Welcome to October's edition of Postgraduate Researcher Training and Development Bulletin.

The exciting new PGR Researcher Development Programme for 2025-2026 launched on 1 October and we have plenty of courses coming up this year. This bulletin highlights some of the courses we have within the next few months, including The seven secrets of highly successful research students (Tuesday 21 October, 09.30-12.00).

You can  find all the details of our rich collection of online resources available to support you in this bulletin. These are available for you anytime.

You will also find other training and development opportunities across the University and beyond, like the Coding for Reproducible Research Workshops.

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

Publishing in open access (Wednesday 15 October, 10.30-11.30 via MS Teams)

Open access increases visibility of research, as it means your work is available to anybody that wishes to read it, without having to log in or pay. This can lead to greater readership, higher citations, increase impact of your work and can stimulate new research opportunities and collaborations.

GenAI under the microscope: thinking critically about it (Thursday 16 October, 13.00-14.30 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. This session is especially for PGRs.

Library 101 (Wednesday 22 October, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

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

Crafting clever GenAI prompts (Monday 3 November, 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.

Emotionally challenging research: impacts, coping and proactive interventions to support researchers (Wednesday 5 November, 09.30-13.00 via Zoom)

Join Dr Tina Skinner, the leader of the Researcher Wellbeing Project, 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).

Turbocharge your writing (Thursday 13 November, 09.30-12.00 via Zoom)

Would you like to know the secret to high output, low stress scholarly writing? In academia it is often assumed that writing comes naturally. However there are very clear and practical strategies that can greatly increase your writing productivity.

Communicate smarter: using GenAI responsibly to elevate your writing (Tuesday 18 November, 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? Join us for this session where we will take you through helpful demonstrations and examples that are relevant for PGRs.

Searching smarter- Advanced Search Techniques (Tuesday 18 November, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

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.

Preparing for your viva (Thursday 20 November, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

The viva examination can feel like the most daunting part of the research degree process. This session will help to `demystify` the viva, talking you through everything from choosing your external examiner to what to expect on the day.

Organising your references with EndNote (Monday 24 November, 13.00-15.00 in person on Streatham Campus in Old Library Training Room 4)

Do you find organising all your references time consuming and difficult? This in-person session shows you how to use EndNote to store, organise and format them for you.

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.

Starting out on your postgraduate research journey: a reflective workshop (Thursday 16 October, 10.30-12.30 in-person in Daphne Du Maurier Masters Suite Seminar Rooms 1+2, Penryn Campus)

This in-person workshop is designed to support you to consider what you want to get out of your PGR journey, to explore what it means to be a successful and reflective researcher and to learn some practical tools and strategies to help you set realistic and achievable goals to keep you on track throughout your studies. It is also an opportunity for you to meet and connect with your fellow PGRs and build your peer support network.

The seven secrets of highly successful research students (Tuesday 21 October, 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 perhaps even have holidays? If this sounds appealing, then this session will be of particular use to you.

Planning your PhD (Thursday 30 October, 09.30-12.00 via Zoom)

A PhD is a major undertaking yet many people spend more time planning a weekend away than they do planning the next three years of their life. This generally leads to missing deadlines, running overtime, regular crises and lots of stress. If you want to finish on time and enjoy the process along the way then it is important to have a good plan.

Preparing for your final year (PGR Panel Discussion) (Monday 10 November, 10.30-12.00 via MS Teams)

Congratulations on reaching the final year of your postgraduate studies! This workshop will consist of a panel discussion by final year PGRs, where they will share insights and tips about the strategies they are using to help them prepare to finish and submit their research, and group discussions.

Maintaining momentum and focus after upgrade (Tuesday 25 November, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

You've made it through your upgrade- congratulations! Now what? This interactive panel session will explore the process of the final stages of your research degree and help you prepare for the next steps.  You will hear from current PGRs who will share their own experiences and top tips for maintaining momentum and will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss your own strategy in small group breakout rooms.

Creative Skills in Research- Adaptability and Flexibility (Tuesday 25 November, 10.00-16.00 in person at Streatham Campus, Creative Quadrant)

In this session, we will explore the roles of adaptability and flexibility in the creative process. We will explore related themes of ambiguity, iteration, failure and confidence, and introduce practical tools to challenge path dependency and encourage reframing. The session will be interactive, discursive, informal and if we get it right, enjoyable and informative.

If you’re looking for resources to support your individual, professional, and career development, please take a look at our PGR Career Planning Guide.

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 Researcher and much more, see our PGR Training and Development Resources SharePoint and researcher-development.co.uk.

Making your work open access in ORE (Wednesday 19 November, 11.00-12.00 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.

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.

Being an international postgraduate research student at University of Exeter (panel discussion) (Wednesday 15 October, 13.00-14.30 online via MS Teams)

What is it like to be an international postgraduate researcher (PGR) at the University of Exeter? To find out more, come and join this interactive panel session where current international PGRs will share their own experiences - the joys and the challenges! You will have an opportunity to ask questions before joining a small group discussion with your fellow participants in a facilitated breakout room.

Getting the most out of supervision (supervisor perspective) (Thursday 23 October, 10.00-11.30, online 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.

Getting published (Thursday 6 November, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This workshop demystifies the academic publication process. It offers advice for planning your publication strategy, and preparing various formats of academic output for publication, journal articles, book chapters and monographs. It explains the peer review process and how to respond to feedback.

Planning for Meaningful Public Engagement (Tuesday 11 November, 10.30-12.30 in person on Streatham Campus, Old Library Training Room 4)

This interactive in-person workshop will guide participants through filling in a planning worksheet for public engagement. Participants will be expected to bring an idea to use as a basis for filling in their worksheet during the training.

Impact-Led Careers: Startups & Spinouts (Tuesday 18 November, 11.30-13.00 via MS Teams)

Are you passionate about making real-world impact in your future career? Join the Student Startups Team for a hands-on webinar designed specifically for postgraduate researchers who are curious about how entrepreneurship can open doors to meaningful, purpose-driven careers beyond academia.

Building your community - PGR speed networking (Tuesday 25 November, 13.00-14.30 online via MS Teams)

Would you like to meet and connect with more of your peers and build your social network? Come and join this interactive, fun and fast paced session where you will have the opportunity to talk to lots of other PGRs. You will be randomly paired up with another person in a breakout room and given two topics to talk about for a few minutes before moving on to meet a new person and then another new person and so on.

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. Sign up here.

This resource on research dissemination 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.

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 initial courses in their workshop programme for this academic year. 

33 spaces are available for each workshop series which 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.

• Introduction to Version control - Online only (2 sessions 13.00-16.00, Thursday 23 & 30 October)
• Working with Data in R - St Luke's Campus (2 sessions 10.00-13.00, Friday 31 October & 7 November)
• Introduction to R (beginner focus) – Online only (3 sessions 10.00-13.00 Monday 24 November, 1 December & 8 December)
• Python for Data Analysis - Online only (2 sessions, 10.00-13.00,  Tuesday 25 November & 2 December)
• Languages-focused Drop-in Session – Streatham Campus (1 session, 10.00-13.00, Thursday 27 November)
   

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 also 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.

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

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.

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.