Newsletter: May 2025

Welcome to the Justice & Violence Studies @ Exeter Research Network newsletter

Thank you for being a valued member of the Network! We'd love to hear about your latest projects, publications, events, or any support you need. Just email justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk

Contents:

EVENTS | NEWS | OPPORTUNITIES

Read on to discover more about our seminars, a Trauma-Informed Workshop and an Away Afternoon! You'll find updates on publications by network members and networking opportunities and support for PGRs. Thanks for reading!

EVENTS

J&VS Network Seminar: Professor Esther Reed- Duty to deter? On dealing with tyrants in a nuclear age

Tuesday 20th May 15:00- 16:00 online VIA TEAMS Meeting ID: 310 177 581 570 Passcode: Fz6PN3CZ

Join us for a seminar with Professor Esther Reed, Professor of theological ethics and moral philosophy in the Department of Theology and Religion. Her talk examines a key weakness in modern (un)just war reasoning: the failure to adequately address tyrants possessing nuclear weapons. While Cold War nuclear ethics assumed rational decision-making, today’s deterrence strategies must account for the nature of tyranny. Drawing on Rebeccah L. Heinrichs’s Duty to Deter (2024), Reed warns against an overemphasis on targeting doctrine and warhead yield. Instead, she revisits classic (un)just war theorists to explore psychological and political strategies for countering tyrannical control. This talk challenges conventional deterrence models and calls for a deeper ethical understanding of nuclear power in the hands of despots.

You're Invited: Justice & Violence Studies Network – Away Afternoon

Wednesday, 4th June 12:00- 17:00 at the Exeter Phoenix, Studio One.

Join us for an engaging afternoon of connection and collaboration. This in-person event brings together members of the Justice and Violence Studies Network to share ideas and explore future directions. Expect a relaxed setting with 5-minute research presentations, thematic discussions led by Network leadership, and a chance to shape the Network’s future focus. Highlights include: short talks & lively discussion, complimentary lunch & refreshments, networking drinks (16:00–17:00) We’ll share a full programme soon!

Thank you to everyone already signed up, there are some places left, so please register HERE and indicate if you would like to present. Presentation sessions are open to everyone but may be particularly of interest to PGRs and ECRs.

We hope you can join us. For any questions, please contact justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk.

J&VS Network Workshop: Critical & Creative Approaches to Trauma-Informed

Thursday 5^th June 10:00- 16:00 at CoLab, Wat Tyler House, 3 King William Street, EX4 6PD (Please note change of venue)

Join us for this one-day workshop, bringing together academics, practitioners, artists, and the community sector to explore the complexities of trauma-informed research and practice. Through critical discussion and creative approaches, we will examine the purpose, evolution, and challenges of trauma-informed work across different settings. This event is an opportunity to share knowledge, discuss best practices, and build connections with others in the field. The programme will be shared shortly.

Please complete THIS FORM to register to attend by Thursday 22^nd May. Please contact justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Organisers: Dr Emma Marshall, Dr Natalie Ohana, Lucía Guerrero (PhD candidate)

J&VS Network Seminar: Professor David Tollerton- Invoking the Holocaust in Relation to Contemporary Issues of Justice and Violence

Friday 13th June 14:00– 15:00 via TEAMS LINK Meeting ID: 360 891 934 619 Passcode: jd6iE6HV

The Justice & Violence Studies @Exeter Research Network invites you to a seminar with Professor David Tollerton, Associate Professor in Memory Studies and Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CIHGS) at the University of Exeter.

In this seminar Professor Tollerton will explore how the Holocaust is a key reference for understanding genocide, but its remembrance creates tensions between drawing lessons for the present and avoiding inappropriate comparisons, leading to ambiguity in its relevance to contemporary justice and violence.

If you are interested in presenting or hosting a future seminar please email
justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk

OTHER EVENTS

Webinar: Supporting People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People with a Forensic History

Wednesday 14^th May 10am- 12:30pm. Register now to receive a Teams Link

NHS England and the Ministry of Justice are hosting a joint webinar to strengthen collaboration in supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people involved in the justice system. The session will explore how these conditions affect understanding of offences, and how professionals can better support discharge planning. Speakers include clinical experts and people with lived experience. This free MS Teams event is open to NHS and MoJ professionals, including clinicians, caseworkers, and commissioners.

For queries, contact: Andrew.jazaerli@nhs.net

Addressing the Curation Crisis: A Heritage Research Network event

The Heritage Network warmly invites you to their full-day event on Friday 16^th May exploring one of the most urgent issues facing the heritage sector today: the Curation Crisis. Held in LT1 and LT2 of the IAIS Building on the Streatham Campus at the University of Exeter, the event will offer a day of engaging, thought-provoking, and productive discussion.

Attendees can expect- panel debates, short presentations, collaborative bid brainstorming, and valuable networking opportunities with heritage researchers. Please view the full programme for more information and register here

Demystifying Grants: Funding Success Panel

Join us on Thursday 15^th May at 12pm in the Kolade Teaching Room, Building One for Demystifying Grants- a panel session with three fantastic academics with an impressive funding track record! Featuring:

Learn practical tips on securing research grants and bring your questions for an open Q&A.

Whether you're new to funding or seeking to refine your applications, this session will provide valuable insights. Sign up here! Contact Lucia Guerrero for more information. lg562@exeter.ac.uk

ECR Town Halls: ECR strategy: what does it mean for me?

Early Career Researchers are invited to the next ECR Town Halls. This term’s theme is “ECR strategy: what does it mean for me?” with a focus on development, research culture, and recognition.

Hear from Fiona Pac-Soo and Chris Wood, and connect with fellow researchers over coffee and pastries. Open to all ECRs including postgraduate researchers and staff. Please register using these links:

Book your place at Penryn 3^rd June 11am-12:30pm

Book your place at St Luke’s 10th June 10am- 11:30am

Research Funding Opportunity: Health Impacts of Serious Violence Policies- Webinar

The NIHR Public Health Research Programme is inviting applications for projects exploring the health impacts of policies tackling serious violence. This includes areas such as youth violence in public spaces, homicide, and offences linked to county lines drug dealing. The deadline to apply is 12^th December 2025.

A webinar offering guidance on this and other funding calls will be held on Tuesday 3rd June, 1:30–2:45pm, including tips and a Q&A session Sign up here. For more information visit the NIHR website.

Visual Literacy: How to Read and Construct Images

Monday 23rd June 10.30am – 12pm Online

In a world of 5 billion daily photos, how many truly tell a compelling story? Presented by Sarah Campbell and Clare Hearn, this online session explores visual literacy—the ability to interpret and create powerful imagery. Learn how images communicate meaning, drawing on examples from historical art and modern advertising, then gain practical tips to enhance the storytelling power of your own visuals. Whether for research, presentations, or social media, this workshop will sharpen your visual communication skills.

For more information and to register, visit the learning and development site.

Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Network Annual Symposium

You're warmly invited to attend the Children and Young People’s Wellbeing @Exeter Research Network Annual Symposium on Monday 23th June 9:00am to 3:00pm, held in person in the Woodbridge Room, Reed Hall, Streatham Campus.

This year’s theme is connection, with a focus on fostering collaboration and supporting ongoing research. The day includes lightning talks, practical sessions with University research support teams, a panel discussion across key network themes, small-group workshops, action planning, and a complimentary lunch.

Register via Eventbrite and indicate if you'd like to present or display a poster. Open to all researchers interested in children and young people’s wellbeing—please share.

Workshop: Immersive VR in Human Cognition, Perception & Action

Join the Exeter Immersive Research Network for a free, day-long workshop exploring how immersive virtual reality (VR) is reshaping experimental psychology.

Discover cutting-edge research on cognition, perception, and performance using VR. Highlights include keynote talks from Professor Dorothy Cowie and Professor Michael Proulx, plus oral and poster presentations from multidisciplinary researchers.

Sponsored by the Experimental Psychology Society. Lunch and refreshments provided.

Register via EventBrite and submit abstracts by 22^nd July.
Organiser: Dr Gavin Buckingham.

Share your events- we would love to share your events with other J&VS Network members. Please email justice-violencestudies@exeter.ac.uk

NEWS

Justice & Violence Studies Network Joins Bluesky!

We’re excited to announce that the Justice and Violence Studies Research Network is now on Bluesky!

Please follow us at https://bsky.app/profile/justiceandviolence.bsky.social to stay updated as we work to connect researchers across the University.

Calling All PGR Members!

Are you a PGR member of the J&VS Network? We want to hear from you! Let us know what you’d like to see from the Network and share any questions you have by filling this form or emailing Lucía Guerrero Rivière, PhD Student lg562@exeter.ac.uk

J&VS Network Supports the Centre for Interdisciplinary Holocaust and Genocide Studies

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CIHGS), exists to strengthen the University of Exeter’s expertise in genocide studies across disciplines. Established with support from the J&VS Network, the centre brings together researchers from diverse fields to promote and advance genocide studies. For more details, including events and news, visit the centre’s website or read their latest newsletter.

Hear more from Centre Director David Tollerton at the J&VS Network Away Afternoon on Wednesday 4th June and this seminar on Friday 13th June J&VS Research Network Seminar: Professor David Tollerton- Invoking the Holocaust in Relation to Contemporary Issues of Justice and Violence.

Police Officers Face Double the Risk of Brain Injuries and PTSD, Study Finds

Police officers are more than twice as likely to experience traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) than the general public—and face more than double the risk of developing complex PTSD if injured on duty, a new University of Exeter study reveals.

Published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, the UK-wide survey of 617 frontline officers found 38% had suffered at least one TBI, with many reporting multiple injuries. Researchers call for urgent reforms, including routine head injury screening and PTSD support. The study highlights long-term impacts on officers' wellbeing, work, and relationships, stressing the need for rapid, effective care. Read the full article here.

Research reveals how apartheid-era sexual violence has been ‘collectively unremembered’ by South African society

Research by J&VS Network member Dr. Emily Bridger and research associate Kefuoe Makena has uncovered a cultural phenomenon among a generation of South African women: the collective "unremembering" of sexual violence during apartheid. Many Black women interviewed in Thokoza and Katlehong, two townships deeply affected by political violence before the 1994 elections, asserted that rape was minimal or nonexistent during apartheid—despite some recounting personal experiences of assault.

The study, Published in the journal Past & Present has, the authors say, implications for the current focus on sexual violence in contemporary South Africa. More details on the research project South Africa’s Hidden War can be found on the project website.

New Book: The Pashtun Borderland by Jan-Peter Hartung

Jan-Peter Hartung’s latest book, The Pashtun Borderland: A Religious and Cultural History of the Taliban (CUP 2024), offers a historically layered approach to understanding the Taliban phenomenon. Rather than relying on dominant narratives from investigative journalism or security studies, Hartung examines the sociocultural and geopolitical contexts shaping the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Taḥrīk i Ṭālibān i Pākistān.

Hartung, a Senior Research Fellow at the Friedrich-Alexander University Research Centre for Islam and Law in Europe, presented his work at a J&VS Network seminar yesterday (26th March). The book is available from the Cambridge University Press website and a recording of the launch event is here.

Forensic Psychology programme approved

A new University of Exeter Doctorate in Forensic Psychology programme has now received approval from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The programme, only the third of its kind in the country, will equip graduates with high-quality forensic skills, alongside therapeutic skills, at a time when our legal and criminal justice systems is facing shortages in the field. Find out more https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/pg-research/degrees/psychology/dforenpsy/

The Defence, Security, and Resilience Compendium

A collection of nine essays from researchers within the Exeter Defence, Security and Resilience @Exeter Research Network offers insights for UK policymakers on nuclear forces, Iran, and online radicalisation. Experts highlight concerns over the UK’s nuclear deterrence, the urgency of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the increasing threat of self-initiated terrorists and will help inform the ongoing Strategic Defence Review.

Topics include AI implementation, climate change’s impact on military operations, and the role of education in emerging technologies. The compendium launched at Royal United Services Institute is available here and there’s more information on the network’s website.

OPPORTUNITIES

FUTURES Festival 2025 Recruitment

The Exeter Innovation team are recruiting University of Exeter academics for FUTURES Festival of Discovery 2025. Hosted at Exeter Phoenix, with a Pop-Up Shop and associated activities on Sunday 12th October, this event is run in tandem with Universities across the South West, and connects researchers to their local communities. They are looking for researchers at any career stage interested in bringing their work to the public through interactive, family-friendly activities. For more details, including a link to their sign-up form, visit the Future’s Website and contact per@exeter.ac.uk with any further questions!

Call for Expert Witness Support – Counter Terrorism Policing

Counter Terrorism Policing is seeking experts to provide expert witness support in areas including Al-Qaeda, radicalisation, terrorist financing, white nationalism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and conspiracy theories, among others.

If you have expertise in any of these fields, please submit your contact details, qualifications, and a 300-word expression of interest to expertwitness@ctpne.police.uk

Showcase Network Support: Tag J&VS Network in WorkTribe

Tagging the Justice and Violence Studies Research Network in your projects on Worktribe highlights the value of the Network, supports its growth and capacity to provide more support to members. If the Justice and Violence Studies Network has contributed to your project, you or your team as members can tag it to showcase that support. Examples include receiving seed funding, discovering funding opportunities via network communications, forming collaborations through the network, or using the network for engagement activities.

Recognising network contributions not only strengthens your project but also enhances the visibility and impact of the networks themselves. Tagging Networks is very simple to do and will enable them to track the bids and projects which may arise directly or indirectly as a result of network membership. Very brief guidance is available here.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

2025 UKRI Policy Fellowships

UKRI has just launched the 2025 Policy Fellowship scheme. There are 42 fellowships available across 23 government departments and six What Works centres - they're a great opportunity to work within a government department, co-designing research to inform policy change and address pressing national and global challenges. Please review the available opportunities and sign up for the UKRI webinar on 20^th May. Policy@Exeter will be offering support and pre-award costings guidance for applicants. Please contact policyengagement@exeter.ac.uk if you intend to apply. All applicants must discuss their plans with their DORI, who will be required to confirm departmental support.

Here are some we think may be of particular interest to J&VS Network members:

The closing date for applications is 15^th July.

Explore PIVOT-RP: get personalised alerts for research funding opportunities

In October 2024, the University transitioned to Pivot-RP, a powerful online database for finding research funding. Users can search for external and internal funding calls, set up tailored searches, receive funding alerts, track opportunities, and collaborate with colleagues. The platform also provides updates on conferences, paper calls, and research news.

To maximise benefits, users should create an account, claim their profile, and join public groups for bi-weekly funding alerts. Training guides and access information are available on the RIME SharePoint: Finding Funding Opportunities (PIVOT-RP).

Explore Hundreds of Opportunities with Funding Finder

Dr Andrew Cunliffe’s Funding Finder platform signposts a wide range of funding opportunities for research, fieldwork, conferences, and exchanges. With awards from £100 to £10 million, it’s relevant to individuals at all levels—from undergraduates to senior academics. With searchable listings and awards ranging from £100 to £10 million, it's designed to support global collaboration and research engagement.

Explore Funding Finder and share with your networks. Over 6,000 users from 90 countries have already accessed the tool, and around 400 more awards are expected to be added by August.

Thank you for reading our newsletter. Find out more about Justice & Violence Studies @ Exeter.

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