-site
Language: English
Trainer: Servei de Llengües

Addressed to: early stage researchers with an accredited B2.2 English level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language

Issues related to academic-scientific writing, specialized languages and the conventions of formal university texts are addressed. The course is thought as a support in the writing process of the thesis. Participants can share small fragments of their text, so specific doubts can be solved. The classes for this course will be online via videoconference.

For more information visit the Servei de Llengües website.


PRESENTING RESEARCH

Date: 24/10/2023 to 23/11/2023, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 13 to 15 h
Mode: on-site
Venue: to be confirmed
Language: English
Trainer: Servei de Llengües
Addressed to: early stage researchers with an accredited B2.2 English level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language

The Doctoral school organises, together with the Languages Service, this course aimed at strengthening researchers’ skills for presentations in English in working sessions, workshops, seminars and conferences. Participants will learn to control anxiety and nerves before a presentation, to choose and organize contents to make an interesting and persuasive oral presentation and to adapt their discourse to the public. They will also learn to develop and use a script and other support systems for the transmission of content (PowerPoint or Prezi), to express themselves naturally and to manage the questions of the audience. The course also focuses on aspects such as register and linguistic correctness.

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.


FROM SCIENCE TO THE MARKETPLACE

Date: October-December 2023, schedule to be confirmed
Mode: on-site (Startup UB lab)
Language: Catalan and Spanish
Addressed to: master's degree and PhD students

The University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Pompeu Fabra University have launched the fifth edition of 'From science to the marketplace', a 100% subsidised training course to foster scientific entrepreneurship. The programme consists of 100 hours of training on knowledge transfer and business creation. In addition, each project will have between 2 and 10 hours of individualized tutoring with professionals from the sector.

More information and registrations here.


CHEMICAL RISKS IN THE LABORATORY

Virtual self-learning course available all the academic year round.
Mode: virtual
Language: Catalan, Spanish and English
Trainer: UAB Risk Prevention Service
Addressed to: course specially recommended to early stage researchers working in a lab. This activity is equivalent to the one with the same name offered by the Unitat de Formació.

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Risk Prevention Service, this course that aims at informing and rising awareness about the most common risk factors for human health and safety in the laboratories by training in risk detection and protection systems.

Aims

• To identify the most common risks in a laboratory.
• To know the most common entry channels of chemical contaminants and biological agents.
• To know the most common protection systems in the laboratory. Fume hoods, biological safety booths, individual protection equipment.
• To learn tools for a qualitative risk assessment.
• To raise awareness about preventive culture.

More information via Aula Moodle.

WRITING AN ABSTRACT AND OUTLINING A SCIENTIFIC PAPER

Date 1st group: 07/11/2023 from 10 to 12 h
Date 2nd group: 07/11/2023 from 15 to 17 h
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: Blanca Arias Badia,
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The Doctoral School organises this workshop that aims to provide answer answers to the following questions, among other: What kind of information should an abstract include? What is the clearest way to distribute information in an abstract? Why are keywords important? How can we avoid vagueness? Other aspects such as structure and style will be considered, as well as further practical matters, such as hints on how to meet today’s editors’ and reviewers’ expectations.

This practical session will be based on real examples in different fields of study. Attendants are also invited to bring their own abstracts to the workshop so their proposals can be discussed together.

Registrations morning group.
Registrations afternoon group.
 

RESEARCH DATA: OPEN ACCESS PUBLISHING AND DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN

Date: several sessions
Mode: virtual
Language: Catalan, Spanish and English
Trainer: Servei de Biblioteques
Addressed to: early-starge researchers. Specially recommended for 2nd and 3rd year PhD students

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Libraries Service, this course that aims to offer a general overview on the publication of open access research data. Firstly, attendees will be given an explanation about research data, the benefits of publishing them open access and the regulations ruling it. The repositories to publish those data will also be explained, such as the institutional repository for research data at UAB, CORA RDR, and some advice will be given on the process to prepare data to be published. The essential elements to create a Data Management Plan will also be addressed.

The course is mainly addressed to early stage researchers preparing their theses, articles or any other research documents containing data that need to be stored and that could be checked by other researchers.

Contents

  • Research data
  • Requirements
  • FAIR principles
  • Data Management Plan
  • CORA RDR
  • Other research data repositories
  • Good practices

Registrations and timetables via Aula Moodle.
 

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

Date: 15/11/2023 from 9 to 14 h
Mode: on-site
Venue: room 3, Doctoral School
Language: Catalan
Trainer: Teresa Guix (Co-empren)

The seminar " Lego Serious Play " aims to foster creative skills and the ability to solve complex issues, individually and in a collaborative way. The Lego® Serious Play ® methodology will be taught, as well as its possible uses.

For more information and registrations visit the Aula Moodle.


GOOD RESEARCH PRACTICES AND RESEARCH INTEGRITY AT THE UAB

Virtual self-learning course available all the academic year round.
Mode: virtual
Trainer: Ethics Committee on Animal and Human Experimentation
Language: English
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The Doctoral School organises this online seminar to transmit to early career researchers their responsibilities as future scientists, including awareness of and ability to deal with issues concerning research integrity and research ethics in a wider sense while promoting responsible conduct of research. Early  career researchers will have the opportunity to learn ethical principles and apply them to problems they will encounter during their professional activities as researchers.


WELCOME SESSION. THE DOCTORAL STUDIES AS A FORMATIVE PROCESS. Academic year 2023-2024

Date: 28/11/2023, from 11 to 12 h.
Mode: hybrid (virtual and on-site)
Language: Spanish
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The Welcome Session of the UAB Doctoral School is specially addressed to first year PhD candidates but it is also open to other early stage researchers that may be interested in attending. This session will combine a live conference about open science with some videos available on Aula Moodle where some practical information will be given.

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.


ZOTERO

Virtual self-learning course available from November to May.
Mode: virtual
Language: Catalan, Spanish and English
Trainer: Servei de Biblioteques
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The course is structured in five modules. The aim of this course is to offer a broad vision of the reference manager Zotero, that allows storing, organising and sharing information. Estimated dedication time is 4.5 hours.

Contents

  • What is Zotero?
  • Personal library
  • Organising your personal library
  • Gathering and inserting references in a text
  • Teamwork

More information via Aula Moodle.

HOW TO DESIGN YOUR PHD WITH THE IDEA PUZZLE® SOFTWARE

Date: 1/12/2023 from 10 to 11.30 h
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: Ricardo Morais (Idea Puzzle)
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The Doctoral School organises this seminar where the use and possibilities of the Idea Puzzle® software will be explained. This software is thought to design, diagnose and defend research projects. It constitutes an investment in life-long research skills.

Contents:

  1. Research as a system of 21 decisions
  2. Theoretical decisions of your research
  3. Methodological decisions of your research
  4. Empirical decisions of your research
  5. Rhetoric decisions of your research
  6. Authorial decisions of your research
  7. Application to participants' research with the Idea Puzzle® software

More information via Aula Moodle.


ELEVATOR PITCH

Date: 4, 11, 13, 18 & 20/12/2023, Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 to 12 h
Language: English
Mode: virtual
Trainer: Servei de Llengües
Addressed to: early stage researchers with an accredited B2.2 English level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language
Aim: to prepare attendees to explain their projects in English and in a limited time.

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Language Service, this course to create an interesting, entertaining, persuasive and attractive speech from the point of view of substance and form. The course will address aspects such as the analysis of the expectations of the interlocutor or the audience, the ability to synthesize and the communication of complex content in a simple and informative language. All attendees will produce a short speech to be presented in front of their colleagues. Feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the intervention will be given.

Registrations via Aula Moodle.


GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN RESEARCH

Date: 12/12/2023 & 18/01/2024, from 10 to 13 h
Mode: on-site
Venue: aula 1, Doctoral School
Language: Catalan
Trainer: Enrico Mora, Department of Sociology

The Doctoral School organises the course "Gender Perspective in Research". The course will enable researchers to embed gender equality in their own research proposals, as well as training their ability to review research proposals from a sex-gender perspective.

For more information and registrations visit the Aula Moodle.


RESEARCH PAPERS

Social Sciences and Humanities.
Date:
 12/12/2023 to 25/01/2024, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 14 a 16 h
Language: English
Mode: virtual
Trainer: Servei de Llengües
Addressed to: early stage researchers with an accredited B2.2 English level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language
Aim: To improve the writing of scientific papers in English
 
The Doctoral School organises, together with the Languages Service, this course on one of the most common sorts of discourse in scientific communication, the scientific paper. The participants develop and consolidate the necessary skills to write scientific papers in English. The course addresses aspects related to the standardized structure of papers (introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions) and the formal and discursive characteristics that these parts must have. Questions related to English vocabulary and correct grammar and syntactic structures when writing papers are also addressed.
 
Registrations via Aula Moodle.

COMMUNICATING SCIENCE

Date: 10/01 to 24/01/2024, Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 to 12 h
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: Servei de Llengües
Addressed to: first stage researchers with an accredited B2.2 level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Languages Service, this course aimed at the production of texts for scientific dissemination, both oral and written, to learn how to use plain language to reach non-specialised audiences. Attendees will learn to adapt the content to the audience, the register and the pitch; to choose the appropriate words; to manage the redundancies and the words of transition; to control the negative and affirmative modalities of the speech in order to achieve maximum clarity; to properly manage the emergence of known and unknown information; to foster a good thematic progression; to determine the lengths of the sentences and the paragraphs to build them appropriately and to foster the comprehensibility and readability of the text, among other aspects.

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.


INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR PHD

Date: several sessions
Mode: virtual / on-site (depending on the session). The English edition will be available as a self-learning course.
Language: Spanish and English
Trainer: Servei de Biblioteques
Addressed to: first stage researchers. Specially recommended for 1st year PhD students

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Libraries Service, this course that offers an overview of the main resources of bibliographic information, both contracted and open access, informing about the search strategies, contents, alerts, possibilities for storage and export of results.

Contents

  1. The need for information
  2. Development of a search strategy
  3. Evaluation of results
  4. The UAB libraries' browser
  5. Internet Search
  6. Databases

More information for the Spanish sessions and registrations via Aula Moodle.

Self-learning course in English.
 

INTERSECTIONALITY IN RESEARCH: POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITS

Date: 29/01 & 5/02/2024, 10 am to 1 pm
Mode: on-site
Venue: room 1, Doctoral School
Language: Spanish
Trainer: Florencia Brizuela, PhD in Law and Political Sciences
Addressed to: first stage researchers

The Doctoral School organises this training that aims to present the intersectional perspective as a theoretical and methodological tool. The proposals of feminist thinkers analysing the relationship between patriarchy, racism and capitalism will be discussed. In particular, they analyze the impact of the interrelation of these axes on the lives of women, trans people and racialized communities.

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.

TECHNOLOGY-BASED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO THE USE OF PATENTS, KNOW-HOW AND UTILITY MODELS

Virtual self-learning course available all the academic year round.
Mode: virtual
Language: Catalan
Trainer: Xavier Vallvé, Head of the Office of Patent Valuation UAB
Addressed to: first stage researchers, preferably from scientific and technological fields

The seminar "Technology-Based Intellectual Property" provides a theoretical overview of patents, know-how and utility models. Early stage researchers will watch several videos with basic information about how to protect their research and how to manage patents. The seminar is organized by the Office of Patents Valuation together with the Doctoral School and is part of the transferable skills training programme.

Topics

  • Uses of Technology-based Intellectual Property (or how to become a smarter researcher).
  • Patents: Requirements and exclusions, structure, prosecution, and infringement.
  • Utility models.
  • Know-how: when to keep information confidential and comparison with patents.
  • Patent information: how to take advantage of research patented by others, and multiple uses of using patent databases.

Course and programme via Aula Moodle.
 

RESEARCH YOURSELF ®

Date: 1, 8, 15 and 22/02/2024 29/02, 7, 14 and 21/03/2024, 3 to 5 pm
Mode: on-site
Venue: room 2, Doctoral School
Language: Spanish
Trainers: Elvira Reche, PhD in Health Psychology
Addressed to: first stage researchers

Is your doctorate causing you stress? Do you feel overwhelmed by pressure? Are you worried about your relationship with your supervisor and your team? Do you find it difficult to maintain a good work/life balance? According to recent studies, earning a doctorate, although gratifying, can also be a mentally challenging process. For that reason, the Doctoral School has organised this 4-session course that, by using coaching and mindfulness techniques, will give you tools to combat the anxiety, fears and frustrations that may arise during this training phase.

Session 1: What is and what is not mindfulness. Is it useful for scientific personnel?
Session 2: Do we have an emotional profile? What is emotional regulation? Can it be measured?
Session 3: What are the main stressors of research staff? What are my time constraints during my PhD and why do I procrastinate...sometimes?
Session 4: Is a conscious communication with my research group and/or thesis director possible?

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

STATISTICAL CONCEPTS IN RESEARCH

Date:
Access to online materials: 
Sessions via Teams: 6, 13, 20 & 27/02/2024, 10.30 am to 12 pm
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: Servei d'Estadística Aplicada
Addressed to: first stage researchers

This course will introduce the main ideas and tools needed for the design and analysis of experimental studies. The course offers an overview of applied statistics starting with the design of experiments and studies, data collection, sample size, descriptive statistics, and a conceptual introduction to inference statistics and hypothesis testing. 

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

WEB OF SCIENCE AND SCOPUS

Date: several sessions
Mode: virtual
Language: Spanish, Catalan and English
Trainer: Servei de Biblioteques
Addressed to: early-stage researchers

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Libraries Service, this course which offers an introduction to the main features of these two bibliographic and bibliometric resources of paramount importance for doctoral students. The course will explain search strategies, content, storage possibilities and export of the results, as well as the analysis of the quality of the journals and the scientific production of the authors.

Contents

1. Designing your search strategy
2. Search options in WOS
3. Search options in Scopus
4. Main indicators

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

WRITING A THESIS IN ENGLISH

Sciences, Health Sciences and Engineering
Date: 19/02 to 20/03/2024, Mondays and Wednesdays, 5 to 7 pm
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: Servei de Llengües
Addressed to: early stage researchers with an accredited B2.2 English level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language

Issues related to academic-scientific writing, specialized languages and the conventions of formal university texts are addressed. The course is thought as a support in the writing process of the thesis. Participants can share small fragments of their text, so specific doubts can be solved.

For further information visit the Servei de Llengües website.


DEFENDING YOUR THESIS IN ENGLISH

Date: 19/02 to 20/03/2024, Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 pm
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: Servei de Llengües
Addressed to: early stage researchers i ntheir last year, with an accredited B2.2 level and who do not have English as a native or native-like language

Course to prepare doctoral candidates in their last year for the reading and defense of their thesis.

For further information visit the Servei de Llengües website.


WELCOME SESSION. THE DOCTORAL STUDIES AS A FORMATIVE PROCESS. Academic year 2023-2024. New edition.

Date: 22/02/2024, from 11 to 12 h.
Mode: hybrid (virtual and on-site)
Venue: sala Carles Perelló, Doctoral School
Language: Spanish
Addressed to: early stage researchers who couldn't attend the welcome  session last November

The Welcome Session of the UAB Doctoral School is specially addressed to first year PhD candidates but it is also open to other early stage researchers that may be interested in attending. This session will combine a live conference about ethics in research with some videos available on Aula Moodle where some practical information will be given. More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

TEAMWORK

Date: 29/02, 7, 14 & 21/03/2024, 10 to 12
Mode: Virtual Language: Spanish
Trainer: Grup Sural
Addressed to: early stage researchers

Objectives

  • Knowing ourselves to better understand others and to have more tools for teamwork
  • Discover the available resources to use them
  • Value the importance of all aspects that define a team
  • Our role inside a team
  • Discover the benefits of teamwork
  • Turn differences into added value

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE THESIS

Self-learning course available from March to May.

Date: several sessions
Mode: virtual
Language: Catalan, Spanish and English
Trainer: Servei de Biblioteques
Addressed to: early-stage researchers. Specially recommended for 2nd year PhD students

The Doctoral School organises, together with the Libraries Service, this course that has a two-fold aim: on the one hand, to provide an overview of different aspects that the PhD Candidates need to take into account in order not to violate third parties’ rights when writing the thesis; and, on the other hand, to explain that they must publish their thesis dissertation in the institutional repository, as stated in the Article 14 Assessment and public dissertation of the doctoral thesis of the Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28th January, which regulates official doctoral studies. The course is addressed to early stage researchers. Industrial property will not be addressed at this course.

Contents

  • Defining “author”
  • Attribution of rights. Copyright and exploitation and patrimonial rights
  • Transfer of rights. Creative Commons Licenses
  • Public domain materials
  • Respect third parties’ rights
  • Thesis dissertation in TDX and DDD
  • Interesting resources

More information via Aula Moodle.
 

CITIZEN SCIENCE: INCORPORATING CITIZENS' PARTICIPATION IN DOCTORAL PROJECTS

Date: 4 & 6/03/2024, from 10 to 12 h
Mode: on-site
Venue: room 2, Doctoral School
Language: Catalan / Spanish
Trainers: Begoña Miñarro and Sofía Mojica
Addressed to: early stage researchers Citizen science (CS) is a rapidly growing research approach that promotes the participation of non-professional scientists in scientific research, from the design of questions to the formulation of results. In this course, its origins and current trends will be reviewed. There will also be time to reflect on how to design a citizen science project and which CS elements could be included in current or future projects.

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

HOW TO COMMUNICATE YOUR RESEARCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Date: 5 & 7/03/24, 3 to 5pm
Mode: Virtual
Language: Catalan
Trainer: Lydia Gil (socialmediaeninvestigacion.com)
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The emergence of digital platforms and social networks in the last years has modified the media ecosystem and has redefined the way of communicating and behaving in private and public spheres. The academia is not an exception. Nowadays, social media is a basic tool for research and scientific production and has a key role in networking with other researchers. 

Aims

  • To get an overview of the combination of social media and science
  • To motivate early stage researchers  to use social media
  •  To bring research at UAB and society closer by using social media
  • To prepare a strategy for #ComunicaCiencia
  • To discover the main 2.0 dissemination  tools

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

CRITICAL THINKING

Date: 13 & 20/03/2024, from 9 to 13 h
Mode: on-site
Venue: room 2, Doctoral School
Language: Catalan (materials in Spanish)
Trainer: Carme Ruiz, Department of Applied Pedagogy
Addressed to: first stage researchers

This course aims to:

• Provide knowledge, methodologies and resources that favour critical thinking within research.
• Reflect on the role of this competence in the context of research.
• Know self-assessment tools of this critical thinking skill.

More information and registrations via Aula Moodle.
 

FROM IDEA TO PROTOTYPE: A SHORT DESIGN THINKING SESSION

Date: 18/03/2024, 3 to 5 pm
Mode: virtual
Language: English
Trainer: David Hernández (UAB Research Park)
Addressed to: early stage researchers

The Doctoral School organises, together with the UAB Research Park, this seminar to offer an approach to the process of transforming a simple idea into a real project by using the Design Thinking methodology.

Objectives:

• Give fundamental notions about the process of how to transform an idea in a real project
• Strengthen research within your projects by using Design Thinking
• Participate in processes of spontaneous creativity and co-creation
• Provide information about the UAB Open Labs and the facilities for prototyping

For more information and registrations visit the Aula Moodle.