PGR exclusive Events

View this month's events

Wed 4th November

computer map data Geospatial Python
9:30am - 5pm
Murray Learning Centre
A one-day, in-person workshop for researchers who already know some Python. Learn how raster and vector geospatial data differ, then download, analyse and visualise satellite imagery and OpenStreetMap data.
Robot hand touching a screen Developing Research Software with AI Tools
4th November 10am - 5th November 1pm
Murray Learning Centre
Already writing code for your research and wondering how AI tools could make you more productive? Learn to set up Visual Studio Code, use an AI coding assistant to refactor existing code, and find your way around an unfamiliar codebase.
A student looking at the camera over a library book shelve while moving a book out of the shelve Literature searching: hints and tips for researchers
10am - 11:30am
Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library
Explore practical strategies for finding academic literature. Learn how to make the most of databases, search engines and discovery tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your literature searches.

Mon 9th November

Two people look at a vase illuminated by a ring light Unearthing the past: using archives and special collections
10am - noon
Cadbury Research Library, Lower Ground Floor, Muirhead Tower
Get an introduction to archives and a practical guide to special collections departments. Explore how archives and special collections can be best used for your research. Go behind the scenes at the Cadbury Research Library.

Tue 10th November

Network Technology Background Coding with AI: Opportunities and Responsibilities for Researchers
10th November 10am - 12th November 1pm
Online
A two-part, online workshop for researchers with little or no coding experience. Learn to use AI tools to write, explain and correct Python code, and how to judge AI-generated code on quality, ethics and security.
Two people taking books out from library shelves and looking at them What is Citation Justice?
noon - 1pm
Online
Explore the role of influence and power in who we cite, how bias in this area can occur and be addressed, and discover tools for finding literature that is more representative of the global majority.
Cloud storage graphic Introduction to Web Scraping
1pm - 4pm
Murray Learning Centre
A practical, in-person workshop for researchers who want to gather data from the web. Learn how a webpage is structured, use the WebScraper extension to pull data out of one, and weigh up the legal and ethical implications.
A person sits at a table Preparing for your viva
4pm - 5pm
Online
The viva is an important part of the assessment for your programme. Attend this workshop in the months approaching your viva to do some practical activities to help you prepare.

Wed 11th November

Two researchers wearing white aprons, safetly glasses and headphones whilst working in a lab Open Research tools
noon - 12:30pm
Online
Learn how small steps can help foster a more open research culture. This 30-minute online microsession introduces key concepts, support at the University of Birmingham, and practical tools including ORCID, PURE and UBIRA.
Programming data on computer monitor Introduction to Linux
1pm - 4pm
Murray Learning Centre
A gentle, hands-on introduction to the Linux command line for researchers. Learn to log in to remote systems, create and move files around, manage file permissions and edit files — the groundwork for using BlueBEAR.
A student speaks to a staff member at a stand in the Great Hall Making the most of conferences
3:30pm - 5pm
Online
This workshop introduces practical tips for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) preparing to attend a conference, helping you get the maximum value from your conference, including getting the most out of networking opportunities.

Thu 12th November

A student sits at a table with a laptop, chatting to a staff member Reviewing the literature
9am - 10:30am
Online
Understand the nature of a quality literature review and how to effectively synthesise the literature you have read in your thesis.
A student on their phone in a social space Planning for success
10am - noon
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room 1
Designed primarily for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) in the very early stages of their research programme (approximately during the first three months), this workshop covers research project management techniques.
Introduction to bAI for Postgraduate Researchers
11am - noon
Online
Join this online session to discover bAI, the University’s AI platform. We’ll provide an introduction to what bAI is, demonstrate some practical use cases for postgraduate researchers, and share guidance on using AI responsibly and effectively.
Clarivate's EndNote 2025 icon An introduction to EndNote Desktop
3pm - 3:30pm
Online
New to EndNote Desktop? Join this 30-minute online session to learn how to organise references, import records from databases, manage PDFs, remove duplicates, and cite in Microsoft Word.

Fri 13th November

The Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room Shut Up and Work for early career researchers
9:30am - 4:30pm
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room
Work on your own writing, planning or literature discovery in a quiet but supportive environment. There will be time to set targets at the beginning of the day and there will be regular planned breaks to enable you to network or take a walk.

Mon 16th November

R software logo Profiling and Optimisation in R
16th November 1pm - 18th November 4pm
Murray Learning Centre
A two-part, in-person workshop for researchers who already use R. Learn to profile your code to find the real bottlenecks, benchmark alternatives, and apply optimisation techniques that speed things up without changing the result.

Tue 17th November

Interior of server room Introduction to BlueBEAR
10am - 1pm
Murray Learning Centre
A half-day, in-person workshop for researchers who want to run jobs on BlueBEAR. Get an overview of the University HPC service, with hands-on time writing scripts, submitting and managing jobs.
A student writing in a notebook in a study space Making job applications beyond academia: CV & cover letter tips for PGRs
11am - 12:30pm
Online
Learn more about the key differences between academic and non-academic CVs / applications and how to write CVs, cover letter and 'supporting statements' for jobs in sectors other than academia in this interactive webinar.

Thu 19th November

Lecturer and students sitting around a table and discussing Literature searching for a Systematic Review
10am - 11:30am
Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library
Take a systematic approach to your literature searching. This workshop covers search strategy development, database selection, search techniques and result management for Systematic Reviews and related studies.

Mon 23rd November

NVIDIA logo NVIDIA Fundamentals of Accelerated Computing with Modern CUDA C++
23rd November 9:30am - 24th November 4:30pm
Murray Learning Centre
A two-day, in-person GPU programming workshop with NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute. Learn to write, compile and run CUDA C++ on the GPU, optimise memory transfer, and add acceleration to existing CPU code.
A microphone on a stage in an empty theater Tips for discoverability and impact
noon - 12:30pm
Online
Discover tools and resources to maximise the discoverability and impact of your research. Learn about publication and post-publication options, and ways to engage wider audiences with your work.
A student smiles sitting at a desk Increasing your productivity
3:30pm - 5pm
Online
As postgraduate researchers (PGRs), we cannot change the number of hours in a day, but we can use them as effectively as possible. This workshop encourages you to understand your own working preferences to be as productive as possible.

Tue 24th November

Students sit around circular tables chatting Starting to write for PGRs
2pm - 3:30pm
Online
An introduction to the writing process, strategies for planning and creating text, and the role of GenAI in writing for research, suitable for those at the beginning of their development as postgraduate research level academic writers.

Wed 25th November

Three students sit chatting in front of a poster display board Designing and presenting your poster at conferences
11am - 1pm
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room 1
Learn how to maximise the opportunity to communicate your research in a highly visual way using a poster. Understand the nature of a poster session, how to create visual impact, and how to use PowerPoint in this context.
Three students around a table in the library, one standing and two seating, looking inside a journal issue Tools for finding a journal for your paper
noon - 12:30pm
Online
Unsure where to publish? Discover tools and resources to identify suitable journals, compare publishing routes, evaluate journal quality, explore open access options, and recognise warning signs of problematic journals.
a line of binary code Building Better Research Software I: Reproducibility and Scalability
25th November 1pm - 26th November 4:30pm
Murray Learning Centre
A two-part, in-person workshop for researchers who write Python. Learn what open and reproducible research means for your software, and apply professional workflows for version control, environments and collaboration.

Thu 26th November

Three people looking at a PC screen Researcher visibility essentials: ORCID and Pure
10am - 11am
Online
Learn how to create an ORCID profile for yourself that is recognised in academia and grows in value as your career progresses. Link it to your University of Birmingham Research Portal webpage to increase your discoverability.

Fri 27th November

A student smiles whilst working on a laptop Writing clearly and concisely
11am - 12:30pm
Online
Sharpen up your writing to communicate your research and ideas more effectively. This will be most useful for those who have already drafted some texts.

Mon 30th November

R software logo Software Carpentry: R
30th November 1pm - 1st December 4pm
Murray Learning Centre
A two-part, in-person workshop for researchers with little or no coding experience. Learn to install R and RStudio, work with variables, vectors and data frames, then read and explore data and make plots.
Two people having a conversation Working effectively with your supervisor
2pm - 3:30pm
Online
Understand what to expect from the supervisor-PGR relationship, how to get the most from your supervisory team, and the support available to complement your supervision.

Tue 1st December

illuminated server rack Advanced BlueBEAR
10am - 1pm
Murray Learning Centre
A follow-on, in-person workshop for researchers already using BlueBEAR. Go further with Slurm and array jobs, local storage, Apptainer containers, self-installation and interactive jobs.
Three people look at a computer screen together Structuring your thesis
10am - noon
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room 1
Already have some draft texts but unsure how these might fit together in a logical thesis structure? This highly interactive workshop will cover common thesis structures and strategies for creating your own.

Wed 2nd December

Two students in white aprons look at a computer screen showing a map Introduction to AI tools for researchers
11am - noon
Online
Develop an understanding of the opportunities and risks of using AI tools in the research process, explore how AI Tools might be used to augment research processes to create efficiencies, and critically evaluate potential ethical risks.
R software logo Profiling and Optimisation in R
2nd December 1pm - 3rd December 1pm
Online
A two-part, online workshop for researchers who already use R. Learn to profile your code to find the real bottlenecks, benchmark alternatives, and apply optimisation techniques that speed things up without changing the result.
Cloud shaped hard drive with cables Web Scraping with Python
1pm - 4pm
Murray Learning Centre
A hands-on, in-person workshop for researchers who already know some Python. You will learn how to use various Python packages to retrieve the HTML of webpages and to extract specific content from both static and dynamic webpages.

Thu 3rd December

A student looking at the camera over a library book shelve while moving a book out of the shelve Literature searching: hints and tips for researchers
2pm - 3:30pm
Online
Explore practical strategies for finding academic literature. Learn how to make the most of databases, search engines and discovery tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your literature searches.

Fri 4th December

A student sits at a table with a laptop, chatting to a staff member Reviewing the literature
10am - noon
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room 1
Understand the nature of a quality literature review and how to effectively synthesise the literature you have read in your thesis.
A man wearing glasses standing in front of a whiteboard Introduction to presentation skills
1pm - 2:30pm
Online
Are you a postgraduate researcher who wants to build your confidence in delivering presentations? This workshop covers the basics of a good presentation, including structure and visual aids. Get peer feedback on an informal presentation of your own.

Mon 7th December

A student on their phone in a social space Planning for success
2pm - 3:30pm
Online
Designed primarily for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) in the very early stages of their research programme (approximately during the first three months), this workshop covers research project management techniques.

Tue 8th December

A woman holding books between bookshelves Reading and note-making
10am - 11:30am
Online
A huge quantity of reading is required for postgraduate research. This workshop helps you develop strategies to read effectively and efficiently, extracting the key information into your notes. Bring your own reading material to practise with!
Git logo Software Carpentry: Git
10am - 1pm
Murray Learning Centre
A hands-on, in-person workshop for researchers new to version control. Learn the basics of Git, create a repository, track and review changes to your code, and pick up good practice for collaborating.

Wed 9th December

Clarivate's EndNote 2025 icon An introduction to EndNote Desktop
11am - 11:30am
Online
New to EndNote Desktop? Join this 30-minute online session to learn how to organise references, import records from databases, manage PDFs, remove duplicates, and cite in Microsoft Word.
A line of binary code Building Better Research Software II: Testing, Documenting & Collaborating
9th December 1pm - 10th December 4:30pm
Murray Learning Centre
A two-part, in-person workshop for researchers who write Python. Learn to test and document your code, and pick up tools and practices that make research software reusable and easier to collaborate on.

Thu 10th December

A person sits at a table Preparing for your viva
10am - 11am
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room 1
The viva is an important part of the assessment for your programme. Attend this workshop in the months approaching your viva to do some practical activities to help you prepare.

Fri 11th December

The Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room Shut Up and Work for early career researchers
9:30am - 4:30pm
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room
Work on your own writing, planning or literature discovery in a quiet but supportive environment. There will be time to set targets at the beginning of the day and there will be regular planned breaks to enable you to network or take a walk.

Wed 13th January

A student sits at a laptop, in conversation Getting your thesis ready
10am - noon
Online
For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) approaching the final stages of preparing their thesis (4-6 months from submission), this workshop covers thesis presentation, the submission process and copyright considerations.

Fri 15th January

A person sits at a table Preparing for your viva
11am - noon
Online
The viva is an important part of the assessment for your programme. Attend this workshop in the months approaching your viva to do some practical activities to help you prepare.

Mon 22nd February

Two people look at a vase illuminated by a ring light Unearthing the past: using archives and special collections
2pm - 4pm
Cadbury Research Library, Lower Ground Floor, Muirhead Tower
Get an introduction to archives and a practical guide to special collections departments. Explore how archives and special collections can be best used for your research. Go behind the scenes at the Cadbury Research Library.

Wed 10th March

A student sits at a laptop, in conversation Getting your thesis ready
2pm - 4pm
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room
For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) approaching the final stages of preparing their thesis (4-6 months from submission), this workshop covers thesis presentation, the submission process and copyright considerations.

Mon 17th May

A student sits at a laptop, in conversation Getting your thesis ready
10am - noon
Online
For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) approaching the final stages of preparing their thesis (4-6 months from submission), this workshop covers thesis presentation, the submission process and copyright considerations.

Thu 24th June

A student sits at a laptop, in conversation Getting your thesis ready
2pm - 4pm
Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room
For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) approaching the final stages of preparing their thesis (4-6 months from submission), this workshop covers thesis presentation, the submission process and copyright considerations.

Tue 27th July

A student sits at a laptop, in conversation Getting your thesis ready
2pm - 4pm
Online
For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) approaching the final stages of preparing their thesis (4-6 months from submission), this workshop covers thesis presentation, the submission process and copyright considerations.

Wed 25th August

A student sits at a laptop, in conversation Getting your thesis ready
2pm - 4pm
Online
For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) approaching the final stages of preparing their thesis (4-6 months from submission), this workshop covers thesis presentation, the submission process and copyright considerations.
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