PGR Portfolio of Activity

The PGR Portfolio of Activity is an online record that allows you to maintain a record of all the training and other professional activities undertaken during your research, which supplements the formal training and is part of your development as a researcher.

The Portfolio of Activity serves to help you to:

  1. Formally record your own professional development.
  2. Formally record  activities that are part of your School/Institute training.
  3. Create a list of relevant activities for inclusion in a future CV.
  4. Assess the skills gained during your research degree.
  5. Plan your further professional development.

The Portfolio of Activity  records for each year are automatically incorporated into  the Annual Progress Review (APR) that beings in June each year. The data will then be seen by your Annual progress panel,  and will provide a focus for a further discussion on your training attendance and other professional development during the year. The APR forms will displaya summary of each record. You should ensure that your Portfolio is up to date in May of each year and you can select items to be excluded from the APR.

A video introduction to the PGR Portfolio of Activity is available in . This is provided in the PGRToolbox resources area as part of a recording of a PGR Toolbox webinar.

Researcher Development Framework

Within the software the activities are divided into separate lists for the four domains of Vitae's Researcher Development Framework (RDF)

The lists are necessarily subjective, but they are designed to help you arrange your records within a nationally recognised framework and so help you to evaluate the range of skills and experience gained during your research degree.

An introduction to the RDF for researchers at Liverpool is provided within the LDC online resources area in Canvas.

Activities to record in the Portfolio of Activity

The Portfolio of Activity provides a list of relevant activities for inclusion and you are recommended to view this list before considering your own personal development. However, this list is not complete and you can add any activities that are relevant to your personal aims or career ambitions.

You can also record external activities that enhance your skills-base.

Activities you might record include:

  • Teaching: demonstrating, tutoring, marking,
  • Conference attendance,
  • Presentations and publications,
  • and optional departmental training courses  and external workshops.

Plus external activities:

  • Voluntary work,  help with children's groups or other disadvantaged groups
  • Outreach work in schools or other educational organisations.
  • Extra-curricula activities, particularly where you can demonstrate leadership or other defined roles.