PGR Conference 2026: A PhD is much more than just a doctorate

Workshop | led by Matt Baillie Smith, Dean of Research Culture 

This participatory workshop will explore the challenges and opportunities of doing ‘engaged’ research with policy makers, practitioners and communities. The session will provide opportunities to consider some of the barriers to doing engaged research and how to navigate them, share experiences of what has worked, and reflect on what sometimes doesn’t work. It will also explore strategies for developing engaged research at different points in your PhD and career. The session format will be a mix of information sharing, open discussion and group activities.

Workshop | Led by Andy Connelly

You should be writing but instead you are checking your emails, making ANOTHER cup of tea, or just staring at a blank page. We’ve all been there but there is another way. In this interactive session we help you find techniques to avoid procrastination and get writing.

Through small group discussions and practical activities, participants will explore what prevents them from getting started, gain practical advice, and get to share strategies with others who are experiencing similar challenges.

The session aims to:

• Provide practical, evidence-based techniques for overcoming writing blocks
• Create a supportive space for sharing experiences and solutions with fellow PGRs
• Equip participants with actionable strategies they can apply immediately

Come along for a toolkit of approaches to tackle the often-daunting task of starting to write, recognising that while writing is inherently challenging, getting started needn't be.

*This session is part of Writing for Research from Research and Innovation Services (RIS) and the University Library.

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 Hala Othman, Ellen Cole and Emily Howes

Research integrity can take different forms, and knowing what this looks like in practice is important to every stage of the research project. This interactive workshop will walk you through the full research lifecycle, from planning your research, data collection, writing up, and dissemination and flag ethical and integral practices along the way. You’ll work in small groups to explore real challenges and discuss what good practice looks like. Along the way, you’ll build your own personalised research integrity timeline which is a practical resource for you to keep and refer to throughout your own research journey.

Workshop | Led by Lucy Moorcroft, Emma Watson, Paul Beal, and Jenny Hasenfuss

This interactive workshop will explore how doctoral researchers can translate their PhD research beyond academia. Through activities, delegates will learn how to articulate the potential real-world and societal value of their work, identify and engage relevant stakeholders and tailor messages for industry, policy, media and community audiences. Delegates will leave with ideas on how to develop a practical engagement plan and some tools to help them tools position their research for meaningful societal, economic, or policy influence.

Aims and objectives:

Participants will have improved understanding of the societal relevance of their PhD research, be able to communicate their work to non-experts better and have tools for taking their first steps towards creating impact.

Workshop | Led Chris Jackson and Amy McCerery

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly adopted across education, government, industry, and wider society, it is important for all PGR students to engage with AI critically to examine opportunities, alongside ethical and social implications. This session will do this through the lens of Responsible AI (RAI): a developing agenda around how AI might be harnessed to benefit people, communities and society. First, we will introduce the principles of RAI and then working in small groups we will apply this to specific domain areas relevant to the PGRs in attendance. At the end we will then identify practical tips on AI usage and base these around the discussions at the start of the session. These may include prompts, tools, and different systems. Attendees should leave with a clear sense of what RAI is and have started to think through how it is relevant to their own research.

Main objectives:

• To show how we can apply RAI principles to PhD research.
• Provide people with an understanding of responsible AI usage.