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

It's not long now until we launch the exciting new PGR Researcher Development Programme for 2025-2026, so keep an eye on your emails on 1 October 2025! Sign up to Skills for researchers- introducing the Exeter PGR Researcher Development Programme, taking place on Tuesday 30 September, 12.00-13.30 via MS Teams, where you will learn about the opportunities that are available to you to develop yourself personally and professionally, get practical tips on how to book onto courses and get a sneak peek of the topics covered in the programme.

In the meantime, 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 next bulletin will be in October.

Once the 2025/2026 training programme has been released, the full list of courses will be on our upcoming training webpage.

What are the core skills you need to be a well-rounded and effective researcher? How can you further cultivate these skills during your postgraduate research journey? Come and explore this topic during an interactive online session that will introduce you to the central Exeter PGR Researcher Development Programme and the skills framework it is built around. You will learn about the opportunities that are available to you to develop yourself personally and professionally, get practical tips on how to book onto courses and get a sneak peek of the topics covered in the programme that will officially be launching on 1 October 2025.

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 and researcher-development.co.uk. 

Would you like to hear how to use your skills as a researcher to work in diverse sectors, from Exeter alumni who have been in your position?

Join this panel session 'What Next? Postdoc Career Steps' on Thursday 18 September, 14.00-15.30, which is running online.

We are looking forward to welcoming:
- Dr Elizabeth Laruni, who gained a PhD in History and is now Conflict Sensitivity and Gender Lead with the charity International Alert.
- Dr Jamie McFadzean, who gained a PhD in Biological Sciences and is now Vaccination & Research Policy Lead with DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
- Dr Hannes Titeca, who gained a PhD in Economics and is now a Senior Analyst for Ofgem

Each panellist will give a brief overview of their career steps after completing their research degrees at Exeter, and reflect on how their research backgrounds and skills have led to their current positions. There will be time for Q&A.

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 and researcher-development.co.uk.

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

Check out researcher-development.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Introduction to R (mixed level) - Streatham Campus (3 sessions 10.00-13.00, Tuesday 30 September, 7 October & 14 October)
R is a programming language and software environment primarily focused on performing statistics, data analysis and visualisation. This course provides an all-purpose introduction to the R programming language - pitched to support diverse beginner contexts - and provides an accessible entry to computer programming in general.

Other 'Introduction to R' courses are available aimed specifically at complete beginners who would benefit from a fuller focus on foundational learning, with another course pitched at those looking to consolidate prior introductory learning. Further details on the different course types are available here.

Computational Thinking - Streatham Campus (2 sessions 10.00-13.00, Friday 3 & 10 October)
Over two sessions, this course will introduce fundamental principles that are the basis of writing computer code in any language and enables participants to write, develop and debug code more effectively. This course is aimed at anyone who is currently programming or thinking about learning to program.

Introduction to Python (mixed level) - Online only (2 sessions 13.00-16.00, Tuesday 7 & 14 October)
Over two sessions, learn the basics of one of the most popular general-purpose programming languages used in a wide range of applications, from machine learning and web development to data analysis and automation.

This year, other introductory courses are available that are specifically aimed at both complete beginners and those looking to consolidate prior introductory learning; this course is pitched to support diverse beginner contexts. Further details on the different course types are available here.

Introduction to Version control - Online only (2 sessions 13.00-16.00, Thursday 23 & 30 October)
Version control systems are an incredibly valuable tool for organising software development to avoid confusion and wasted time 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. Self-directed learning at an intermediate level is available here for those already familiar with Git and GitHub.

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.

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.

Interested in a particular course? Pease add yourself to the waiting list over the summer so we can contact you directly when the new programme is launched in October.

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.

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.