Welcome to this fortnight's edition of Doctoral College Newsletter; here are just some of the highlights this week:

• Check out the upcoming Research Showcase Poster Exhibition happening in Penryn early next month in our Events section
• Get involved in the Opportunities section by submitting your questions about conferences for Prof Stacey Hynd who will be interviewed by one of our PGR presenters in the new Exeter Postgraduate Researcher Podcast
• Find out about 2nd GW4 peer support programme for Global Majority postgraduate researchers in our External Opportunities section

To find out more about these, and everything else at the University for PGRs, jump to the relevant sections using our linked contents list:

News

Events

Opportunities

External Opportunities

Reminders

Community

Reminders

Careers Support and Sessions

Wellbeing Support and Sessions

Enquiries

Our next newsletter will go out on Tuesday 10 June 2025. If you have a news story or opportunity you would like to advertise, please email ResearcherDevelopment@exeter.ac.uk by Wednesday 4 June 2025.

Please refer to our style guide before submitting your item.

The place to look for training and development opportunities at the University and beyond is our Postgraduate Researcher Training and Development Bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent out on Wednesday 4 June.

This resource provides tutorials, tips, and practical guidance to help you plan and implement an effective dissemination strategy, ensuring your research reaches the right audiences. It includes a pre-publication checklist, advice on using academic networking platforms, social media, and engagement events, as well as tips for creating engaging content—such as infographics—and strategies for reaching policy, industry, and other stakeholder groups.

By understanding the most effective platforms, methods, and audiences for sharing your research, you can enhance its visibility, accessibility, and impact. Effective dissemination can also strengthen your academic profile, support future funding applications, facilitate in advancing your career, and help you to build valuable networks and collaborations.

For further support or queries, contact Bethany Knight, our Research Dissemination Librarian, at b.c.knight@exeter.ac.uk.

The first stop for the Research Showcase poster exhibition will be Penryn Campus! Visit the Upper Stannary between Monday 2 June- Wednesday 4 June before 15.00 to explore posters which showcase the exciting research being done by our PGRs, across a range of departments, faculties and topics.

All staff and all students are welcome to view the exhibition so spread the word!

If you're submitting a poster for the competition, don't forget that you must submit by 12.00 (midday) on Wednesday 28 May.

All PGRs are invited to join these PGR Writing Retreats, which take place in a hybrid format (online and limited in-person spaces).

All retreats run from 10.00-16.00. If you intend to attend for part of the day only, please add this to the comments section of the form.

Please note: lunch is not provided for these retreats, so please bring any food or refreshments you may require. An alternative is to use one of the food outlets on campus.

If you have any queries, please contact Jo Sutherst. You can sign up for all dates via this MS Form.

Please note that the retreat on Friday 13 June has changed venue to St. Luke’s Campus. The retreat on Thursday 17 July takes place on Streatham Campus.

The MS Teams links are as follows:

• Friday 13 June 2025, 10.00 -16.00 (Join via MS Teams)
• Thursday 17 July 2025, 10.00-16.00 (Join via MS Teams)

What would you like to know about attending or presenting at conferences? Even if you've been to many before, is there more you could be doing to make the most of the opportunity? 

One of our new Exeter Postgraduate Researcher Podcast presenters, PGR Aileen Kimuhu, is hosting an episode on 'How to make the most of a conference'- and she's sourcing the questions from PGRs! Please submit your questions via this MS Form.

Aileen will be asking your questions to Prof. Stacey Hynd, Dean of PGR and of the Doctoral College. Stacey has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share so get thinking!

The form will require you to log in so that we know the question is coming from one of our PGRs but there is the option for the question to be asked anonymously should you prefer.

 

Are you a postgraduate researcher at a GW4 university from the Global Majority?

 

GW4 has now launched the 2nd GW4 Connect programme for Global Majority postgraduate researchers. The programme will offer cross-institutional peer support designed to recognise your unique experiences.

• The 10-month scheme builds on the pilot programme by providing both opportunities to develop your research skills and identity, as well as explore how that may intersect with your lived experience as Global Majority postgraduate researchers.
• The programme has been co-designed and will be co-facilitated by Kemi Oladapo, who specialises in coaching diverse communities in universities and healthcare, and Kate Tapper, a senior coaching practitioner and facilitator with longstanding experience in higher education.
• Participants will have the opportunity to engage with peers and have open conversations about race and racism, research culture and academia, outside of institutional structures.
• The programme will start in September 2025, with availability for up to 25 participants.

Deadline for applications is Wednesday 9 July 2025.

The deadline for entering the PGR Research Showcase Poster Competition is 12.00 (midday) on Wednesday 28 May.

 

PGR Research Showcase is your chance to share your work, build your research profile, and develop valuable presentation and communication skills. Whether you’re presenting or attending, it’s a brilliant way to connect with the wider PGR community and explore the breadth of research happening across the University.

Enter the Poster Competition to showcase your research and be in with a chance to win a prize. Poster displays also open to all on:
• Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 June at Penryn in Upper Stannary
• Monday 16 – Wednesday 18 June at Streatham in Terrace Restaurant

For training resources on creating a poster please visit PGR Training & Development Resources Sharepoint site.

Questions? Email: researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk

 

If you're interested in presenting, take on the Exeter Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and summarise your thesis in just three minutes to a friendly, non-specialist audience at the final on Wednesday 18 June.

 

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the recruitment of several casual Postgraduate Teaching Associates (PTAs) on our central  Researcher Development Programme for PGRs programme 2025/2026.  If you are interested in joining us and would like to develop your facilitation & training skills, please complete this  application form by Monday 9 June 2025 at 12.00 (noon) GMT. Please note that this is  NOT  the application form for Faculty and Department PTA roles, which are advertised and recruited separately.

 

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held virtually on Monday 23 June 2025 or Tuesday 24 June 2025, and will include a micro-presentation followed by interview questions. This is an opportunity to tell us about yourself and to give us an idea of your presentation style. If you are shortlisted, please make sure that you are available on these dates as unfortunately, we are unable to offer any alternatives. 

 

If you have any questions, please email Gabby & Kathryn at  rdpgr@exeter.ac.uk  with ‘PTA recruitment query’ in the title. 

 

We look forward to receiving your application.

Presenting is a key skill you will use throughout your degree and career and knowing how to condense your information in an engaging but clear way is vital for a strong presentation. The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is the perfect opportunity to practice those skills; if your recorded version of the presentation is selected to go through to the final, you will perform in front of a friendly supportive audience on Wednesday 18 June, 13.30-15.00 in Bateman Lecture Theatre. The winner will then receive a coaching session, and will be re-recorded, ready to be entered for the Vitae National Competition.

Please note that the application process is different from last year as you will need to submit a video recording of yourself presenting your 3MT Presentation at the point of applying, as well as submitting your slide. Please do read the Apply tab on the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) webpage and contact researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk if you have any questions.

For some inspiration, check out previous winner Michael Shrauben's blog post on 3MT, which also includes a video of his 3MT presentation.

Deadline for applications: 12.00 (midday) on Wednesday 11 June 2025

 

Parent and Family Support (PAFs) is a community of university wide student parents that currently has 100 registered members from the University of Exeter, with individuals choosing to attend inclusive events that best fit their schedules and family responsibilities. The group has expanded to support a wider community, as well as ‘mature-mature’ students with or without children, and postdoctoral researchers, at the University of Exeter who were drawn to our inclusive community.

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 facilitated hours are as and when facilitators are available.

There are unfacilitated sessions outside of these hours so you can fit it around your working patterns.

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.

Brought to you by the Cornwall Wellbeing Network- enquiries to Natasha Hammond or Andrew Pye.

The Dean of PGR and the Doctoral College are delighted to launch two Dean’s Commendation schemes for postgraduate researchers.

Following a successful pilot, we welcome nominations for PGRs who have displayed excellence in Academic Citizenship, and for a new award for Excellence in PGR Supervision.

The Academic Citizenship Commendation recognises PGRs who contribute to a supportive and inclusive research community. The new Supervision award celebrates supervisors who go above and beyond basic role requirements.

Nominations are open to all – PGRs, Directors of PGR, support teams, and supervisors.

Submit your nomination by completing the below forms by 12.00 (midday) on Monday 19 May 2025:
Excellence in PGR Supervision
Excellence in Academic Citizenship

Award outcomes will be announced the week beginning Monday 9 June, with receptions at Penryn and Streatham in the week beginning Monday 16 June.

You will be pleased to hear that the Travel Risk Assessment for International Travel has been updated to make it more concise and easier to complete. Please note that risk assessments for Fieldwork have not changed. You can find all the guidance on travelling internationally and latest risk assessments on the Travel Sharepoint. Guidance for travellers and approvers on completing risk assessments has also been updated.

New rules now also apply to personal travel. Holiday travel taken in conjunction with business travel will no longer be covered under the University of Exeter travel insurance policy. Only incidental travel in the country associated with University travel will be covered.

If you have any questions, please contact the Insurance Team at insurance@exeter.ac.uk.

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.

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
Spectrum.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.

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.

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.

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 10.00 – 15.00 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 10.00 – 15.00 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 10.00 – 14.00 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.