Tagged / PGR research

3MT Competition – Applications open

PG research

The Doctoral College is excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications open 15 January 2025
  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

 

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – Applications Open

PG research

The Doctoral College is delighted to offer a second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG). This grant is intended to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives.

This grant can be used to fund a social event, training activity, analysis workshop, digital skills session, writing session or other activity to enhance the PGR journey experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the grant is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing such activities.

Several events supported by the first round of funding took place in December 2024, including ‘Building Your Research Toward High-Quality Manuscripts’ forum, organised by Shadeepa Karunarathne and Aashish John from the Faculty of Science and Technology.

We are pleased to share Shadeepa’s experience and thoughts following on from the successful running of his RCCG funded event:

As I near the final stages of my PhD journey at Bournemouth University, I felt inspired to give back to the community that has supported me over the years. Recognizing the challenges many postgraduate researchers (PGRs) face in producing high-quality manuscripts, I initiated a forum titled “Building Your Research Toward High-Quality Manuscripts – Guidance from the Highest Ranked BU Scientists.” This event aimed to bridge the gaps in collaboration and offer practical guidance to help PGRs elevate their research output.

The forum brought together some of BU’s top-performing academics to share insights on critical aspects of academic publishing, including structuring manuscripts, conducting effective literature reviews, addressing facility limitations, and navigating the peer-review process. I am immensely grateful to Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Dr Hari Pandey, Prof. Jian Zhang, and Prof. Matthew Bennett, who generously shared their expertise as resource people, making the sessions incredibly insightful and impactful. Their guidance offered participants actionable strategies to refine their research and produce manuscripts worthy of high-ranking journals.

Organizing this forum was a first for me, and I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of Aashish John, my co-organizer, whose collaboration was instrumental. My sincere thanks also go to Enrica Conrotto and the Doctoral College for their guidance on planning and execution, as well as the PGR Community and Culture Grant for funding the initiative.

The response to the event was overwhelmingly positive, with a full house of 40 participants and glowing feedback highlighting its relevance and practicality. Many attendees emphasized how beneficial it was and expressed a desire for more such sessions in the future.

Shadeepa Karunarathne (FST)

If you would like to apply for the new round of funding, full details can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace, including the application form.

  • Applications opened Monday 13 January 2025
  • Applications close Monday 24 February 2025

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application please contact:

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

The Doctoral College

Research Connect Seminar Recap: December Highlights

PG research

In this month’s Research Connect seminar, organized by the Department of Marketing, Strategy, and Innovation in the Business School, we had the pleasure of hearing two captivating research presentations. Dr. Dayle Child explored the topic “Too Much of a Good Thing? The Double-Edged Sword of Meaningful Work,” highlighting the benefits and challenges of meaningful work among sales employees. Meanwhile, Shuyu Wan, preparing for her major review, shared her PhD progress on how brand attributes and consumer ethnocentrism/xenocentrism shape Chinese skincare purchase decisions. 

The seminar was well-attended by colleagues and PGR’s and inspired engaging discussions on both topics. This was our final session for 2024. I’m truly grateful for the support and enthusiasm shown by colleagues in presenting, attending, and contributing to this seminar series. Their active participation has been instrumental in enriching our research culture across departments within the Business School. 

Our Research Connect seminars will resume in 2025, with the first session scheduled for January 22nd, 4–5 PM in F306 with an opportunity to continue our research discussion in Dylan’s afterwards. If you have any questions or would like to participate in the 2025 seminar series, feel free to reach out to me at sashraf@bournemouth.ac.uk.  

Wishing you a wonderful festive break and a happy New Year! See you in 2025. 

Decoding Research Conferences: Unveiling the ROI

conferences, international, Knowledge Exchange

Hello, fellow PhD researchers! 🌟

Picture this: You, a PhD student, presenting your research at your first academic conference. It’s an exhilarating experience! I just returned from the three-day Complex Networks 2024 conference in Istanbul, Turkey, where I had a chance to present poster on our published paper on spread of congestion on urban road networks. Here, I’d like to share why attending academic conferences is a valuable experience.

Building Connections

Conferences are vibrant hubs buzzing with experts in your field. They provide the perfect opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and establish relationships that could shape your career. I had the privilege of meeting researchers from leading institutes, departments, and labs focusing on Complex Networks, including the Complexity Science Hub (CSH), Vienna, and the Centre for Complexity and Complex Networks, City University of Hong Kong.

Exploring New Ideas

Attending conferences gives you access to the latest research trends and cutting-edge findings, sparking fresh ideas for your own work. I participated in fascinating sessions on road network dynamics and emerging trends in Urban Systems, Mobility & Networks, and Machine Learning & Networks. These sessions offered valuable insights and broadened my research perspective.

Meeting Academic Heroes

One of the most inspiring aspects of conferences is the chance to meet the scholars who have shaped your research journey. I was thrilled to meet my academic hero, Professor Piet Van Mieghem from Delft University of Technology. His work greatly inspired my supervisor and me to do our research on congestion spread in road networks. Meeting him in person and discussing his work was truly exciting and motivating.

Personal Growth

Conferences are about more than just academics—they’re also a chance to grow personally. Traveling to Istanbul allowed me to experience Turkish culture, delicious Turkish cuisine, and enjoy the renowned hospitality.

Pro Tip

Preparation is essential! Perfect your presentation, research the speakers, and connect with participants ahead of time to maximize your conference experience.

     
Acknowledgements

My journey to this conference was made possible by the Scholarship for Events on Complex Systems (SECS) from the Young Researchers of the Complex Systems Society. 🌐✨ Special thanks to my supervisor Dr Wei Koong Chai.

With respect,
Assemgul Kozhabek

The 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference – Thank You

conferences, PG research

Thank you to all of our presenters, poster exhibitors, session chairs and of course delegates who supported the 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. It is always a highlight on the Doctoral College events calendar and we hope you all enjoyed the day.

We were thrilled with the energy and enthusiasm on the day, and we were delighted to see a strong turnout of PGRs and colleagues showing their support and helping to promote a positive research culture and community across BU.

 

Here is some of the feedback received:

“Always an uplifting and inspiring event. I highly recommend attending in any capacity – as a guest or contributor.”

“Loved the atmosphere”

“I enjoyed it all. I gained confidence in exhibiting my poster and enjoyed networking with others.”

 

If you attended, either as a presenter or delegate, we would love to hear your feedback via this anonymous feedback form.

Your feedback will help us improve future conferences so please let us know your thoughts, or just let us know what you liked most!

Feedback collection will close soon – 11 December 2024.

 

You can see some highlights of the day on LinkedIn #BUPGRConf24 and a video here.

 

Virtual Exhibition and Postgraduate Research Showcase

Did you miss the conference? Do not worry, you can visit our Virtual Exhibition on the BU website and in February you will be able to visit the Atrium Gallery to view a selection of the conference posters.

We will be holding a celebration event on Wednesday 5 February 2025, with more information to follow so watch this space!

 

The Conference Team

The Doctoral College Outstanding Contribution Award

PG research

The Doctoral College team have been delighted with the large number of nominations that have come in recently for the ‘Doctoral College Outstanding Contribution Awards’. We wish to extend our congratulations to all recipients who have received their award certificate.

Here are some of the wonderful nominations we have received:

“Elizabeth’s support is instrumental in advertising our suite of studentships, including the ESRC SW DTP. This is critical to supporting the recruitment of high quality PGRs and increasing our PGR numbers. Thank you :)”

“Thank you, Abier, for all of your support with organisation of the 2nd HSS PGR Conference. Your support for this event has had a positive impact on the sense of PGR community and connection that we have in HSS. Thank you.”

“Tash has supported the Doctoral College with the promotion of studentships for several years. Her quick response has been invaluable in the recruitment of high quality PGRs and in turn helping to grow the PGR numbers. I know Tash has moved on to a new role so wish her luck with that! Thank you.”

Why not make someone’s day and take five minutes and nominate a PGR, academic or professional staff member for a Doctoral College Outstanding Contribution Award to say thanks and give recognition for their hard work?

These awards recognise the outstanding contributions to postgraduate research degrees at BU by any PGR, academic or professional staff member. They can be nominated throughout the year by any member of the postgraduate research community to anyone that they feel is exceptional, has exceeded expectations, and has had a positive impact on the postgraduate research culture at BU.

Eligibility

You can nominate anyone involved in postgraduate research at Bournemouth University to receive an award certificate. There are no award criteria, as long as the submission falls within the guidelines, whoever you’ve selected will receive a Doctoral College Outstanding Contribution Award!

How to nominate

We’ve made it really easy for you to nominate someone for a Doctoral College Outstanding Contribution Award – it’s just a short online nomination form!

 

The 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference is approaching!

conferences, PG research

Last chance to register for the 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference 2024. We are so excited to welcome you on Wednesday 27 November!

This conference is a celebration of the incredible work being carried out by our postgraduate researchers, and we are proud to provide this platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration and building connections. Whether you are presenting, exhibiting, or attending, this is a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow PGRs, colleagues from across the university and external visitors.

Registrations close at 10:00 Tuesday 26 November, so don’t miss your chance to book! Lunch will be provided.

This conference is open to external participants, please share this invite with companies and organisations you are cooperating with.

Register to attend

Poster and oral presenters do not need to register as their participation has already been confirmed. 

Click here to view the conference brochure

We look forward to meeting you on Wednesday 27 November. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate research and collaboration!

Best wishes,
The PGR Conference Team

Enrica Conrotto – Doctoral College Programme Manager
Arabella Moyse – Doctoral College Marketing & Events Coordinator
Zoe Leonard – Postgraduate Research Administrator

One week to go! | The 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference

PG research

One week to go till the 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference 2024!

The conference commences with our poster exhibition followed by a Welcome from Professor Alison Honour, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer. We look forward to hearing the Keynote ‘Research integrity in the age of AI’ from Professor Mary Davis, introduced by Professor Sarah Bate, Interim Associate Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange.

Click here to view the conference brochure

The programme of the day will be as follows:

This conference is a celebration of the incredible work being carried out by our postgraduate researchers, and we are proud to provide this platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration and building connections. Whether you are presenting, exhibiting, or attending, this is a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow PGRs, colleagues from across the university and external visitors.

Poster and oral presenters do not need to register as their participation has already been confirmed. 

This conference is open to external participants, please share this invite with companies and organisations you are cooperating with.

Register to attend

We look forward to meeting you on Wednesday 27 November. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate research and collaboration!

Best wishes,
The PGR Conference Team

Enrica Conrotto – Doctoral College Programme Manager
Arabella Moyse – Doctoral College Marketing & Events Coordinator
Zoe Leonard – Postgraduate Research Administrator

 

Register to attend | The 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference

The 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference 2024 will take place on Wednesday 27 November, and registrations are open!

We are excited to share with you that the full conference brochure is now available.

The programme of the day will be as follows:
09:00 – 10:00 Poster Exhibition| FG06 & FG07
10:00 Opening Remarks | Dr Fiona Knight & Dr Julia Taylor, Heads of the Doctoral College | Share LT
10:05 – 10:15 Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor | Professor Alison Honour | Share LT
10:15 – 11:15 Session 1 Oral Presentations | Share LT
11:15 – 11:30 Comfort break
11:30 – 12:30 Session 2 Oral Presentations | Share LT
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break & Poster Viewings | FG06 & FG07
13:30 – 13:35 Welcome from the Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange | Professor Sarah Bate | Share LT
13:35 – 14:15 Keynote speaker | Professor Mary Davis (Oxford Brookes University) | Research integrity in the age of AI | Share LT
14:15 – 15:15 Session 3 Oral Presentations | Share LT
15:15 – 15:25 Comfort break
15:25 – 16:25 Session 4 Oral Presentations | Share LT
16:30 Closing Remarks

Conference brochure

This conference is a celebration of the incredible work being carried out by our postgraduate researchers, and we are proud to provide this platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration and building connections. Whether you are presenting, exhibiting, or attending, this is a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow PGRs, colleagues from across the university and external visitors.

Poster and oral presenters do not need to register as their participation has already been confirmed.
This conference is open to external participants, please share this invite with companies and organisations you are cooperating with.

Register to attend

We look forward to meeting you on Wednesday 27 November. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate research and collaboration!

Best wishes,
The PGR Conference Team

Enrica Conrotto – Doctoral College Programme Manager
Arabella Moyse – Doctoral College Marketing & Events Coordinator
Zoe Leonard – Postgraduate Research Administrator

 

New midwifery publication

NHS, PG research, Publishing, writing

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Joanne Rack on the publication today of her paper ‘Understanding perceptions and communication of risk in advanced maternal age: a scoping review (protocol) on women’s engagement with health care services’  [1].   Joanne is currently doing a Clinical Doctorate in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) focusing on personalised care for women of advanced maternal age.  Her doctoral study is matched-funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust and Bournemouth University [BU].  Her PhD is supervised and supported by Profs. Vanora Hundley, Ann Luce and Edwin van Teijlingen at BU and Dr. Latha Vinayakarao in Poole Maternity Hospital.

Well done!

 

Reference:

  1. Rack, J., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E., Luce, A., Vinayakarao. L. (2024) Understanding perceptions and communication of risk in advanced maternal age: a scoping review (protocol) on women’s engagement with health care services, MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, 34(3): 201-204.

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – 1 WEEK TO GO

PG research

1 WEEK TO GO until to The Doctoral College Postgraduate Research Summer Social! Hosted at the delightful Branksome Dene Room, situated in a stunning location that overlooks the beach with amazing views of the sea to Old Harry Rocks.

We’ve booked this unique location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and catch up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a huge success so we hope you can make it.

We are pleased to offer a BBQ style lunch menu including sausages and burgers (vegetarian/vegan options available), a salad bar, teas, coffees and mocktails! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Don’t miss out, book your ticket now!

Ticket: £5

If you have any questions, please do get in touch:

Arabella Moyse [Doctoral College Marketing & Events Coordinator] –

DoctoralCollege@bournemouth.ac.uk

Twitter: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

🌟Exciting News in Complex Networks Research🌟

conferences, international, Women's Academic Network

I am thrilled to share that I have been honoured to receive the Scholarship for Events on Complex Systems (SECS) from the Young Researchers of the Complex Systems Society (yrCSS). This prestigious award will allow me to attend the upcoming Complex Networks 2024 conference in Istanbul, Turkey from December 10-12, 2024.

          

My PhD research focuses on “Complex Urban Road Networks: Static Structures and Dynamic Processes”, exploring the intricate dynamics of urban transportation systems. This field has always sparked my curiosity, and I am eager to delve deeper into this complex interplay of structures and dynamics.

In addition to this incredible opportunity, I am also a finalist in the multi-modal category of the TRA Vision Young Researchers 2024 Competition with my research project “Transport Capacity Planning for Mega-events”. It is truly humbling to be recognised for my work in this competitive arena.

I am grateful for the guidance and support of my PhD supervisor, Dr. Wei Koong Chai, whose expertise and mentorship have been invaluable throughout my research journey. I am excited about the upcoming conference, where I hope to further contribute to the field of complex networks research. Thank you for joining me on this incredible academic adventure!

Best wishes,

Assemgul Kozhabek

🌐🔬 #ComplexSystems #ComplexNetworks

See yrCSS: https://yrcss.cssociety.org/

Complex Networks 2024 conference: https://complexnetworks.org/

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2024 – Closing today

PG research

Still time to have your say

Final call for PGRs to complete this year’s Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) which closes today!

Don’t miss the chance to tell us about your experience at Bournemouth University by taking part in the Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey which closes on Thursday 16 May 2024 at 23:59. We are keen to make sure our PGRs have the best possible experience while studying at Bournemouth University. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what as a university we could do better.

So far 44% of PGRs at BU have taken part in the survey. A huge THANK YOU to those who have submitted feedback, we are really grateful for your responses!

If you have not completed the survey, please complete this by accessing the unique link that has been emailed to you from the Doctoral College. This has been sent to both your student and staff email.  

Once you have completed the survey:

  • Prize draw – upon completing the survey, you will automatically be entered into a free prize draw. Four winners will be able to claim a £50 shopping voucher. Terms and conditions apply.
  • BU Chartwells voucher – you are entitled to claim a voucher worth £3.20 to use at any BU Chartwells outlet. Please come to the Doctoral College (DLG08, Talbot Campus) to collect your voucher. If you are unable to find your screenshot showing you have completed the survey, do to worry, just come to the office and we will get your voucher to you.

In addition, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

The survey is anonymous and will only take around 15 minutes.

Please take part this year and share your experience of being a student with us. If you have any difficulties or questions about the survey, please email PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

1 WEEK REMAINING- Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2024

PG research

1 week to go till the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey closes! 

We need to know what you think works well and what as a university we could do better.

So far 32% of PGRs at BU have taken part in the survey. A huge THANK YOU to those who have submitted feedback.

If you have not completed the survey, please complete this by accessing the unique link that has been emailed to you from the Doctoral College. This has been sent to both your student and staff email.  

Once you have completed the survey:

  • Prize draw – upon completing the survey, you will automatically be entered into a free prize draw. Four winners will be able to claim a £50 shopping voucher. Terms and conditions apply.
  • BU Chartwells voucher – you are entitled to claim a voucher worth £3.20 to use at any BU Chartwells outlet. Please come to the Doctoral College (DLG08, Talbot Campus) to collect your voucher. If you are unable to find your screenshot showing you have completed the survey, do to worry, just come to the office and we will get your voucher to you.

In addition, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

The survey closes on Thursday 16 May. It is anonymous and will only take around 15 minutes.

While the survey is open, we send out multiple emails containing your unique link to submit your feedback. Since the survey is anonymous, we will not know who has completed it and who has not. For this reason, these emails automatically go out to everyone, regardless of whether you have completed the survey or not. If you have completed the survey, please disregard future emails you receive for this year’s PRES.

Please take part this year and share your experience of being a student with us. If you have any difficulties or questions about the survey, please email PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Upcoming 3C Event – PGR Culture, Community & Cake

PG research

Don’t miss out on your chance to book onto our upcoming 3C event! Join us Tuesday 14 May 10:00-11:00 in room K101, Kimmeridge House.

All PGRs and Supervisors are warmly invited to participate and contribute to this enriching and delicious gathering. This social event is a catch-up opportunity to meet informally with the PGR community and make new connections whilst enjoying some coffee and cake.

Places are limited so book as soon as possible.

Let’s foster collaboration, support and networking!

Book now

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2024 – 2 WEEKS LEFT

PG research

The Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) has launched

Have your say – 2 weeks till the deadline!

Thank you to everyone who has completed the survey so far. If you have not already completed it, we would really appreciate if you could find a few minutes to respond and tell us about your experience this year.

We are keen to make sure our PGRs have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what as a university we could do better. This is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at Bournemouth University. We also kindly ask that all supervisors encourage their PGRs to participate in the survey.

Thank you to all PGRs who completed the 2023 PRES survey – we listened to you and your feedback has helped us to enhance your PGR experience in a range of areas.

The survey will close on Thursday 16 May 2024. Upon completing the survey, PGRs will automatically entered into a free prize draw. Four winners will be able to claim a £50 shopping voucher. Terms and conditions apply.

In addition, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

Once you have completed the survey, you are entitled to claim a voucher worth £3.20, from the Doctoral College to use at any BU Chartwells outlet. Please come to the Doctoral College (DLG08, Talbot Campus) to collect your voucher. You will need to show a screen shot of the final page of the survey in order to claim your voucher.

How do I take part?

PGRs should have received an email from the Doctoral College on Monday 15 April 2024 containing a unique link which will allow you to access and complete the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

What will I be asked?

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential, and any reporting will be entirely anonymous. The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at BU. It will ask you to share your views on supervision, resources, research community, progress and assessment, skills and professional development and wellbeing.

Why should I take part?

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

More information

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2024.

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

For any PRES related queries, please email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk