Author Archives: Simone Apel
Reading and writing retreats: Support in academic writing for PGRs
This academic year we have chosen academic writing support as a focus for our postgraduate researchers, with a monthly online Shut Up & Write! and a series of academic writing related webinars and workshops.
Writing your Thesis so Your Examiner Can Read It ran yesterday, facilitated by the experienced Dr Katy Mahoney.
Next week, on 16th January, Emma Kimberley and Samantha King from LLS will be facilitating the Graduate School’s first Reading Retreat. And on Tuesday January 16th February we are running a full day’s guided Writing Retreat on campus, facilitated by Dr Alison Hardy from Nottingham Trent University.
Our series of online Shut Up & Write! for 2024 starts on 30th January, with an optional social session afterwards to chat with fellow PGRs after a morning of writing. Other dates for SU&W! are 28th Feb, 16th April and 7th June, all with taught input sessions on a different theme. For details and to book see the Gateway Calendar.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year…
…from everyone in the Graduate School. We look forward to helping and supporting our research degree students and supervisors in 2024.
A warm welcome to our new postgraduate researchers starting in October 2023
A four day induction from 30th October to 2nd November saw us welcome a further 31 postgraduate researchers to the University of Northampton.
The 4-day biannual Induction Programme is run by The Graduate School in October and March and is compulsory for all PGRs starting out on their PhD or MPhil. The Induction aims to launch them into their studies by offering them a variety of workshops and talks, including research degree processes and procedures, skills development, open access, library resources, EDI and research integrity. Our new researchers also gave presentations on their research topic, had an induction into their Faculty, met members of staff at the University who will support them along the way and created a WhatsApp cohort to keep them in touch with each through their studies.
Read the rest of this entryTransferable skills development for PGRs in 2023-24
The Graduate School’s transferable skills development programme for 2023-24 is currently under construction in the Gateway Calendar. It is being populated in the next month with new, and repeated, workshops and webinars. Please keep checking back, it’s a work in progress as we confirm dates with facilitators!
Every fortnight we will be sending out the Graduate School Newsletter to PGR and Supervisor UON email addresses (northampton.ac.uk) and a newsletter is due today and every fortnight from now on. In the newsletter you will find a summary of upcoming webinars and workshops, news, transfer seminars, support, services and events to go to, plus Graduate School notices. Please do take a few minutes to read it to keep yourself up to date. If you are a PGR, please do consider taking time to engage with workshops and events at UON – the skills you will learn will be useful for your doctorate and may also be transferable skills for your future career. Meeting and talking to other PGRs, either online or face to face, can also be very helpful for overcoming feelings of isolation. If you are a PGR student and would like to talk to someone about the upcoming academic year please get in touch graduateschool@northampton.ac.uk. The Graduate School are here to support as well as provide development, monitoring and procedure.
Read the rest of this entryUniversity of Northampton Annual Research Conference June 27 & 28 2023 – Call for Papers extended to 2nd June at midnight!
The Call for Papers for UON’s Annual Research Conference now closes on 2nd June at midnight. Whether you are a PGR student, an early career or more experienced researcher you can come along and present your research at the conference. The Conference provides an ideal opportunity to emphasise the contribution that our Research can offer to understand and tackle pressing challenges.
You can participate online on Tuesday 27th June and/or on-campus on Wednesday 28th June 2023. There is a variety of exciting ways to present your research.
- Oral presentation (online on Tuesday 27th June, on campus on Wednesday 28th June). Oral presentations should be 20 minutes long, with time allocated for questions after each presentation. Presentations will be placed in themed sessions once all entries are received.
- Symposium (online on Tuesday 27th June, on campus on Wednesday 28th June). This will be an hour-long session for a themed discussion on the topic of your choice. Each symposium will have one hour for their presentations. The sessions are yours to run as you wish and as Chair(s), you are responsible to oversee all proceedings. Proposals are welcome from Research Centres and Institutes, but also from informal groups of researchers who share a topic.
- Poster/infographic display (poster and infographic to be displayed online and on Campus on campus on Wednesday 28th June).
If you wish to submit in one, or all, of these formats, please complete a separate form for each entry. You will be asked to provide an abstract of 50-150 words for oral presentations. poster and infographic, and 150-300 words for a symposium. The closing date for entry forms is midnight on 2nd June 2023.
Images of Research 2023: voting now open!
The Graduate School’s 2023 Images of Research (IoR) is now open for public voting. This year we have a collection of 20 fabulous research images from across the university. IoR showcases research in a unique way – researchers produce an original image, which can be a photograph or artwork, and write a short, engaging summary describing how the image links to their research. This results in an exciting exhibition, showcasing UONs research diversity.
To vote for your two favourites, just view the Images of Research Brochure, below, choose your favourite two and enter them in the Poll below. Please vote for your favourite two in no particular order, taking into account BOTH the image and the abstract. As a guide, a winning image would be one that:
* Is visually appealing AND
* Has an accompanying abstract which is well written, clearly connects with the image and ensures viewers, who know nothing about the research topic, will understand and find interest in the research presented.
Read the rest of this entry
3-Minute Thesis – call for applications extended to Thursday 25th May!
The call for applications from PGRs has been extended to midnight 25th May. If you have reached the Transfer stage (or past Transfer) you will be eligible to apply to take part in this exciting and rewarding presentation event, which will be held at the Graduate School’s Update Day in the Town Hall, Waterside on June 9th at lunchtime. The winner will be awarded a £75 Amazon voucher.
To take part, you will be required to outline your thesis in a three-minute presentation and one slide, written for a general audience in plain English! In order to apply you must be a PGR at Northampton going through Transfer at present or have passed the Transfer stage of your PhD. DBA and Professional Doctorate students are encouraged to take part too but you must be in the research phase of your doctorate. Here is the entry form.
The winner of our 3MT will have the opportunity to represent UON and present at the East Midlands Doctoral Network (EMDoc) 3MT Competition later in September, which will be held online. And this year we are hosting it at Northampton!
Skills development “Preparing for 3MT” will be held online on 30th May. Go to Gateway to book your place.
Read the rest of this entryStudent Union Elections are open for nominations
Postgraduate Researchers are encouraged to take part in the nominations for the SU Executive Team – for all roles, including a part time Postgraduate Research Students’ Officer. You can read more about it at the link above.
The Officers have regular meetings with decision-makers at all levels of the University and the Students’ Union, including the Vice Chancellor, and sit on some of the most important committees that have a direct impact on your experience as a student.
As well as this opportunity, the Graduate School are also looking for Representatives to sit on some of our Research Degree and Ethics boards. If you are interested in doing this please contact Matthew McCormack.
The nominations are open! Key Dates around Elections
Nominations Open Monday 13th February 2023 at 9am
Nominations Close Sunday 26th February 2023 at 5pm
Voting Opens Monday 13th March at 9am
Voting Closes Wednesday 15th March 2023 at 2pm
Call for Posters from PGRs! Enter the Postgraduate Researcher Poster Competition 2023
The Graduate School has launched the call for entries for the 16th Annual PGR Poster Competition, which will be held on campus on Thursday May 25th. Our Poster Competition is open to all doctoral students at UON and is an excellent development opportunity for presenting research, for improving communication and for networking with other doctoral researchers. The Entry Form is here, deadline for entering is April 27th. You have until May 25th to produce and print your A1 landscape poster. There will be Amazon voucher prizes to win – £100 for the winner and 2x £75 for the runners up!
The aim of the event is for PGRs to create a research poster that explains complex research to a mixed audience of non-subject specialists. Your paper poster will be displayed on traditional poster boards in an exhibition in the Owl’s Nest, Learning Hub at Waterside Campus, with an in-person judging session. Entrants must be available from 10am on the day until 2pm.
At whatever stage in the research process you are, do take this opportunity to share your work with others and gain valuable feedback. For further information on the rules of entry, please see the Guidelines.
Read the rest of this entryPractising your presentation skills in a supportive environment
Delivering good research presentations to others is a skill which requires practice and an absolutely essential research skill for PGRs. With this in mind the Graduate School are offering Presentation Cafés every month as an opportunity for PGRs to present their research and/or be in the audience to listen and ask questions. The online Cafes are a great opportunity for PGRs to gain confidence and feedback on their presentation without being judged, in a friendly and supportive environment. Whether you are rehearsing for a Transfer seminar, a presentation for a conference or simply wish to talk about your research to others, the Presentation Cafes are there for you to develop those skills.
To sign up to present your research at an online Café, please fill in this form. Presentations should be 10-15 minutes long with time for questions after. Cafes are planned for 15th Feb 4pm; 13th March 12 noon; 20th April 10am; 16th May 3pm; 12th June 1pm.
To be in the audience (no presenting required!) just click on the green Respond button on the Café workshop pages on Gateway calendar. Please note, do think about signing up to make a presentation at some point – we will have to cancel sessions if we don’t have any presenters! If you are interested in presenting at an in-person Cafe on campus please contact Simone or Lina from the Graduate School.
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