Early Career Researchers Hub   :   ECR Training and Development

Welcome to this month's ECR Newsletter where you will find key information on the following:-

Spotlight On ... Feeling Supported Through the Current Consultation

Research Staff Development Programme

Other Learning and Development Opportunities: University of Exeter and Beyond

Research Grants, Funding & Competitions

Research & Researcher Networks

Health, Wellbeing & Support

If you are not on the circulation list to receive this Newsletter directly into your Inbox, and would like to subscribe, please email researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.

View previous copies of Newsletters. If you have something that you'd like to share in future Newsletters, please visit our webpage where you can find copy deadline dates as well as submission guidelines.

Please direct any questions you may have to researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.

Following the recent announcement regarding the consultation with academic colleagues, we appreciate that this may be an unsettling time and we would encourage you to seek support if needed:

Trade Unions.
Colleague Wellbeing.

Our main programme has reached a natural pause for the summer, but there is still an opportunity to book career coaching appointments throughout August onwards. The autumn/winter 2026 programme will be released soon!  We are building in some exciting new workshops!

1:2:1 Confidential Careers Appointments with Kenneth Howgill (available for Academic Staff only).  See article below.

Postgraduate Researchers need to click here to view all  courses available to them.

Unsure of your future career direction either within Academia or beyond Academia? Kenneth Howgill, (Careers Coach for Researcher Development), is available to offer 1:2:1 Career coaching appointments for ECRs.  50 minute online appointments are available for you to book on.

Kenneth can offer advice and discuss how to manage and plan your career.  If you have any queries, please contact ResearcherDevelopment@exeter.ac.uk

Friday 17 July 2026 (1 pm - 2 pm) Online

This workshop, delivered by Chrysten Cole and Kate Lindsell, is designed specifically for those who are required to carry out Due Diligence checks on third parties with which there is an interest in creating a partnership with.

Applicaton Deadline : Friday 31 July 2026.

• Would you like to share your expertise with colleagues?
• Would you like to gain peer-to-peer teaching experience and receive constructive observation feedback?
• Are you considering applying for HEA Fellowship and want to expand your teaching practice?
• Why not propose a session as part of the Researcher Development Programme for all research-active staff?

Following the first round of MAKE YOUR MARK which led to 9 new sessions in the Researcher Development programme in 2025, all research active-staff are now invited to propose a contribution for MAKE YOUR MARK 2026-27 year. We are interested in hearing from you if you want to share knowledge and expertise that applies to researchers across the university. This opportunity provides teaching practice and you would be supported in delivering your session. Evidence of teaching practice can be vital for your own career and professional development, and can be used as part of applications to obtain one of the Fellowship levels of the HEA.

Need to knows:

• Our programme is a centralised offering for researchers across campuses and disciplines, so your proposal needs to have breadth and general relevance.
• Our programme is open to all research-active staff, but sessions are often particularly useful for Early Career Researchers. Several sessions are shared with the Researcher Development programme for PGR (doctoral) students.
• You will receive guidance through the process, from skills and delivery options, through to logistics and quality assurance.
• The Learning Experiences and Innovation team have endorsed this opportunity for evidence of teaching practice for ASPIRE Professional Recognition Pathway.
• This opportunity aligns with Exeter’s commitments to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, providing valuable professional development.

To propose a session, complete the MAKE YOUR MARK form below by Friday 31 July 2026.

If you have any queries about this, contact: Dr Peter O'Rourke, Researcher Development Manager (Research Staff), p.orourke@exeter.ac.uk or researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.

Monday 21 - Friday 25 September 2026
​
This year’s National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) is 21 - 25 September.  There will be a special online event on Monday 21 September – keep your calendars clear!  Here at Exeter, we have the following events lined up to celebrate NPAW 2026:-

Friday 25 September 2026 (10 am - 1.30 pm)
Streatham Campus, Creative Quadrant

Opportunity for Early Career Researchers to meet business professionals who are actively seeking research-informed solutions to address industry challenges.

This free event is funded by Research England, (travel costs and lunch/cakes covered).  If you're an ECR in the following areas, please consider registering your interest.

• Sustainable practice;
• Leadership and culture;
• Marketing;
• Digital transformation;
• Business strategy.

Thursday 8 October 2026 (11 am - 2 pm)
Mastek UK Head Office in Reading
FREE & lunch/travel included!

The Developing Business Aware Academics (DBAA) project is partnering with Mastek, a leading digital engineering company, to host this researcher workplace visit and networking opportunity.  The event is open to researchers with relevant interests.

The development of digital health identity will be explored via discussion on:-

• Future directions for UK health policy.
• Healthcare law and regulation - boundaries for implementation and compliance across organisations.
• Clinician and patient perspectives - trust and sensitivities.
• International precedents for digital health identities and lessons from other sectors.

Deadline: Rolling — apply early to secure place.

Applications are open for secondments with the MSCA-funded ACCELERATE project, advancing UAV/drone and AI applications in environmental, social, and heritage research.

Eligibility: Open to Early Career Researchers (including postgraduate researchers) at Exeter in all subjects, and particularly in archaeology, history, anthropology, geography, heritage studies, engineering, data science, or AI. Interest in drones, impact assessment, or interdisciplinary research is encouraged.
Secondments: One month (extensions possible) at partner institutions across the EU, starting as early as Autumn 2026–27.
Funding: €2,300/month for travel and subsistence, reimbursed via receipts.
To apply: Submit a CV (max 2 pages) and a 500-word expression of interest (research summary, motivation, expected benefits, preferred host).
Queries - Contact: Prof Ioana Oltean or Prof Marisa Lazzari.

Prosper is a free portal of resources and careers guidance for postdocs with advice on working in and beyond academia. The content is informed by postdocs, institutions, employers and research managers. Postdocs at Exeter are encouraged to register via the Prosper portal as an institutional user (using Exeter email address) for the best functionality of the site.

We will be featuring a Podcast episode that may be particularly pertinent to ECRs.  These episodes mix personal perspectives with practical advice.  This month we are sharing a Podcast with Professor Stacey Hynd, Dean of Postgraduate Research & The Doctoral College at University of Exeter, for advice on how to handle conferences whether you're attending or presenting - including the best ways of networking to form useful connections..

ECRs may like to volunteer to be a guest in an upcoming episode and can contact researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk for more information.

Deadline : Sunday 6 September 2026.

Glaucoma UK is conducting the UK's largest ever survey of people living with glaucoma.  It is designed to capture lived experience and turn it into evidence that can inform national policy, service design and research priorities.

The survey, which takes approx 20 mins, is not a review or scoring of individual services. Instead, it focuses on the realities of living with glaucoma — including communication, information, anxiety about sight loss, daily impact, and issues such as driving and independence — and will be used to work constructively with national decision makers.

Application deadline - Saturday 1 August 2026 (11:59pm UK time)

Designed to support early career scholars in developing an idea through to manuscript stage, the Fellowship is open to UK-based up-and-coming authors and researchers who identify as Black, Asian, or Ethnically Diverse (BAED) and working within the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The selected Fellow will receive:

• A full year of editorial mentorship.
• £1,000 financial support.
• £250 worth of Bloomsbury Academic books.
• Event and networking opportunities.

We’re also exploring future partnerships and sponsorship opportunities, and would be glad to open a conversation about how your organisation might collaborate with us to further support underrepresented voices in academic publishing via the Fellowship, if that’s of interest contact AcademicFellowship@bloomsbury.com.

Festival of Social Science (FoSS) 2026
Saturday 17 October - Saturday 7 November 2026

Deadline Monday 20 July 2026

Awards available of up to £1000 for in person, online or hybrid events for a non-academic audience such as talks, exhibitions, quizzes, performances, craft activities, debates, pop-up stalls and more.

The 2026 Festival theme is ‘Money, Finance and the Cost of Living’ however all ideas and topics within ESRC remit are welcomed in addition to this.

All successful applicants will receive free training and support with marketing events.

Open to all colleagues with a project within ESRC remit.  Please read the FoSS Applicant Guidance before applying to assist you in your application.

For further information and guidance visit Internal Funding Page or email us at esrcfestival@exeter.ac.uk

Friday 24 July 2026 (9.30 am - 3 pm)
Loughborough University
To support Accessibility, the DICE Network+ Access Fund can contribute towards travel costs.

This FREE event, organised by DICE Network+, offers a valuable opportunity to connect with industry partners, expand networks, and explore how your research can deliver real-world impact.

The day includes visits to Intelligent Energy, a UK leader in hydrogen fuel cells, and R3VTech Ltd., an innovative spinout using circular economy approaches to create new revenue streams.

Participants will also benefit from networking opportunities, an interactive workshop, and training on intellectual property and commercialisation from Loughborough’s Research and Innovation Office. A career panel will provide insights from speakers at different stages, including sharing advice on translating research into practice.

The Southwest & South Wales (SWSW) cluster of the British Academy’s ECR Network provides opportunities for ECRs to enhance their competitive edge through skills development, support, networking, access to funders and experts, and exclusive funding opportunities. Our event programme pauses in July and August but we will be back in September: a tentative schedule is indicated below.

Upcoming opportunities:

SWSW Connect - a monthly online gathering where we connect, exchange knowledge, support and inspiration.

• Tuesday 8 September 2026 (12 noon - 1 pm) ‘Demystifying the recruitment process - postdoc’ tentative topic.
• Tuesday 13 October 2026 (12 noon - 1 pm) ‘Demystifying the recruitment process – research lectureship’ tentative topic.

SWSW Webinar Series - aims to bring knowledge and skill-based content relevant to our community every month, with engaging expert speakers.

• Autumn dates tbc ‘AI in Research’ and ‘AI in Assessment’ Dr Rachel Bynoth, Bath Spa University.

SWSW Book Proposal - We are assessing interest in contributing chapters to a book proposal on ‘AI and Identity’. For queries or to express your interest, email Dr Samreen Ashraf: sashraf@bournemouth.ac.uk using subject line ‘Book Chapter Contribution – AI and Identity’

Join the Network here. Contact Dr Linda Lanyon for more information.

Have you noticed the University community for ECRs on Viva Engage? Lots of ECRs have already been added and if you are not on there, you can join. This is a collaborative online space to share and discuss ideas, ask questions and keep up to date with the latest activities, events and opportunities.

Have your voice heard and shape our community and ECR culture.  Join the conversation now by sharing your first post!

This page is maintained and moderated by the Researcher Development and Research Culture team.

The University understands that this will be a particularly difficult and uncertain time for colleagues with loved ones in the Middle East and surrounding areas.

Please remember that wellbeing support is available to you if you need it. Our Employee Assistance Programme, Spectrum Life, is accessible 24/7, offering free and confidential support, advice, and counselling to all colleagues and their dependants over 16. You will also find a range of useful resources for support on our  Colleague Wellbeing webpages.

The University's Global Incidents webpage will be updated with further advice for colleagues as appropriate.

Find out how the University can support Early Career Researchers.  The page includes support from the University, Spectrum.Life as well as a list of networks to support staff wellbeing.