Welcome to this edition of Postgraduate Researcher Training and Development Bulletin, our first edition for 2026! The bulletin is your go-to place for training and development courses and resources offered by the Researcher Development and Research Culture team, across the University and beyond.

If you have just started at the University, please check out the below courses specifically designed to help you get started:

• How to thrive in the first year of your postgraduate research journey (PGR panel discussion) (Tuesday 3 February, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)
• The seven secrets of highly successful research students (Wednesday 18 February, 09.30-12.00 via Zoom)
• Getting Started with your Postgraduate Research Degree (Tuesday 24 February, 10.00-12.00 via MS Teams)
• Library 101 (Thursday 12 February, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)
• Getting the most out of supervision (supervisor perspective) (Wednesday 4 February, 10.30-12.00 via MS Teams)
• Working with your supervisors (PGR Perspective- panel discussion) (Wednesday 25 February, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

Are you looking to grow your support network this year? Would you like to be more productive but find it hard to focus? PGR Study Space, open to all PGRs, is the group for you!. Find out more about this supportive friendly online community at PGR Study Space- Introduction and Taster Session on Tuesday 27 January.

If you are unable to attend a course, you can find slides from many of our sessions on our PGR Training & Development Resources SharePoint site.

The full list of courses can be found on our upcoming training webpage.

How do you appropriately source, organise, synthesise, evaluate and manage information and data? We've just added courses that will explore the techniques and systems to guide you with this:

• NEW- Writing your data management plan- Thursday 19 February
• NEW- Sharing your research data- Wednesday 4 March

We've recently added career skills workshops to help you boost your employability and focus on your next steps.

The courses are:

• How to Manage Your Career
• Mapping & Marketing Your Skills
• Applying for non-Academic Jobs
• LinkedIn for Researchers: Developing and Using Your Profile

Spaces are limited so book on now. To see all upcoming dates and book on, please search for the course name in iTrent.

We also have a dedicated PGR Career Planning Guide where you will find a range of resources to support your individual, professional, and career development.

Our training sessions are not like traditional lectures- they are interactive sessions involving group work so that you can fully engage with the topic being discussed and can share ideas with your fellow PGRs in a friendly and supportive environment. In order to encourage an open welcoming space for everyone, we ask that you join online sessions in a room where you are able to turn your camera on and speak freely.

If you have any questions around accessibility, please contact researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk to discuss how we can support your participation.

Successfully searching for Grey Literature (Thursday 15 January, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively search, identify and evaluate grey literature for research purposes.

Searching Smarter- Advanced Search Techniques (Thursday 22 January, 10.00-11.30)

Do you want to be able to search faster and more successfully for electronic resources for your research, learning or teaching? This session will cover advanced search techniques you can use for everything from Google Scholar to Web of Science.

AI Essentials for PGRs (Thursday 22 January, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

Want to understand AI and how to use it responsibly? Join this 90 minute masterclass to learn a basic understanding of AI and how to make informed decisions about when and how to use it. This session is part of the Essential Skills kit brought to you by the Library, and is especially for PGR students.

GenAI under the microscope: thinking critically about it (Tuesday 27 January, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

Want to learn how to be more critical about the information generated by GenAI assistants? This workshop is for you! We will go through some hands-on activities to get you into a critical mindset and boost your confidence when using GenAI for your research.

Systematic Literature Review (Faculty of ESE) (Wednesday 28 January, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This session, for PGRs in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy (ESE), will introduce you to a systematic literature review as a specific research methodology.

NEW- What to expect from your Upgrade (PGR Perspective- panel discussion) (Tuesday 10 February, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

Upgrade is an important milestone in your postgraduate research journey, so making sure you are properly prepared and know what to expect is essential. To help you plan, why not come and join this interactive and informative panel session where current PGRs who have already successfully passed their upgrades will share their top tips with you? There will be an opportunity to ask any general questions you may have and time for small group discussions in breakout rooms with your fellow PGRs.

NEW- Crafting clever Gen AI prompts (Wednesday 11 February, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

Already have a basic understanding of using GenAI assistants and want to learn more about how to instruct them effectively to get the outputs you're looking for? Join us for this session where we'll hone your prompting skills to take your GenAI use to the next level.

NEW- Library 101 (Thursday 12 February, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

This course is to introduce attendees to the Library, our services and teams as well as the discovery tool Library Search.

NEW- What to do when you are Writing up (Tuesday 24 February, 13.00-15.00 via MS Teams)

This workshop provides advice on the writing up process for your postgraduate research thesis, which takes place in the final year of your degree. It covers guidance on maintaining your progress and advice on overcoming writer's block, as well ideas on how to structure your thesis. It also highlights available resources for improving your academic writing.

NEW- Communicate smarter: using GenAI responsibly to elevate your writing (Wednesday 25 February, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

Keen to understand how you can use GenAI to improve your academic writing while adhering to the University of Exeter AI guidelines? We've got you! Join us for this session where we will take you through helpful demonstrations and examples that are relevant for PGRs. This session is part of the Exploring Skills Kit brought to you by the Library, and is especially for PGRs.

NEW- Using online news for research (Thursday 26 February, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This course is to introduce attendees to online news sources, helping you to identify the value and challenges of online news as research sources and search tips and techniques to effectively search for online news titles and articles.

Did you know that as a PGR at the University of Exeter, you can access the Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) though our institutional account for free? This gives you access to lots of online research methods webinars and resources. Sign up here using your University of Exeter email account (scroll down the page to ‘Find Out More’, then expand the arrow for CARMA (Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods & Analysis) and follow the registration/sign up instructions).

For other topic areas such as Conducting a Literature Review, Organising your References with End Note, Drafting Your Thesis and How to Thrive in Your Final Year, please see our PGR Training and Development Resources SharePoint and researcher-development.co.uk.

How to manage your career (Tuesday 27 January, 12.30-14.00 via MS Teams)

A practical and interactive career management course for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and early career researchers (ECRs). The tools and techniques introduced in this session will be applicable to managing a career within research, but also to those participants wishing to investigate a broader career path outside academia.

PGR Study Space- Introduction and Taster Session (Tuesday 27 January, 13.30-14.30 via MS Teams)

This session will introduce PGRs to the PGR study space- its purpose and ethos, and how it runs. We will run a taster PGR Study Space/pomodoro session; and have a general discussion and opportunity to share study skills and resources.

NEW- How to thrive in the first year of your postgraduate research journey (PGR panel discussion) (Tuesday 3 February, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

Congratulations and a very warm welcome to you as you begin your postgraduate research journey at the University of Exeter! To help you navigate this new start, why not come and join us to hear about the experiences of your fellow postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and their top tips for thriving in your first year. This interactive panel session will feature short presentations from your peers with insights and practical advice as well as small group discussions and the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

NEW- Mapping and Marketing Your Skills (Tuesday 10 February, 12.30-14.00 via MS Teams)

This course will provide you with the tools to successfully apply for positions when you finish your research degree. Mapping your experience, skills, competencies & attributes will enable you to write CVs and personal statements, and market yourself and answer questions effectively in interviews.

NEW- The seven secrets of highly successful research students (Wednesday 18 February, 09.30-12.00 via Zoom)

What can you do to finish your doctoral research on time, to overcome isolation, doubt and writer's block, and to enjoy the process? And just as importantly what do you do in order to spend guilt-free time with your family and friends and even have holidays? This workshop describes the key habits that will make a difference to how quickly and easily you complete your doctorate, with habits that can greatly reduce the stress and increase the pleasure involved in completing a doctorate.

NEW- Getting Started with your Postgraduate Research Degree (Tuesday 24 February, 10.00-12.00 via MS Teams)

This workshop is designed to support you in considering what you want to get out of your PGR journey, to learn some practical tools and strategies to help you set realistic and achievable goals. It includes an introduction to the Training Needs Analysis (TNA), to help you plan what development you will need to support you in the first year of your Postgraduate studies and beyond.

NEW- Emotionally challenging research: impacts, coping and proactive interventions to support researchers (Wednesday 25 February, 09.30-13.00 via MS Teams)

Join Dr Sarah Warbis, co-founder of the Researcher Wellbeing Strategic Change Group, and equip yourself with knowledge and tools essential for maintaining emotional wellbeing in research on emotionally challenging topics (e.g. death, illness, war, crime, extreme poverty).

Postgraduate research can be challenging at times, but the Wellbeing Services team are available throughout the year, to offer support if you need it. Check out the services available here.

The Wellbeing Thesis offers all sorts of useful resources to help you on your doctoral journey.

For resources on Getting Stuff Done, Developing and Using your LinkedIn Profile, Managing Stress, The Seven Secrets of Successful Researchers and much more, see our PGR Training and Development Resources SharePoint and researcher-development.co.uk.

Making your work open access in ORE (Tuesday 20 January, 14.00-15.00 via MS Teams)

Open access to research publications makes them more visible. This can lead to greater impact, higher citations, and can stimulate new research opportunities and collaborations.

The University's open access policy mandates Exeter researchers to make in-scope research outputs available in the institutional repository, ORE (Open Research Exeter), via Symplectic.

NEW- Writing your data management plan (Thursday 19 February, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

All good data management strategies start by planning ahead, and as such, a Data Management Plan (DMP) is an integral component of any research project. They are also required by many funders. This webinar will provide you with an introduction to DMPs to ensure you have the knowledge and support to write your own DMP.

Check out researcher-development.co.uk and PGR Training & Development Resources SharePoint site for other useful resources on this topic area.

Research governance and organisation covers areas such as Research Ethics and Health and Safety.

NEW- Getting the most out of supervision (supervisor perspective) (Wednesday 4 February, 10.30-12.00 via MS Teams)

This workshop introduces new postgraduate research students (PGR) to how postgraduate research supervision works in the UK academic system, and in Exeter specifically. It outlines what PGRs can expect in terms of support from their supervisory teams, but also what their responsibilities are within the supervisory arrangement. It offers advice for preparing for supervision, getting the most out of each supervision, and how to address challenges that emerge in a supervisory relationship.

NEW- Working with your supervisors (PGR Perspective- panel discussion) (Wednesday 25 February, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

Your supervisory team are the most significant people influencing the development of your research (apart from you!). So how can you get the most out of supervision? What can you expect during supervisory meetings? And what advice would your fellow PGRs offer to help you navigate this professional relationship? To find out, come and join this interactive and insightful panel session where a range of PGRs will share their own experiences and tips with you. 

Bored of working on your own? Finding it difficult to concentrate? Looking for other people to co-work with online? Then why not join PGR Study Space, which is a welcoming and supportive environment run by PGRs for PGRs. Join our MS Teams PGR Study Space channel or contact our PGR coordinator Ellie Helpworth at PGRStudySpace@exeter.ac.uk for more information.

For resources on Getting Published, Presentation Skills, Writing Conference Abstracts and more, see our PGR Training and Development Resources and researcher-development.co.uk.

The Coding for Reproducible Research training initiative - which runs free-to-access programming training for Staff and Students - is pleased to release details of the courses planned for next term.

Places for each workshop series will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. To register, complete this booking form.

Please check the course description to make sure the course is suitable for your level of proficiency.

Introductory Courses: Provide an all-purpose introduction to both the specific software and computer programming in general.

• Introduction to Python - Streatham Campus (Tuesday 27 January & Tuesday 3 February); St Luke's Campus (Thursday 19 & Thursday 26 March)
• Introduction to R - St Luke’s Campus (Thursday 5, Thursday 12 & Thursday 19 February)

Regression Analysis Courses: Regression analysis is a fundamental statistical technique used to model the relationship between multiple variables.

• Introduction to Regression Analysis with R - Online (Monday 16 March)
• Regression Analysis in R: Adapting to Varied Data Types - Online (Tuesday 20 January)

Please note that prior experience in using R is a pre-requisite for both courses and fitting/interpreting simple linear regression models is required for the intermediate course.

Additional Courses:

• Introduction to Version Control - Online (Thursday 22 & Thursday 29 January)

Version control systems are a valuable tool for organising software development to avoid confusion due to untracked edits and data manipulations. This course introduces Git – a powerful tool to organize your workflow, keep research reproducible, and simplify collaboration. It will also introduce internet platforms such as GitHub. This workshop is aimed at those already familiar with programming but new to tools like Git.

• Python for Data Analysis - Streatham Campus (Thursday 5 & Thursday 12 February)

This course focuses on essential libraries and tools used for data analysis such as NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, and Plotly. It also covers critical software development practices such as testing, virtual environments, and version control, to provide code reproducibility and collaboration in research projects. Please note, this workshop is pitched at those confident with the material in our 'Introduction to Python' course and is not suitable for those new to Python.

• Introduction to Machine Learning - Online (Tuesday 10, Tuesday 17 & Tuesday 24 March)

This course introduces core machine learning concepts and explores the main stages of the machine learning pipeline. We will cover model selection, error, evaluation and validation, and attendees will be able to put these into practice using Python. Participants will also train basic linear models using Scikit-learn. Confidence with the content in our ‘Introduction to Python’ and ‘Python for Data Analysis’ courses is a pre-requisite for attendance.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Coding for Reproducible Research initiative via CodingForReproducibleResearch@exeter.ac.uk. Further information on our full range of courses, self-assessment quizzes, and self-study learning resources are available on the programme's website.

Did you know the Library runs its own training programme to help with library skills? It includes events such as:

• library research cafés where you can ask the library staff how to make the most of the Library Search service, identify and use academic databases, and build your online search skills so that you can quickly and easily find research materials to support your studies and research;
• sessions on academic writing and academic listening from English Language Skills Development Team;
• other relevant courses to familiarise yourself with key library skills.

Some courses are discipline-specific or may be aimed at undergraduates/postgraduate-taught students so don't forget to check the details before booking on.

Any questions? Click the 'Ask Us' button on the library webpages to start an online chat or email them at library@exeter.ac.uk.

Our PGR Training & Development Resources SharePoint site was launched at the beginning of this year. It's the place to go for slides and other resources from courses on our training programme. Refresh your knowledge from courses you have already attended or explore new topics, this resource can be referred to throughout your degree.

Thinking about adding a creative element to your research work but not sure where to begin?

Developed by the University’s Arts and Culture team, the Get Creative toolkit offers practical, step-by-step guidance for planning and delivering successful projects with creative collaborators. It combines an interactive online guide with reflective prompts, a downloadable Planning Canvas to take ideas from concept to proposal, and detailed how-to advice on running exhibitions, workshops, performances, and other activities. You’ll also find tips on engagement, communications, finance, evaluation, and commissioning creatives.

The toolkit is a flexible resource to help you explore new approaches and make your projects more engaging, innovative, and impactful. Links below:

• https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-creative
• https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-connected
• https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-inspired
• https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-involved
• https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/resources/get-learning

The Inclusive Research Hub is a living resource developed by the Inclusive Research Collective in collaboration with the People Development Team at the University of Bristol. It provides an accessible introduction to key concepts and practices in inclusive research, with over 20 sections organised across six key stages of the research process. Topics include reflexivity, literature review, budgeting, pre-registration, open-source software, and inclusive communication—alongside a growing collection of case studies that exemplify these ideas in practice.

Why not check out some of the numerous training and development resources available through Vitae? They focus specifically on professional development for researchers and you can register for free using your University of Exeter account. Register here and then head here for general advice on various aspects of doing a doctorate and how to access further support, and guidance at all stages of your studies.

Any form of recording whether via Teams or external tools like Fellow and other AI notetakers is NOT permitted. If you have any accessibility needs and do require a recording of the session, please contact Researcher Development in advance and we will arrange this with the trainer.

We appreciate that unexpected things come up and you may no longer be able to attend, or you may realise a course you have booked onto is no longer relevant to you. Please don't forget to cancel via iTrent so that someone else can book on, as our courses have limited spaces.