About the Event
2025 marks the second University-wide PGR Conference. The PGR conference will bring together doctoral students from across all faculties in an opportunity to develop skills and attributes that are often forgotten on the PhD journey.
Professor Louise Bracken, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research, will provide an opening welcome.
There are brilliant interactive workshops that explore areas such as resilience, supervision and career development. In addition, we will host the university final of the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition and there will be an opportunity to PGRs to celebrate the rich diversity of their research with a poster session. It promises to be a great opportunity to come together, connect with new and existing friends and celebrate our PGR community.
Event Date, Location and Capacity:
Thursday 5th June, CCE1 - Business and Law School Entrance, Capacity 200.
Submission for the Poster Session:
Attendees are encouraged to bring along a poster for display. Funds are available to print posters if you do not have a poster already - if you would like to display a poster, please read the guidance and fill out this form
08.15 Registration Opens (CCE1 - Business and Law School Entrance)
09.20 -10:40 Welcome and Three Minute Thesis Final (CCE1 - 002)
10.40 - 11.00 Break (refreshments and posters)
11.00 - 12:00 Workshop 1 (choice of 6) (Breakout rooms on ground and 2nd floor)
12.00 - 13.00 Lunch and Posters
13.00 - 14.00 Workshop 2 (choice of 6) (Breakout rooms on ground and 2nd floor)
14:00 - 14:10 Break
14.10 - 15.10 Workshop 3 (choice of 6) (Breakout rooms on ground and 2nd floor)
15:10 - 15:30 Prize giving and close (CCE1 - 002)
Workshop | led by Matt Baillie Smith, Dean of Research Culture
In this workshop, we will explore what it is like when things don’t to plan, and what we can do to cope with it. Getting rejections, or not getting the results we hoped, are all a normal part of doing research. But they don’t always feel like it. So in this workshop, in the first part, we will create a safe space together to share and explore different ideas and experiences of rejection, ‘failure’ and things not working out, and how they can affect us. In the second part, we will work together to think about strategies for dealing with this, sharing examples of what has worked and why. The session will be participatory and practical and provide opportunities for everyone to shape the discussion and identify strategies to help us all navigate the ’bumps in the road’ of all research journeys.
Workshop | led by Dr Mick Hill
This workshop is designed to help postgraduate researchers (PGRs) develop productive and supportive supervisory relationships. It explores the foundations of good supervision, identifying key practices for both supervisors and supervisees. Participants will examine different supervisory styles, discuss strategies for managing academic differences, and navigate evolving relationship dynamics throughout the PhD journey. The session also provides guidance on setting expectations, maximizing supervision meetings, and troubleshooting challenges when things go wrong.
A key focus is fostering critical discussion on what makes an effective supervisor and encouraging participants to reflect on the type of supervisor they aspire to be. By equipping PGRs with insights into motivation, negotiation, and relationship management, this workshop aims to empower researchers to take an active role in shaping their supervision experience—both as students and future mentors.
Workshop | Led by Sam King
Skills evaluation (assessing interests and capabilities). Preparing for future positions by developing skills to enable you to pursue your career aspirations both in academia and other sectors
Workshop | Led by Ellen Cole
Research Culture Islands’ is a creative workshop designed to explore through metaphor how our collective ideas can cultivate a thriving research culture. Through the design and illustration of interactive maps, participants will contribute their ideas on how a healthy research culture ecosystem and environment flourishes. Expressing challenges and opportunities to research culture through the creation of a metaphorical island, the workshop offers the opportunity to analyse and evaluate the strengths and threats to the island and consider and debate through themes and locations which avenues, correlations and insights demonstrate commonalities and opportunities across the groups.
Workshop | Led by Becky Cole
How much do you know about University Library support for PGRs? What's the difference between Green and Gold, should you use APA or MLA? What is a “Boolean operator” and where is the Library Lounge???
Come and join your University Library teams for an informal quiz and information session which will test your knowledge of all things library, introduce you to a wide range of PGR support, and get you talking (and asking) about what your library can do for you. We hope that you’ll leave this session armed with new knowledge to support your research journey at Northumbria, and maybe even grab a prize along the way!
*Feedback from a University Library patron, February 2025.
Workshop | led by Andrew Grogan, Scholarly Communications Librarian, Library and Margaret Evans, Careers Advisor, Graduate Futures
Your online presence is your professional gateway, attend this session and learn how to elevate your visibility and impact. This session equips post-graduate researchers with the skills to build their academic and professional identity. We'll dive into optimising profiles on Google Scholar, ORCID, and LinkedIn, and explore content creation for engagement. Learn how to network effectively, build a positive online reputation, and open doors to future career opportunities.
Aims and objectives:
Online - Microsoft Teams
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Lecture Theatre 002
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Lecture Theatre 003
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National Army Museum
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