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Doctoral College Newsletter - 17 February 2025
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Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025- now open!
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Please tell us about your experience as a postgraduate research student and donate to charity by completing the PRES 2025 survey today.
Feedback is vital to the University and your department. It lets us know how your programme of research is going and allows us to compare how we are doing against the experience of students at other institutions, helping us make changes that will improve the experience for research postgraduates in the future. All your responses will be confidential and any reporting will be anonymous.
For each survey completion, we shall donate £1 to a charity to your chosen charity from the three listed below:
Surfers Against Sewage
Food Action Exeter
Royal Devon Hospitals Charity
To complete the survey, look out for emails from the Doctoral College with a link to the survey. The survey closes on Monday 28 April 2025.
To find out more about PRES 2025, please visit PRES 2025 or contact the Doctoral College at doctoral.college@exeter.ac.uk.
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Notification of Upgrade and downtime of RIME Worktribe- 7.00 on Monday 17 February to 10.00 on Tuesday 18 February 2025
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We will be upgrading RIME Worktribe on Monday 17 February. This update will bring some enhanced functionality and maintain optimal performance of the system.
Worktribe will be unavailable from 07:00 on Monday 17 February to 10:00 on Tuesday 18 February.
Please note that during the close-down period it won’t be possible to create or update projects or ethics applications.
There are some changes to functionality and user experience, which are summarised below.
Ethics module
• A new workflow summary diagram has been added to the right-hand pane of the summary tab so you can easily monitor progress against the key stages of your application
• The application review process has also been streamlined
For guidance and information on updates to the Ethics Module, please visit: Ethics Systems and Tools
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Finding Your Footprint: Academic and Broader Research Impact- Workshop Series
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This interactive workshop series is designed for Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to explore both traditional academic impact and broader societal, environmental, and economic impact.
The series covers:
• Publishing strategies & peer review
• Academic job searching & career pathways
• Research impact beyond academia
• Practical workshops for mapping research impact
The sessions will be delivered in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join in person or online.
The first session is on Tuesday 18 February. Sign up for sessions here.
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INTO English Language Skills Development Team- Upcoming Sessions
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Academic Writing Sessions (hybrid- online and face-to-face)
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Working in the academic field has never been easy. And it is even more challenging when we have to work in a language that is not our mother tongue. So there are sessions offered to help bring academic writing closer to all of us and together we can create a ‘truer’ understanding of academic writing and to discuss any problems we may be having about academic English. There are three sessions, with an online and in-person option for you to choose whatever suits you. Please come along and gain more confidence in our academic skills and academic language! You must register to join the events.
The first session is on Monday 24 February 2025 at 11.00. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Trinh Dinh at td497@exeter.ac.uk.
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SCI Visiting Researcher: Professor Nivedita Menon- Keynote Lectures
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As part of our Visiting Researcher scheme, we are collaborating with Exeter’s South Asia Centre to host Professor Nivedita Menon (Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi) at the University of Exeter from 25 - 28 February.
Prof Menon will deliver two keynote lectures (one at Streatham, the other at Penryn campus) that draw on her recent book Secularism as Misdirection: Critical Thought from the Global South (2024). She will also lead two PGR events during her visit. Her other books include the acclaimed Seeing Like a Feminist (2012) and Recovering Subversion: Feminist Politics Beyond the Law (2004). Prof Menon’s interdisciplinary, multi-lingual, critical research and public interventions have significantly enriched intersectional feminist scholarship and activism.
Keynote: 'Secularism as Misdirection: Critical Thought from the Global South'
Wednesday 26 February, 14.30-16.30
Collaborative Newman LT, Peter Chalk Centre, Streatham Campus
Register and learn more.
Keynote: 'State, Religion and the Bodies of Women'
Thursday 27 February, 14.00-16.00
EXCH LT, Penryn Campus
Register and learn more.
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Launch Event for Emotionally Challenging Research
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Are you involved in research that is personally challenging, involves sensitive topics, or where you are exposed to stories, images or situations that are emotionally charged?
Join us for our launch event where we are delighted to be joined by our guest speaker Professor Stacey Hynd, who will share her experiences and insights in this area. This will be followed by a Q&A session where we will invite you to explore this area further.
The event takes place on Wednesday 26 February, 12.30-13.30 in Queens MR1, Streatham Campus or online.
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PGR Writing Retreats- Hybrid (online and face-to-face)
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A retreat is called a retreat for a reason: it is a space where you can pull back from the world, get away from it all, and your focus (in this case writing) is not distracted by mundane things such as grocery shopping. The aim of a writing retreat is to write. Write some more. And write even more. At this retreat, we have over four hours of writing time. During these hybrid sessions, we recommend turning off phones and email. At the end of each writing block, you will be encouraged to reflect on the progress of your writing goals and make notes that will help with getting back into writing after the break.
All PGRs are welcome.
Contact Jo Sutherst at js1187@exeter.ac.uk with any queries.
The dates are:
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Friday 28 February 2025, 10.00-16.00, Streatham and online (Teams link)
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Friday 21 March 2025, 10.00-16.00, St. Luke’s and online
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Thursday 17 April 2025, 10.00-16.00, Streatham and online
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Thursday 22 May 2025, 10.00-16.00, St. Luke’s and online
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Friday 23 May 2025, 10.00-16.00, Penryn and online
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Friday 13th June 2025, 10.00-16.00, Penryn and online
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Thursday 17 July 2025, 10.00-16.00, Streatham and online
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Revise and Resubmit Workshop - Friday 7 March at 09.30
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This workshop will provide colleagues with practical tips as to how to make the "revise and resubmit" process work for you.
This hybrid event will take place in the Council Chamber in Northcote House and online.
As all of you know all too well, it is far more likely that first submissions of articles will be returned to authors for revisions before finally being deemed to be publishable or not. This so-called process of "revise and resubmit" is an art which is not often discussed among peers, so the aim of this workshop will be to provide colleagues with practical tips as to how to make the process work for you. We are fortunate that two Exeter scholars with a great deal of editorial and publishing experience - Judith Green and Muireann Maguire - have offered to lead an interactive workshop which should help all participants gain a clearer understanding as to what editors and journals are really asking for when they invite you to resubmit your work.
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Beyond Farm to Fork Conference- Registration Deadline Tuesday 18 March
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Are you a PhD student undertaking food-related research? Whether your project touches on farming or fishing, food consumption or food waste, plant diseases or diet-related health outcomes – if your project is related to food, we’d love for you to join us for the Beyond Farm to Fork conference. This interdisciplinary, one-day event, organised by PhD students for PhD students, will be held on Tuesday 25 March at the St Luke’s campus. After sharing our research topics in lightning talks, we’ll hear from researchers in the Exeter Food network and will have the opportunity to practice collaboration through preparing a vegetarian lunch and taking part in a creative activity.
Registration deadline: Tuesday 18 March
This activity is a Researcher-led Initiative that has been funded by the University of Exeter Researcher Development and Research Culture team. Funding is available to help Penryn-based PhD students travel to Exeter.
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Visting Research Student Fellowships with the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), Canada
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As part of the Exeter-UBCO Sustainability and Resilience Partnership the University of Exeter is offering two funded Fellowships for doctoral research students to undertake a short research project (2 – 8 weeks) with the University of British Columbia Okanagan (Canada). We welcome project proposals in the focus areas of: Adaptation to Climate and Ecological Change, Innovative Health Initiatives, and Enhancing Social Justice. Each Fellowship is worth up to £4,000 with the funds available to support travel, accommodation, living expenses and other costs. This is an exciting opportunity to gain research experience in an international and interdisciplinary academic environment.
The application deadline is Monday 24 March 2025 with Fellowships to be undertaken between Friday 11 April 2025 and Friday 30 January 2026. For more information and to apply, please visit their application form.
Please note, the application form will be available on the above link from 8pm GMT on Tuesday 18th February.
Deadline for application: Monday 24 March
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Apply now to be part of the 2025 FX Creative Exchange
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This is an exciting opportunity for emerging researchers in Cornwall to apply for £4,000 of funding to be part of the 2025 FX Creative Exchange, an exciting transdisciplinary programme supporting collaborations between researchers across Falmouth and Exeter Universities. Taking place between April – July 2025, it aims to support the development of a shared research culture around the themes of ecology, creativity, sustainability, and environment. Proposals should be submitted jointly by one Exeter and one Falmouth based researcher and both should be based at one of the Cornwall campuses and working on an area related to ecology, creativity, sustainability, and environment. The focus is on the process of your
collaboration rather than a defined output or outcome. Join the team for a launch event in Falmouth on Wednesday 26 February.
Deadline for Applications: Monday 24 March at 12pm (noon)
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PAFS – Parents and Family Support Events
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PAFS – Parents and Family Support has wonderfully grown and evolved, and all events will now be advertised on Eventbrite. To join our mailing list and WhatsApp group, please register here.
Upcoming events include free yoga sessions on both campuses, a community Iftar, and a family fun day. Previous events have featured talks for international students, coffee mornings, and family-friendly gatherings. We look forward to welcoming you!
For any enquiries, please contact the PGR leaders- Lyndsey: lc823@exeter.ac.uk (St Luke’s) or Ibhade: ifa202@exeter.ac.uk (Streatham).
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Join fellow PGRs in this online space, led by PGRs for PGRs to focus individually on whatever tasks you would like to work on. You can join the PGR Study Space Microsoft Teams Group here, or for further information, please contact Jo Sutherst.
The PGR Study Space core facilitated hours are:
Monday 10:00am-12:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am-12:00pm
Friday 10:00am-12:00pm
There are unfacilitated sessions outside of these hours so you can fit it around your working patterns.
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1-2-1 career appointments available
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1-2-1 careers appointments with our dedicated PGR careers coach, Kenneth Howgill, are available to book on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Kenneth is a qualified and experienced career coach, lecturer and learning and development professional with over 20 years’ experience within the corporate sector, universities, further and adult education. He has held management roles in the public, corporate and not for profit sectors, leading professional development, coaching programmes, and recruiting graduates. Kenneth is a member of the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and holds a business degree, a master's in music and a professional career coaching qualification.
All appointments are 50 minutes long. Please contact researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk if there are any technical difficulties.
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Wellbeing Support and Sessions
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Every Mind Matters
Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. The NHS have expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing. See their website here.
Spectrum.Life
Sprectrum.Life provides a confidential telephone, video, and live chat counselling service to help with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, bereavement and more. The Spectrum Life web portal offers wellbeing courses, mindfulness, healthy eating resources and online fitness classes to help you to stay well.
Wellbeing Centre
If you would like to speak to PGR Education Welfare Team for Welfare, they can be contacted at welfare.pgr@exeter.ac.uk or tel: 01392 726207. Further wellbeing information, tools and support can be found on our wellbeing webpages.
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Please join us on Tuesday 18 February at 14.30 in the Peter Lanyon staff room, for February’s Fika! Just bring yourselves and a mug; all refreshments are provided ☕
Fika is a cross-departmental event open to all staff and PGRs from Exeter, Falmouth, FX Plus, the SU, and any organisation operating from the Cornwall campuses. Sharing of home baked goods is encouraged but not enforced 😉
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Penryn Campus Community Choir
During a successful first term, our staff choir has evolved and now enjoys singing a range of both classical and contemporary songs, with only the occasional sea shanty 😉 Do consider dropping in for a mid-week singalong and enjoy the mood-boosting effects of group singing while having fun, all under the expert guidance of local artist and musician, Charlotte Cripwell.
Every Wednesday, 13.00 – 14.00, Stella Turk Seminar room, Penryn Campus.
🌱 We are fundraising to keep the choir going for another year – please spread the word! Donations can be made here.
Brought to you by the Cornwall Wellbeing Network- enquiries to Natasha Hammond or Andrew Pye.
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Nurture-U: Are you feeling worried about your thesis or other PhD work?
The Nurture-U team are offering FREE resources and therapies to help with confidence and stress while doing your PhD.
We have:
1. An online toolkit, to help you track your mood over time and manage your busy lives
2. An innovative app to build confidence,
3. Online therapy, with a therapist or self-guided, and
4. A resilience workbook, with support from a therapist.
All these options have been proven to work, we’re just researching who responds best to what type of support. You can hopefully improve your wellbeing, earn shopping vouchers, and help other students in the future by contributing to research!
Any questions, please email nurture-u@exeter.ac.uk. You can also follow us on Instagram.
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Free Mindfulness Sessions for Wellbeing
Mindfulness is a powerful practice of training our attention and an evidence-based way to tackle anxiety, stress and low mood. If you’re interested in exploring more, there is a variety of free internal options available for all colleagues.
Sessions from the internal Mood Disorders Centre mindfulness team include: an eight-week MBCT-L course (2hrs weekly), an eight-week ‘deeper mindfulness’ course for those who’ve completed the MBCT-L course and bespoke ‘healthy mind’ sessions for whole teams, which can be delivered in-person or online.
You may also be interested in trying mindful meditation in 30 min online sessions each Thursday lunchtime. This is a secular practice run by the Chaplaincy.
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Details on how you can contact the PGR support team, either via email, telephone or face to face via our hubs (located on all campuses) is available on our contact us webpage.
Remember you can come along and meet the team or to ask any enquiries you might have at either of our helpdesk hubs below at any of our campuses:
The Streatham PGR Hub is open from 10.00am – 3.00pm Monday to Friday. The Streatham Hub is situated in the Old Library Ground Floor next to the Quiet Study Space and Bill Douglas Centre.
The St Luke’s PGR Hub is open from 10.00am – 3.00pm on a Monday and a Thursday. Students wishing to access the hub should go to the Info at St Luke’s desk and request PGR support, the PGR team will then be called to see you.
The Penryn PGR Support Office is open from 10.00am – 2.00pm Monday to Friday. It is based in the Postgraduate Suite in Daphne Du Maurier building 3 (next to the SU and opposite the Stannary).
For enquiries surrounding training and development, please contact the team on: ResearcherDevelopment@exeter.ac.uk
You can view previous versions of the newsletter here.
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