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

We have a lot of brand-new courses coming up in the next few months, including:

• The Imposter Syndrome: why successful people often feel like frauds (delivered by Hugh Kearns)– Thursday 5 June
• How to thrive in the final year of your postgraduate research studies– Tuesday 10 June
• Visual Literacy: How to read and construct images– Monday 23 June​

In this edition, we will also be sharing some handy training resources to help you thrive when presenting your Three Minute Thesis (3MT)- don't forget that applications close on 12.00 (midday) on Wednesday 11 June!

You will also find other training and development opportunities across the University and beyond, including a workshop on academic writing skills. The date of the next bulletin will be Wednesday 2 July 2025.

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

In the Three Minute Thesis (3MT), PGRs take on the challenge to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.

Check out our presentation skills training slides; this training is focused on how to put together and deliver a great oral presentation.

Improving your self-confidence is important to help your presentation grab the audience's attention; imposter syndrome (feeling that you are not good enough, like a fraud) is a barrier to believing your knowledge and skills. Check out our slides on Encountering imposter syndrome for how to tackle this problem.

Michael Schrauben, past winner of Exeter's 3MT competition, provides some tips specifically on presenting for 3MT in his Doctoral College Blog post.

We have had a range of topics during the years we have run 3MT, which shows the diversity of research our PGRs are doing- apply for the 3MT and share your research!

How to thrive in the final year of your postgraduate research studies (Tuesday 10 June, 13.00-15.00 in person in Peter Lanyon Lecture Theatre 1, Penryn Campus)

This in-person workshop provides advice on how to thrive in the final year of your postgraduate research studies. It covers guidance on maintaining your progress, advice on overcoming writer's block, ideas on how to structure your thesis as well as demystifying the process of submitting your thesis and preparing for your viva voce examination.

Using AI in Academic Writing (Tuesday 17 June, 10.00-11.00 via MS Teams)

This interactive online session will explore how Generative AI (GenAI) can support academic work while maintaining integrity. It will cover the University's updated policy for use of AI in academic work (March 2025) whilst examining how AI tools like ChatGPT can best be utilised whilst adhering to this. A Q&A session will follow to address any questions. Please note that this is an introductory level workshop.

Questionnaire Design: a very basic introduction (Wednesday 25 June, 12.30-14.30 via MS Teams)

Dr Jonathan Doney will lead an interactive workshop on the basics of questionnaire design, drawing on over a decade of using questionnaires in a variety of settings. The workshop will focus on considering the key things to think about at the early stages of setting out on a questionnaire survey; it will be particularly appropriate for those who have no experience of questionnaire design.

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).

Preparing for your viva (Wednesday 4 June, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

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

LinkedIn for Researchers: Developing and Using Your Profile (Wednesday 4 June, 14.00-15.15 via MS Teams)

A practical and interactive professional social media course for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and Early Career Researchers (ECRs).

The tools and techniques introduced in this session will be applicable to all those who wish to develop their LinkedIn profile and be proactive in developing online relationships with the wider professional and research community.

The Imposter Syndrome: why successful people often feel like frauds (Thursday 5 June, 10.00-12.00 via Zoom)

How can it be that so many clever, competent and capable people can feel that they are just one step away from being exposed as a complete fraud? 

The session will explain why high performing people often doubt their abilities and find it hard to enjoy their successes. It will also show the links to perfectionism and self-handicapping strategies such as procrastination, avoidance and over-commitment.

Applying for academic jobs (Thursday 19 June, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

This course will enable you to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the process of applying for positions in the academic job market. We'll explore what academic recruiters are looking for, where to source vacancies and explore the different stages of the recruitment process. There will be a particular focus on how to write effective CVs, cover letters, application forms and perform well at interviews.

Success at Interviews (Thursday 26 June, 14.30-16.00 via MS Teams)

A practical and interactive interview preparation course for postgraduate researchers (PGRs). The tools and techniques introduced in this session will be applicable to all those who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of how interviews are used in the recruitment process for roles within and outside of academia.

There will be information provided and opportunities for Q and A as well as live input from former PhD researchers who have been successful in securing both post-doc roles and industry/public sector opportunities.

Applying for non-academic jobs (Wednesday 9 July, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

Applying for jobs beyond academia? Need help navigating the recruitment process? This interactive course will support you in enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the process of applying for positions in the job market beyond academia.

There will be a particular focus on how to write effective CVs, cover letters, application forms, LinkedIn profiles and how to perform well at interviews.

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.

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

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

Writing conference abstracts (Thursday 19 June, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

Conferences are the cornerstone of research dissemination whether you are presenting a talk, a research poster, or contributing to a panel. Writing conference abstracts is therefore a fundamental skill you will need to develop to ensure your research is communicated widely. This webinar will introduce you to the process of writing conference abstracts, including key tips and tricks to ensure that your abstract has the highest chance of being accepted, and encouraging delegates to attend your talk, poster or panel.

Visual Literacy: How to read and construct images (Monday 23 June, 10.30-12.00 via MS Teams)

We carry cameras with us everywhere, and nearly 5 billion photos are taken daily. But how many of those photos are well constructed and tell a great story? Visual literacy is a skill that helps us to not only interpret imagery in our everyday environment, but to help us build our own images and effectively communicate ideas and narratives to others. This session will introduce you to the basics of how images are structured, drawing on historical artworks and contemporary advertising, and then offer practical guidance on strengthening the communication impact of your own images.

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.

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.

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.

The Coding for Reproducible Research training programme is available to view on our Workshop Schedule and Sign-up page. Further information and registration links for our upcoming courses can be found below.

30 spaces are available for each workshop, which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration closes one week prior to the course.

• Using Markdown for Python (Tuesday 10 June 2025, 10.00-13.00 In-person only)

This beginner-level course introduces the basics of Markdown and how to integrate it with Python.On this course, we will explore dynamic documents, understanding how they work and why they are useful. Through hands-on examples, participants will learn how to create, save, and share interactive documents that combine text, code, and output.

• Parallel Computing (Thursday 12 and Thursday 19 June 2025, 10.00-13.00, online only)

This course will provide an introduction to parallel programming. Participants will gain practical experience in writing parallel software, understanding how to decompose problems for efficient execution across multiple processes and threads.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Coding for Reproducible Research team via CodingForReproducibleResearch@exeter.ac.uk.

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.

As a postgraduate researcher, you will have many demands on your time. Before booking onto a course it is important that you read the course description fully and consider:

• Does this course cover what you expected from the title?
• Is it relevant for you at this stage in your studies?
• Is it relevant for your discipline?
• Which courses should I prioritise (your supervisor might be able to help advise on this)?
• Can I attend the date, time and venue (the majority of our courses are online but some are in person)?

All our courses have limited spaces so it is important that you book onto the courses that are suited for your specific needs.

We appreciate that unexpected things come up and you may no longer be able to attend, or you may find that 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 are in high demand.