Welcome to this fortnight's issue of the Doctoral College Newsletter. In the following sections you will find:

• Inkpath Access Ending: Action for PGRs
• Registration Open: PGR Coffee, Cake and Conversation
• Cumulative Absence: Applications due by 30th June 2023
• Responsible Metrics
• PGR Shut Up and Write Group
• Training and Development
• 1-2-1 Careers Appointments
• Opportunities
• Wellbeing
• Enquiries

If you have a news story or an opportunity you would like to advertise in the next newsletter (26 June), please email: doctoral.college@exeter.ac.uk by Wednesday 21 June.

We will soon be moving to a new learning event booking system. Access to the InkPath system will end on 30th June 2023.  

Action you need to take:

Please download your training record from InkPath before Friday 30th June 2023.

To do this, log into Inkpath and go to My Activities, then press Export Activity. This will export an xlsx document containing all your activities, including detailed information about the activity, completion status and completion date.

Any bookings you have made for events taking place in July will remain booked but any changes you make to your booking after 30th June will need to be by email to researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.

Further information on our new learning event booking system will be sent out in the next few weeks.

The next PGR Coffee, Cake and Conversation event will take place on Tuesday 27th June, 10.30am-12pm.

These structured events take place on a monthly basis in Old Library Training Room 4, and are comprised of guest speakers, skills development and the opportunity to meet fellow PhD students in person and share coffee, cake and conversation. Each event is centred around a different theme; the topic for this session is Shut Up and Write. Shut Up and Write is an online co-working space run by PGRs for PGRs! It offers facilitated sessions to help you focus and provides support and friendship to PGRs at all stages of their doctoral studies.

Register for the event here.

As there are limited spaces, if you have signed up and are no longer able to attend please inform Researcher Development team as soon as possible so that we can offer the space to someone on the waiting list.

The PGR Student Absence Policy allows PGRs who have taken short absences (less than one month) for medical reasons to request ‘cumulative absence’ by way of a programme extension. 

A cumulative absence may be requested when a student has had multiple short-term absences (not recorded as interruptions) which total a month or more* in duration and are supported by medical evidence or an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The period of study will be extended by the equivalent duration. Funding may be extended for any absences taken for medical reasons during the funding period (further details about eligibility for funding extensions).

We are asking PGRs to submit their requests for an extension due to cumulative short-term absences by 30th June 2023. To qualify, you need to meet the following criteria:
•         All short-term absences recorded in the PGR Personal Absence Certificate  
•         All absences must be supported by medical evidence or an ILP which supports absence from study.
•         The total of the absences should amount to a minimum of one month or more*. Students whose absences do not add to a total of one month at the time of application will have their cumulative absences rolled over to the next academic year*. 
(*) If your period of study will end before 31 May 2024, you may apply for an extension shorter than one month, but you need to make this clear in the application.

To apply, you will need to send the following information to your PGR Support Team by 30th June 2023:
•         The subject of the email should be “First Name, SURNAME, Student Number – Cumulative Absence Request”
•         Total duration of sickness recorded in the PGR Personal Absence Certificate and not already mitigated by interruption 
•         An email from your supervisor confirming that they are aware of and support your request
•         Details of funding 
•         Current completion deadline

If you have any questions, please contact your PGR Support Team who will be happy to help.

Tools to help you use metrics responsibly when assessing others

Responsible metrics is part of ensuring a fair and thriving research culture at our university. By using expert judgement and considering a variety of indicators – including qualitative – we can all ensure we are upholding our commitment to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment.

Our Guiding Principles identify what you need to consider when using metrics and other indicators when assessing the research of others.

You can find out more about responsible metrics and what we’ve been doing at the University of Exeter to implement this, by reading our blog post or discovering our other resources to aid your decision making on our responsible metrics webpage.

Did you know that we have a daily online writing group run by PGRs for PGRs?

The Exeter Shut Up and Write group runs 365 days a year, 8am-10.30pm each day. Some sessions are facilitated, and some are not.

Always keen to have new people join us – everyone is welcome!

If you would like to join Shut Up and Write, join the Teams group or email Jo Sutherst.

The below sessions are now bookable via Inkpath. Please carefully check the delivery mode of your session as some of our new sessions are in-person only.

You can access Inkpath through your web browser, and by downloading the Inkpath app.

• Perfectly imperfect writing practices for your thesis – 21/06/2023, 11:00-12:30
• Develop a Winning CV (for Academic and Non Academic roles) – 21/06/2023, 13:30-15:00
• Academic Writing for PGRs – 23/06/2023, 11:00-12:30
• Questionnaire: a very basic introduction – 27/06/2023, 14:30-16:00
• Writing journal articles – 11/07/2023, 14:00-15:00

Please note all of our events have limited spaces; if you cannot attend, kindly remove your booking.

To learn more about Inkpath and to get started with your account please watch the following introductory content:

    Continuous tutorial video
    Individual section tutorials

Video Passwords: exeterinkpath2021

You can find all of our sessions on Inkpath under 'Activities.' If you have any technical questions/difficulties using Inkpath please email the helpdesk, info@inkpath.co.uk. If you have any questions about the training programme please contact ResearcherDevelopment@exeter.ac.uk

1-2-1 careers appointments with our dedicated PGR careers coach, Kenneth Howgill, are available to book throughout the Summer term on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. 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 and can be booked via Inkpath.

Climate Walks in June and July

For all staff working on climate science, policy and environmental research, please feel free to join a Climate Walk to explore your thoughts and feelings about the climate and ecological emergency in a welcoming, open and confidential setting.

To join a Climate Walk please book your place via this form. The meeting spot is the XFI Atrium in the Business School. The next walks will take place on Thursday 22 June and Thursday 13 July, from 1pm to 2pm. Walk facilitators are trained by Climate Psychology Alliance. You are welcome to bring your lunch and a drink. For further information, please contact http://infoGSI@exeter.ac.uk.

Anglo-Thai Education Awards 2023

The Awards have been in existence for many years with the key focus on recognising and rewarding talented students.

• Open to ALL nationalities studying PhD in UK
• Up to £1,000 per award available
• Demonstrate how YOUR research could benefit Thailand
• ALL research areas considered e.g. sciences, humanities etc
• Application deadline on 21 July 2023
• Winners announced on 30 September 2023
• Presentation ceremony in London on 10 November 2023
• Full details and application form on ATS website http://anglothaisociety.org/education

Workshop on Tuesday 13th June and Symposium on Friday 30th June - Developing Careers in Women Focused Research (DCWFR) - workshops for PGRs and ECRs whose research focuses on women’s needs

The DCWFR is a network providing workshops and seminars to upskill researchers in women focused research across disciplines. To become a member of the network sign up here.

On Tuesday 13th June 3-5pm, there will be a workshop on 'How to study the menstrual cycle: collecting, preparing and analysing menstrual cycle data by Dr Katja Schmalenberger'. Register here.

On Friday 30th June there will be a hybrid symposium where you’ll have the opportunity to share research; to register your attendance complete this form.

To stay up to date follow us on Twitter and for any questions email dcwfr.network@gmail.com.

This is a Researcher-led initiative funded by the University of Exeter Researcher Development team.

Conference on Wednesday 14th June- The Use and Misuse of History and Literature

The purpose of this conference, which takes place 9.30am-2.30pm in Forum Exploration Lab, is to discuss modern engagements with ancient material that may be considered potentially difficult or problematic from a twenty-first-century perspective, building on the view that our research should consider the many ways the source material we deal with has been received. 

The programme consists of the following topics: the misappropriation of the Greco-Persian wars; Athanasius and the distortion of historical reality; the manipulation of Byzantine history by far-right and nationalistic groups; modern-day receptions of the Roman poet Ovid; conservative and Marxist intellectuals' reception of a particular heterodox group from the early Middle Ages; the misuse of DNA analysis.

Food and refreshments will be provided. To attend, either in person or via Zoom, please contact Charlotte Spence or Freddie Kimpton.

Deadline Monday 19th June- Survey on PGR Representation at the University

This survey does not come from the Exeter Students Guild or any of its employees or elected officers.

The organisers of this survey are PGRs who want all our peers to have a voice within the University and for PGR representation to be PGR-led. We are not collecting names and will remove any potentially identifying information from open responses before sharing. We will present these results to the Guild and the University. Please help us help you! Fill out the survey here.

Deadline: Monday 19th June

Event on Thursday 22nd June- Hybrid Writing Retreat at St Luke's

As part of EduExe Jo Sutherst will be running a 3-hour hybrid writing retreat taking place Thursday 22nd June, 10am-1pm at 1.22/South Cloisters at St. Luke’s Campus, and online. You can attend in person or online- the choice is yours. This is open to all staff and students.

Sign up via EventBrite.
 

If you miss the sign up deadline you can attend online via this link.

Exhibition on Thursday 29th June- Researcher's Wellbeing Thru Art (RWTA'23) Exhibition

This exhibition, which takes place on Thursday 29th June, 6-8pm at Positive Light Projects, is the culmination of The Researcher's Wellbeing Thru Art project, funded by Researcher Led Initiative, Doctoral College at the University of Exeter.

Over the months of May and June 2023, the RWTA'23 organised four workshops teaching participants print art, fabric art, clay and ceramics as well as charcoal and acrylic. This allowed doctoral students to step away from their laptops and desks for two hours every week to indulge their creative sides. They were also given Studio space to work on their final reflective artwork that uses art to understand their research from a new perspective. Over the two months, participants from diverse specialisations, ages and nationalities bonded over spilled paint, coffee and conversations that gave them a reason to return to their creative practices and a small community of like-minded researchers to reach out to.

Register for the event here.

Weekly Floorball (indoor hockey) Group at University of Exeter

We are a mixed group of academics, staff and PGR students looking for new members to join our floorball (indoor hockey) group. We play casually every Thursday 12 - 1 pm at the Streatham Sports Hall and are open to all. No prior experience is required, and all equipment is provided. If you would like to join or know more, please contact Ashley Bell.

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.

Wellbeing Centre
If you would like to speak to our PGR Support Advisor 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.

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 and 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: doctoral.college@exeter.ac.uk.

To view previous versions of the newsletter, you can do so here.