Blog post written by: Dr Heidi Kharbhih

For a month the PGRs have been meeting on Teams once a week to connect and share stories. There are a few regulars who enjoy coming each week and others pop in and out depending on their priorities. It’s a beautiful collection of souls, brought together by their desire to progress research. All different fields, from all over the globe, coming together at Northampton. Each at various stages in their PhD journeys and yet all facing similar challenges and each one benefiting from the support network. 

In the sessions we have shared our fears, our self-doubts. Those at the start of their journeys feeling the imposter syndrome and the daunting task ahead, peering into the vast unknown, learning the new language that comes with the research territory. There’s an abrupt realisation that we don’t know what we don’t know but we are humbly aware we have a lot more to learn. Those at the end of the journey experiencing a kind of grief that their quest is over, they have achieved the goal they have been striving to achieve for years and now what.  An empty space, a dreamless void waiting to be filled. The end of one identity becomes a happy fool, taking a leap into the uncertain future. Saying goodbye to the university support network, the supervisor steps away, the fellow researchers scatter across academia and beyond. There’s also all the researchers inbetween, struggling with ethics and transfers and honing their direction. Finding motivation to push through the hard parts. It’s all there in our PGR group. All stages welcome, each story of struggle resonates, through a shared understanding of what this journey entails. 

It’s ok to ask questions about technical aspects. Hearing about research platforms that can search multiple journals, about ethics principles for non contact research, exploring literature review methodologies and cross-border collaboration and authorship etiquette for publications.  Emotional support is perhaps even more critical. Group wisdom offered freely, a gift from the research gods much like the morale boost for the exhausted, the overworked, the single parent juggling kids, work and research. Recognition of the struggle and the brilliance illuminates the research pathway once more, just enough to continue, to succeed. 

Special because of the shared research connection and yet the same as everyone else on the planet. We’re all looking for connection, significance, love, meaning, growth, variety and safety. Tentatively asking for help at first and then realising this group is phenomenal. Generous, open-minded, full-hearted.

Come join us, your insights and perspective will be welcome. We meet on alternate Thursdays at 7pm (from 10th Sept) and Fridays at 9am (from 18th Sept). Hopefully regardless of work and family commitments one of those times will suit. You’re welcome to come just once or twice if you wish. You can join late or leave early, or even be the regular each week or once a month. You can simply listen and stay quiet with your video off or you can chip in and take the podium. Whatever works for you, will work for us. Because we’re there for each other. Forging new bonds. PGRs past, present and future are all welcome. 

Everything within the group remains confidential. Though with PGR representation on the Social Sciences Research Degree Board,  the group can also raise practical issues to the University for resolution, if desired. 

If you are a UON PGR and you’d like to receive the PGR Group Meetup calendar invites, ping Heidi an email on heidi.kharbhih@northampton.ac.uk

Looking forward to seeing you there. Love and light. Heidi