Postgraduate Research exclusive events

Being a Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) is about more than producing a thesis. Discover events and activities designed especially for you as a PGR, from developing your skills and building a community, to taking the next steps in your career. You can also find events for all students and events for the whole University community.

The University Doctoral School is here to support and enhance the postgraduate research experience at Birmingham, working with Colleges and teams across the University like Careers Network, Library Services, and Registry, to guide PGRs from induction to graduation.

Postgraduate Research (PGR) programmes include: PhD, PhD with integrated study, MPhil, MMus, MRes, MA by Research, MSc by Research, MLitt, EngD, DDS, MD, Higher doctorates and Professional doctorates.

University of Birmingham Inclusion Research Conference: 23rd April 8:30am - 2pm; Great Hall, Aston Webb building; Explore inclusion/SEND research at the University, connect with other researchers at the University interested in Inclusion/SEND, and engage with external partners and individuals especially in the city and region.

Reviewing the literature: 27th April 11am - 1pm; Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room; Understand the nature of a quality literature review and how to effectively synthesise the literature you have read in your thesis.

Development Needs Analysis: 28th April 10am - noon; Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room; The Development Needs Analysis (GRS1) form is a requirement of research programmes. This highly practical workshop supports the process, including introducing you to Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework.

Design Your PhD: Making your Doctorate work for you: 28th April 1pm - 4:30pm; Seminar Room, Westmere House; How can you get what you want from your Birmingham PhD? This workshop aims to help you navigate this, and set you up for success both during and beyond your time at Birmingham: whatever ‘success’ means for you.

Getting your thesis ready: 6th May 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.

Data management plans for PGRs: 7th May 11am - noon; Online; All postgraduate researchers are required to have a Data Management Plan in place before completing their first annual review (GRS3). This workshop will help you to achieve this by covering the basics of research data management.

Building your academic profile during your PhD: Training & Development showcase: 13th May 11am - 12:30pm; Online; Discover key things that you can do during your PhD to develop your academic profile, all based around free training and development initiatives run by the University of Birmingham.

Literature searching: hints and tips for researchers: 13th May 11am - 1pm; Online; This practical introduction to effective literature searching provides guidance on search strategy planning, the use of keywords and subject headings, and tips on managing search results.

Reading and note-making: 13th May 11am - 12:30pm; 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!

Making the most of conferences: 14th May 9am - 10:30am; 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.

Preparing for your viva: 15th May 10am - 11am; 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.

Planning for success: 18th May 11am - 12:30pm; 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.

Writing academic job applications: tips tutorial: 19th May 2pm - 3:30pm; Online; Learn more about how to write effective academic job applications and understand what academic hiring panels look for at this online seminar.

EndNote Desktop Q&A session: 21st May 10am - 11am; Online; Completed the Introduction to EndNote 2025 Canvas course and still have questions? Drop-in for an online Q&A with the Research Skills team.

Increasing your productivity: 21st May 11am - 12:30pm; 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.

Writing clearly and concisely: 22nd May 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.

Introduction to presentation skills: 22nd May 1:30pm - 3pm; 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.

Preparing for academic interviews: tips and techniques: 27th May 1pm - 2:30pm; Online; Understand what to expect in a typical interview for an early-career academic job in the UK, plus how to prepare and perform effectively.

Structuring your thesis: 27th May 1pm - 2:30pm; Online; 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.

Introduction to AI tools for researchers: 2nd June 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.

Preparing postdoc funding and fellowship applications: practical tips for PGRs: 2nd June noon - 1:30pm; Online; Get practical tips on how to write a strong research funding or fellowship application, identify fellowships, and ask questions to current academics who hold various postdoctoral fellowships.

Starting to write for PGRs: 3rd June 9am - 10:30am; Online; An introduction to the writing process, your knowledge of yourself as a writer, and strategies for planning and creating text, suitable for those at the beginning of their development as postgraduate research level academic writers.

What is Citation Justice?: 4th June 10am - 11am; 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.

Reviewing the literature: 8th June 1:30pm - 3pm; Online; Understand the nature of a quality literature review and how to effectively synthesise the literature you have read in your thesis.

AI for academic writing for PGRs: 9th June 10am - 11:30am; Online; Explore effective and appropriate use of generative AI tools in the context of academic writing and the University's regulations and guidelines for the assessment of research degree theses.

PG Skills: AI in the recruitment process - a recruiter's perspective: 10th June 3pm - 4:30pm; Arts Building - Lecture Room 1; Discover how AI is impacting the recruitment landscape in the UK and top tips for you to use it with confidence.

Designing and presenting your poster at conferences: 11th June 2pm - 4pm; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; 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.

Shut Up and Work for early career researchers: 12th June 9:30am - 4:30pm; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; 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.

Preparing for your viva: 15th June 2pm - 3pm; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; The viva is an important part of the assessment for your programme as a Postgraduate Researcher. Attend this workshop in the months approaching your viva to do some practical activities to help you prepare.

UK and Ireland Health Ethics and Law Association Conference: 17th June 9:30am - 5:30pm; Law building; Birmingham Law School is delighted to host the first Conference of the new UK and Ireland Health Ethics and Law Association, with themes including End of Life, Reproduction, Consent and Capacity, Mental Health. Registration is free for PGR students.

Organising your research notes: 17th June 10am - noon; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; For Postgraduate Researchers who have begun gathering sources - develop a more structured approach to managing notes, explore different approaches to organising research notes and practical guidance on developing a clear and searchable system.

Shut Up and Work for early career researchers: 18th June 9:30am - 4:30pm; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; 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.

Literature searching: hints and tips for researchers: 19th June 10am - noon; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; This practical introduction to effective literature searching provides guidance on search strategy planning, the use of keywords and subject headings, and tips on managing search results.

Working effectively with your supervisor: 19th June 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.

Researcher visibility essentials: ORCID and Pure: 23rd June 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.

Introduction to presentation skills: 25th June 2pm - 4pm; Fourth Floor Training Room, Main Library; 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.

Shut Up and Work for early career researchers: 10th July 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.

Getting your thesis ready: 16th July 2pm - 4pm; Room 112, Muirhead Tower; 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.

Preparing for your viva: 17th July 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.

Getting your thesis ready: 10th August 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.

Preparing for your viva: 12th August 3pm - 4pm; Main Library Fourth Floor Training Room; 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.

Shut Up and Work for early career researchers: 14th August 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.

Preparing for your viva: 10th September 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.

Getting your thesis ready: 15th September 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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