**APPLICATIONS STILL OPEN: SUBMIT BY 3 SEPTEMBER FOR A PLACE**

Research collaboration can deliver a multitude of benefits for researchers. Developing skills and practical experience in initiating and maintaining collaborative research projects is therefore an important part of early career professional development for researchers.

This new one-day workshop organised by the GW4 Alliance (Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter) will bring together doctoral researchers from all four universities.  The workshop will develop skills for research collaboration and provide practical experience in applying these skills in a collaborative, problem-solving session focusing on a range of potential projects under the theme of "Sustainable Futures", an area of research strength across the GW4.

"Sustainable Futures" is broadly conceived across a range of disciplines and may include:

• Environmental sustainability
• Energy efficiency improvement and demand reduction
• Low carbon transportation and advanced/alternative/sustainable fuels
• Effective policy and practice around sustainable behaviour
• Economics and ethics of sustainability
• Processes of living with change.
• Promoting the ability of society to maintain the environment for the benefit of all.
• Resilience to environmental hazards
• Managing environmental change
• Health, infrastructure and well-being
• Food, land and security
• Sustainable rural-urban communities

The programme will include:

• Expert training in communicating your research to potential collaborators
• Reflective exercises to identify the characteristics of effective collaborative teams, to explore different approaches to collaboration, and to assess your own collaboration strengths
• An in-depth practical session to develop collaborative projects, working in small groups to address current challenges in the area of Sustainable Futures
• Panel discussions featuring experienced academic collaborators
• Networking opportunities with researchers across the GW4 alliance

Attendance is limited to 25 students per institution (100 in total). Applications are invited from doctoral researchers who are working in any discipline relevant to the "Sustainable Futures" theme. We will be seeking to balance the attendance across physical and life sciences, humanities and social sciences to create an exciting and creative interdisciplinary workspace in which researchers can learn from each other.

The event is free for doctoral researchers enrolled at the GW4 universitiesTravel expenses will be reimbursed and, for students coming from a substantial distance, accommodation will be available on the night of Thursday, 10 September. We anticipate that the workshop may be most relevant to students entering their second year of the PhD, but others are welcome to apply.

PLEASE NOTE: the workshop is delivered in the context of academic research in "Sustainable Futures" so your research must have some relevance to this theme. Future workshops will focus on other research themes.

How to Apply

Download and complete the GW4 application form (Office document, 109kB) and return it, not later than 3 September 2015, to doctoral-college@bristol.ac.uk

You will be notified within a few days if your application has been successful. Please do not book any travel until you have heard from us.

If you accept a place, you will be expected to attend so please block out the time in your diary now.

We will provide all details of how to get to the venue, how to book accommodation, and how to claim back your expenses to accepted delegates.