We value our Postgraduate Researchers
"Our postgraduate researchers are at the very heart of our research culture here at the University of Hull. Your research projects build our research capabilities, and deliver exciting new findings and real-world impacts. Our postgraduate researchers also bring diverse skill-sets and experiences to the University community. Put simply, your research makes a difference to the University of Hull.”
Dr Briony McDonagh. Director of the Doctoral College.
This programme, now in it's second year, offers a coordinated series of monthly seminars run by the Doctoral College, the faculties and individual departments and research institutes. All departments contribute to the content. The topics covered are decided by you. We take your lead from your detailed responses to this years' PRES survey and from other sources of feedback you provide, including at the seminars themselves.
At every seminar we provide opportunities for PGRs to share their research through a short talk/presentation, as informal or formal as you like. Take a look at some of the seminars listed under each faculty tab above to get an idea of the topics that PGRs talk about and also what our academics are currently researching.
If you would like to contribute or have any suggestions for a research or skills topic to be covered please email Jackie McAndrew, PGR Experience Specialist.
Each year the University takes part in national student surveys. The annual survey for postgraduate researchers is called the PRES (Postgraduate Research Experience Survey). The issues raised by those of you who took part are of great importance to us. This year 2021, you scored the University very favourably indeed in many of the categories including: Supervision, Progress and Assessment, Resources (access to physical and online), Responsibilities, Support, Research skills, Professional development, and Covid 19 pandemic response
However, you identified some areas where we need to make changes. These changes will include:
* Improving the research culture within the University by:
* Improving the non-research skills training and advice we provide by:
* Improving the overall sense of PGR community by making our PGRs feel valued and by responding to your feedback.
In response to the survey we sent you on 1st October 2020, the majority of you were in broad agreement that you liked the type of "speaker slots" we had proposed, that you preferred the seminars to last one hour, and that you would prefer them to happen monthly.
Each seminar will be a combination of a number of these types of slots. Over time each faculty may well develop its own unique approach based on student preferences as the year goes on. The proposed "slots" are as follows:
‘Talk to us’: 5 - 15 minutes, PGRs can raise group/individual issues, discussions around health and wellbeing and any other issues PGRS may have.
‘Faculty Focus’: 5 - 15 minutes, Research Update on what’s happening with research in faculty/department/subject areas.
‘PGRs Present’: 15 minutes, 3 PGRS present a poster, paper or presentation for 5 minutes – timed. Can be critiqued by an academic and who will feedback later or the next day.
‘Perspectives on …’: 15 minutes, on an aspect of research that is pertinent to the faculty disciplines.
‘Spotlight on …’: 15 minutes, on a research skill or professional development related topic.
Slots may be combined to allow for two speakers to speak for half an hour each, for example.
For the foreseeable future, the seminars will all be online.
For more information
Please visit the Faculty and Research Institute tabs at the top of this page to see what they are offering and also how you can get involved. If you have any queries regarding any of the above please contact Jackie McAndrew, PGR Experience Specialist in the Doctoral College.