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Doctoral College Newsletter - 16 September 2024
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New staff profiles launch tomorrow (Tuesday 17 September)
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The new university profiles system launches tomorrow (Tuesday 17 September). Postgraduate Researchers are encouraged to create a profile in the new system: all the information on setting up your profile and helpful FAQs can be found here.
The new system will modernise the presentation of profiles on our university websites, improving online visibility. For PGRs, the new profiles system also offers the benefit of enabling internal networking, by making it easier to find and connect with people.
Please be patient as the updates go ahead. If you have any concerns or queries about your profile, please email the profiles team directly at profiles@exeter.ac.uk.
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Welcome to Doctoral College Induction Portal!
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Our Doctoral College Induction Portal contains all the key information you need to know in your first few weeks in one easy place. Whether you are just beginning your course, or looking to refresh your knowledge, please check out this handy SharePoint resource that covers topics such as PGR Support, wellbeing, student voice, researcher development and peer mentoring, plus many more!
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The Strategic Researcher- Wednesday 18 September
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Last chance to book your space for Hugh Kearns' ‘The Strategic Researcher’ workshop, Wednesday 18 September at 13.00-15.00, which is open to PGRs, postdocs and research staff.
Are you wanting to get a grant, but not sure how to approach it strategically? Or despite getting the grant and getting the research done, do you find it hard to achieve the publication outputs? And if you do publish, how strategic are you about it - do you just do the next paper on the list or do you think about which one will help with your next grant or be read by more people or have greatest impact?
Hugh Kearns is an internationally recognised public speaker, educator and researcher so book now as there are limited spaces.
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Starting your postgraduate studies can be daunting and exciting. The PGR-PGR Peer Mentoring scheme aims to help with this transition by putting students in their 2nd-final year of PGR study (Mentors) in touch with PGRs starting their first year of study (Mentees). Mentors are an informal, friendly guide on navigating the move to postgraduate study – having navigated it themselves!
Once in contact, it is up to you both how and when you meet. We hope it helps both Mentors and Mentees make connections with other students and create supportive learning communities.
Are you a PGR starting your 1st year of study? Sign up to be mentored, or find us at your induction sessions this week, where you can find out more about the schemes. For any queries, either about mentoring or being mentored, contact Benny (Streatham and St Luke’s), Tasha (Penryn) or Emma.
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Statement on the use of Generative AI
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Join the Penryn Campus Sea Shanty Choir!
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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: Starting Wednesday 2 October, then 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.
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HASS PGR Gender and Sexuality Research Network 2024-25
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Welcome to the HASS PGR Gender and Sexuality Research Network 2024-25!
Our interdisciplinary PGR Network within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, is the first of its kind at the university and brings together PhD students – and their research topics and interests – from across the Faculty.
Our events have been both in-person and hybrid, to be as accessible as possible, and have included:
•informal coffee mornings and social events
•writing retreats
•work-in-progress events
•film screenings for LGBTQ+ History Month
•monthly ‘reverse seminars’, sharing what you’ve read, watched, and consumed based on a specific topic or theme for that month – chosen by you!
We’d love to hear ideas from you, too. Sign up to join our group here, and join our Viva Engage page for this academic year here.
We look forward to seeing you at our next event!
Charlie Berry, (he/they), Education
Chloë Edwards (she/her), Art History & Visual Culture
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2024 Generation Delta Annual Survey
The 2024 Generation Delta Annual Survey is now live and open to all postgraduate research (PGR) students across England - regardless of gender, ethnicity, age or any other protected characteristics— to learn about their individual experiences and perceptions on gender and racial equality, wellbeing, supervisory and mentoring practices in their respective institutions.
Any questions about the annual survey, please contact Generation Delta’s project manager, Anna Horn. You can also visit our website to find out more information about the project.
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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.
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1-2-1 career appointments available
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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.
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Wellbeing Support and Sessions
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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 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.
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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.
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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.
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Power Walk and Talk Group
Join a lunchtime group for a power walk- meet outside Washington Singer Labs, Streatham Campus.
When: 12.30 every Thursday
What: Brisk 20 mins power walk around the university grounds
Who: Open to all – students, staff and even their dogs!
Why: Get active, socialise, enjoy fresh air and natural beauty, improve PM productivity
This concept was selected by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Group to receive funding assistance from the Wellness Creation fund.
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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.
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