As for any academic discipline, the future of Translation Studies depends on new generations of researchers. But new researchers need to have knowledge in their discipline and also competence in research skills. This paper addresses the issue of skills training for doctoral students, mainly from the perspective of the United Kingdom. UK Research Councils expect doctoral students to be able to demonstrate research skills and techniques specific to their topic, but they also expect them to understand research funding procedures and to manage their career progression. The paper explores the extent to which such a complex set of skills can be achieved effectively in a doctoral training programme.