|
Doctoral College Newsletter - 25 November 2024
|
|
|
|
The Dean of PGR’s Commendation for PGR Academic Citizenship – Nominations now Closed!
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Nominations for our brand-new award: ‘The Dean of PGR’s Commendation for PGR Academic Citizenship’ are now closed. We received an amazing response with a wide range of nominations. These were sent in by PGR Supervisors, Pastoral Tutors, Professional Services Staff, and your fellow PGRs. It has been so wonderful to read such glowing testimonials about how your thoughts, behaviours and actions have positively impacted the research culture and environment at the University of Exeter.
Thank you to all those who took the time to make a nomination and to all those nominated.
Keep your eyes peeled on Friday 29 November 2024, for an email from the Doctoral College which will announce the results and provide further information about the Awards Receptions which will be taking place in Penryn and Streatham campuses in the week beginning Monday 9 December.
If you have any queries, please contact the PGR Research Culture and Research Experience Officer, Alice Forty, at researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.
|
|
|
|
EMPS2 Network Event- Wednesday 27 November 2024
|
|
|
|
|
Come join the EMPS2 Network in Peter Chalk 1.4 on Wednesday 27 November at 14.00 for our end of term catch-up with hot drinks and biscuits! We’re a peer support group for ethnic minority students and staff across the Engineering, Maths and Physics departments and we’ll be chatting about how this term has been and what we’re looking forward to in 2025. We’d love to see familiar and new faces 😊
|
|
|
|
Doctoral Fellowship: Presenting Agatha Christie to diverse audiences at the British Library and National Trust’s Greenway House
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Throughout their life together, the writer Agatha Christie, and her husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan, worked and travelled across the changing British Empire of the 20th century: excavating layers of history, writing bestselling detective stories and amassing a fascinating collection of objects. The British Library and the National Trust, owner of Greenway House (the former home of Christie and Mallowan), have a mutual interest in the legacies of this significant couple and are exploring how collections might help to reach a
greater diversity of audiences through researching of deeper object biographies. This placement, starting from March 2025, will help to identify and research these items.
The appointed fellow will receive a stipend equivalent to the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend (plus London weighting), as well as reasonable expenses for any fellowship-related travel. They welcome applications from current PhD students who have the right to study in the UK; unfortunately they cannot accept applications from anyone who is not a current PhD student, or who does not have the right to study in the UK.
Photograph Copyright: National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
|
|
|
|
Applications Close 12pm on Thursday 5 December 2024: Researcher-Led Initiatives (RLI’s) Funding Award Scheme
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The Researcher-led Initiative awards are intended to enable postgraduate research students and early career research staff to be creative, proactive, and empowered, through the process of initiating, designing, managing, and delivering new professional development activities for their peers that will develop the skills and experience needed to progress their careers. Initiatives can be delivered via hybrid, remote and in-person activities.
Applications need to align with one or more of the following themes:
• Developing an engaged research culture;
• Leadership;
• Communication;
• Wellbeing.
Funding is available (maximum of £2000 per award) to support projects, events, and initiatives on these themes. Collaborative and inter-disciplinary applications are encouraged!
Deadline for applications: Thursday 5 December 2024 (12 noon).
Please note: all initiatives need to be completed and funds fully spent by 27 June 2025.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss an idea for an application, please contact researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.
|
|
|
|
Human Tissue Act Training- Monday 13 January 2025
|
|
|
|
|
Are you using or storing any human tissue for research or teaching? The Human Tissue Act (HTA) training is mandatory for anyone working with human tissue samples at the University of Exeter. The next session is on Monday 13 January 2025, 10am – 11am (online).
If you plan to collect informed consent as part of your research, you need to attend the Informed Consent training, also held on Monday 13 January 2025, 11.15-12.15, also online.
Please contact Christine on HTA-return@exeter.ac.uk for further enquiries or to book your place.
Both sessions are open to everyone. We also welcome anyone who attended the training over two years ago as a refresher. There is no registration deadline or booking limit.
|
|
|
|
Sign up to be a PGR Peer Mentor
|
|
|
|
|
Do you remember what it was like to start your postgraduate studies? It can be a daunting and exciting experience - and we are looking for PGRs to support new PGRs with this transition! The PGR-PGR Peer Mentoring scheme puts students in their 2nd-final year of PGR study (Mentors) in touch with PGRs starting their first year of study (Mentees). Mentors are then an informal, friendly guide on navigating the transition to postgraduate study – having navigated it yourselves!
Once we put you in touch, it is up to you both how and when you meet.
Benefits:
• Support new PGRs who are where you were and be part of a community;
• Use your mentoring to apply for AFHEA;
• Add your mentoring to your CV;
• Invites to Peer Support events;
• and more!
Sign up as a Mentor now or contact Benny (Streatham and St Luke’s), Tasha (Penryn) or Emma (both campuses) if you have any queries.
|
|
|
|
|
Study on fibromyalgia and psychological therapy
We are currently recruiting for the research below. We are looking for people who have a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and who have engaged in a psychological therapy. The therapy does not have to be targeted at the Fibromyalgia.
We are conducting interviews over Teams that will last around 45-60 minutes. Participants will be paid a £20 Amazon voucher after the interview is complete.
Please email Sasha Haison (sh1220@exeter.ac.uk) if you wish to take part. Feel free to share with others who you think might be interested.
|
|
|
|
|
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 core facilitated hours are:
Monday 10:00am-12:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am-12:00pm
Friday 10:00am-12:00pm
There are unfacilitated sessions outside of these hours so you can fit it around your working patterns.
|
|
|
|
1-2-1 career appointments available
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Wellbeing Support and Sessions
|
|
|
|
|
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
Sprectrum.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.
|
|
|
|
|
Join the Penryn Campus Sea Shanty Choir!
Calling all seasoned sailors and landlubbers alike! Come and join our relaxed and friendly singing group for a weekly maritime singsong, guided by local musician and singer Charlotte Cripwell. Enjoy the mood-boosting effects of group singing while having fun and learning some traditional Cornish sea shanties.
When: Every Wednesday, 13:00-14:00
Where: Stella Turk Seminar room, Penryn Campus
Brought to you by the Cornwall Wellbeing Network.
If you have any queries or wish to receive a calendar invite, please contact Tasha Hammond.
|
|
|
|
|
Nurture-U: Are you feeling worried about your thesis or other PhD work?
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Free Mindfulness Sessions for Wellbeing
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 10.00am – 3.00pm 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 10.00am – 3.00pm Monday to 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 10.00am – 2.00pm 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
