---
# System prepended metadata

title: Connections Initiative
tags: [Connections]

---

# Connections 

![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJ7lMx886.png)

## **Overview**
Through the ‘Turing Connections’ initiative, the Institute connects with leadership colleagues from **Centres for Doctoral Training**, their students and beyond. Connections aims to:

1. Develop a more cohesive **network** of cross-organisational doctoral students
    * networking & showcase events
    * large conferences
    * small CDT-Turing collaborative events
    * *missing*: connect students outside the events and offer them a platform to strengthen the connections - need identified at the CDT Conference leadership session
        * CDT Slack workspace (with private channel for CDT leadership)
        * Students newsletter - eg including sharing of opportunities across the network, celebrations across the community (e.g., Art-AI newsletter)
        * Students' Turing Membership? eg Student member of the Turing Connections Initiative 
        * Recognise officially student contributions eg via a similar mechanism as GitHub contributor bot
2. Improve student **skills and practices** by complementing PhD programme activity
    * presentation & communication - through active participation in events
    * Online Learning Platform & The Turing Way platform - *open to all*
    * Mentorship programme across CDTs (peer2peer)
        * academic mentorship (eg complementary interests, different PhD stages) across CDTs (students as both mentees & mentors)
    * Other? 
3. Raise awareness of and connection to **real-world challenges and applications**
    * Co-develop use cases 
    * Co-design???
    * DSGs - mini-demos, encourage CDT students to apply more to plenary DSGs, lend the DSG model for CDTs to run them
        * Explore how to tap more into the DSG format & intel but empower CDTs to run them 
    * How to make use of their industry partners? 
        * Address in the stakeholder mapping work




## **Aims**
* Linking and developing a national network of researchers, with priority over AI and DS focused centres 
* Improve skills and practices. Understanding gaps and needs and supporting in the development of key capabilities and expertise
* Provide chellenges for real-world applications. This complements other Turing initiatives such as DSGs, the Enrichment scheme and Internships.
* The approach changed and aims where reshaped in mid-2022. This was to align to the grand challenges, Skills vision and and ecosystem needs emerging from analysis done with CDT leaders

## **Key Activities**
* **CDT Conference**: To support the national doctoral community, the Turing runs a dedicated two-day CDT conference in November each year, targeted at PhD students involved in CDTs. The conferenc takes place in a different location each year, usually avoiding London where the Institute is already based. 
* **PhD Student Presentation and Networking Events** [link](https://www.eventsforce.net/turingevents/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=128481&eventID=324&traceRedir=2): These events are free to attend and usually happen at the London office. All PhD students across the UK, connected with data science and artificial intelligence, are invited to register. 
* **ECR Day** now **ECR Connect** (prior to AIUK): Early Career Reseracher Day. This is an existing format that has been adapted.  Happening in March 2024, for the first time under the name ECR Connect. This event will be specifically designed to offer early career researchers in the UK valuable networking and career-development opportunities. 
* **Signposting opportunities**: Although this is not a formal activity, the Turing shares valuable opportunities for students professional development with the CDT network. These could be Interships, Enrichment open calls, Events etc
* [continue list with new upcoming acvtivities]

## **The Network**

Current network comprises **70 CDTs**, and 14 proposals/not CDT (yet) but in the mailing list


## **Community Engagement**
**Tools**
* At present, communications are mostly sent to CDTs leaderhsip teams via **email (about 150 contacts in the mailing list)** These emails are usually sent on a monthly basis. Other communications such as event reminders, might be sent sporadically. 
* **LinkedIn Turing Connections group**: this is an open group where everyone can join. There is not control over who joins, if they are students or not.
* At present, there is no direct engagement with students

## **Current approach in working with CDTs**
1. Gather intelligence to shape skills activity design and delivery plans.
2. Developing use-cases and resources with CDTs
3. Co-designing conference plans 
4. Enhancing existing materials and resources
5. Involving CDT partners in activity design 
6. Assembling discussion groups to be hosted at CDT locations

## **Current Priotities**
[November 2022 Reflect & Future planning](https://thealanturininstitute.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/SkillsTeam/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B651B5DCB-947E-48A2-8112-114C72BD1E5D%7D&file=Connections%20Reflect%20%26%20Future%2011.10.22.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true)
[June 2023 - Needs analysis with CDT leadership](https://thealanturininstitute.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/SkillsTeam/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BB87F362F-822F-4336-9563-F3CDFDCDEF1F%7D&file=Summary%20from%20June%202023%20CDT%20Leadership%20Meetings.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true)
[November 2023 - Needs analysis with CDT leadership during CDT conference]


- [ ]  Evaluate the outcomes of the **needs analysis** carried out by HM and CDT leaders. **Innovation/Entrepreneurship** skills came out high from the needs analysis. There is scope here for connecting with Turing Commons and Innovation 
    - [ ] Discuss with Turing Commons team options and resource availability to continue co-creation with CDTs (RRI)
    - [ ] Adapt & reuse the Innovations Lab workshop framework from AIUK to deliver to CDTs (plenary or topic-specific)
- [x] Arrange next **PhD Presentation and Networking events**. We are now covered until February 2024. The March event needs to be launched before in December 2023, and the April one before the end of January 2024. TBC April event in Liverpool - need to check requirements and follow up.
    - [ ] Monitor registrations for March 2024
- [ ] Start planning the **CDT Conference in November 2024**. There is already a hold for November,12-13. First thing now is securing a venue NOT in London. The search should start ASAP.
    - [ ] MN to confirm the budget - £60k estimate figure 
- [ ] Reviewing [lessons learnt from CDT Conference 2023](https://thealanturininstitute.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/sites/SkillsTeam/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B507217FD-A8C3-4741-927C-C04B637464CE%7D&file=DRAFT%20Lessons%20Learned%20HM.xlsx&action=default&mobileredirect=true) & [event summary](https://thealanturininstitute.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/SkillsTeam/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BE6E7AFE1-731B-4A97-9C6F-46FFD899ED91%7D&file=CDT%20Conference%202023%20Event%20Summary.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true) to feed into the 2024 planning
- [ ] Sketching and building a plan for **co-creation** with CDTs. This might include activities such as development of use-cases, a learning platform etc.
- [ ] **Widening offering and participation**. How can we engage more? However, it is important to remember what we DO NOT offer: 
    * bespoke training to individual CDT 
    * priority in the selection process for enrichment and internships
    * organise bespoke activities and events. Turing acts as an enabler, not an organiser
- [ ] Run a stakeholder mapping exercise, first internally and then with CDT leadership
- [ ] Design and implement a community building & management strategy for engaging directly with the students

## **Start, Stop, Continue**
**Start**
* Introducing a **regular newsletters for students**  with relevant opportunitis for them, and the mailing list can stil be used for communicating with the leadership teams. This would allow direct engagemnt with students but still 'light touch'
* **Leveraging Slack**. I'd suggest opening Slack channels after CDT conferences for people to stay connected + a general Connections channel
* Introducing opportunities for **Innovation/Entrepreneurship skills development**. As this is quite new, I'd start with some pilot workshops to understand how the audience react
* Make the **ECR Connect a recurring yearly event** linked to AIUK (this is subject to feedback after the first edition)
* Doing a comprehensive **stakeholders map** that could work as base for developing a more structured community engagement plan
* It might be good to have some sort of **open repository** to share reources with the community (e.g., research papers, articles, updates, important docs, etc) (one could be newsletter repo)
* **Defining a criteria for CDTs to stay in the list** (financial year fundings, active engagement etc)
* Send out a **survey** to CDT leaders to see if they want to keep engaged 
* Checking **engagement rate** on existing CDTs - are they active? Defining **exit procedures** for non-engaged CDTs
* Overall re-organisation of existing folders, documents and material.
 

**Stop**
* Lengthy emails, when possible. If activities are targeted at students, the newsletter would be a most suitable channel. Emails to CDT leaders should mostly be for relevant communications 

**Continue**

* All the activities should continue, as well as regular **needs analysis** with CDT leaders
* PhD Netwroking events outside London. However, we can do more here as the majority is still in London. 
* Feedback form after CDT 

## **Actions**

- [ ] Stakeholder mapping with CDTs / DTPs (use [template](https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMGIR93o=/) from TPS / Emma K) -> opportunity to have a refresher on the network of connected centres
- [ ] Skills needs analysis (?)
- [ ] Finalising speakers list for ECR Connect
- [ ] Monitoring registrations to March Netwroking event. 
- [ ] Posting on LinkedIN group about March event in Janury and reminder closer to the date (before Feb, 2)
- [ ] Include comms on the event in the next skills newsletter 
- [ ] Sending form to events for CDT Conf 2024 (HMC to share the right form)
- [ ] Monitoring Access Fund applications for ECR Connect 
- [ ] Monitoring emalils to Skills inbox for ECR Connect

## **Pending questions / clarifications**




