Research IT

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Free Agile Project Management Training

The Research IT Agile Methods Working Group within our Research Software Engineering (RSE) department, in collaboration with University College London (UCL), has secured funding from DisCouRSE Network+ to deliver free Agile project management training to digital research technical professionals (dRTPs) across N8 universities (including the University of Manchester) and UCL.

Bringing Agile to the Wider dRTP Community

Building on the success of the Agile Methods Working Group (Agile WG), we are excited to announce the next phase of our journey. With newly secured funding from DisCouRSE Network+ collaboration with University College London (UCL), we are expanding Agile project management training across the N8 universities and UCL.

This initiative allows digital research technical professionals (dRTPs) to gain practical skills, hands-on experience, and confidence to implement Agile in real research environments. It’s designed to help you improve your team’s workflow, collaboration, and project delivery.

A Structured and Integrated Training Programme

The programme is delivered in two rounds, each including three progressive modules. Participants complete all three modules in the same round to gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience. Each module builds on the previous one, from understanding Agile in your team to applying it with tools in real projects.

Module 1: Discussion-Based Workshops (Delivered by UCL)

Targeted sessions help both technical and non-technical dRTPs assess and apply Agile practices directly within their own teams. Attendees bring their own projects and discuss them with the trainer, exploring which Agile methods—Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid approaches—best fit their workflows.

Participants will:

  • Determine whether Agile is suitable for their team and projects.
  • Identify practical ways to introduce Agile practices in their current workflows.

Note: For the detailed learning objectives of this module, please refer to the Learning Outcomes document.

Module 2: Agile Fundamentals (Delivered by the Agile WG)

A practical introduction to Agile, focusing on Scrum with a touch of Kanban, suitable for both technical and non-technical dRTPs. Participants will work on a non-technical project called “Neighborhood Smart City” using Minecraft (online) and LEGO (in person), practicing Scrum workflows, ceremonies, and artefacts. Participants will adopt various Scrum roles including Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developer (LEGO and Minecraft builders).

The course is tool-agnostic: during the sessions, participants use Post-its and Miro boards to plan and track work. After returning to their teams, they can apply the same principles using any tool of their choice, such as GitLab, Jira, Trello, or others, guided by the comprehensive course notes. This approach ensures participants learn Agile methods first, without being limited by specific software, making the skills transferable to any environment.

Note: For the detailed learning objectives of this module, please refer to the Learning Outcomes document.

Module 3: GitHub Tooling for Agile (Delivered by Agile WG)

A hands-on course demonstrating how to manage projects using GitHub, designed for both software and non-software teams. Building on Module 2, participants get the opportunity to practice Scrum ceremonies and artefacts while exploring essential GitHub features for project management.

Participants work on non-technical collaborative projects, such as “multicultural recipe writing”, using GitHub to manage tasks, track progress, and facilitate team collaboration. By the end of the module, participants will have practical experience applying Agile workflows using real-world tools, while retaining the flexibility to adapt these practices to other platforms if needed.

Note: For the detailed learning objectives of this module, please refer to the Learning Outcomes document.

Attending all three modules equips participants with practical knowledge they can immediately apply to benefit their teams.

Participation, Benefits, and Impact

  • Complete Learning Path: Each participant in a round attends all three modules, leaving with a full toolkit of Agile skills.
  • Train Your Team: We encourage dRTP teams to send one representative, who can bring the knowledge back and train the rest of their team, multiplying the impact.
  • Access to Course Materials: All course content will be made publicly available through the DisCouRSE project, allowing teams to revisit materials long after the sessions and use it to train their teams.
  • Contribute to National Agile Curriculum: Participants will provide feedback after each module and at the conclusion of the full programme. This feedback will help evaluate and refine the outline of "Module 3: Agile and Iterative Methodologies” within the DRIFT project, which is designing a national-level Project Management curriculum for dRTPs. The outcomes will ultimately benefit dRTPs across the UK research sector, ensuring the curriculum is practical, relevant, and impactful.

Get Involved

This is a free, hands-on opportunity for dRTPs to develop practical Agile project management skills and confidently introduce them within their teams.

Registration and Workshop Details

  • 📅 Registration opens in mid-April 2026 and will take place via N8 CIR
  • 🗓️ Workshops will be delivered throughout June 2026.

We encourage you to keep an eye out for the registration announcement, as places are limited.

For further information or any questions, please feel free to contact Adina Rahim (Project Lead). To learn more about our project team and initiative, visit the DisCouRSE website.