PGR events
Learn more about the events offered for doctoral candidates.
NTU Doctoral runs both community and development events throughout the academic year, which are open to all PGR. These events are separate from those run by your academic School and, while not mandatory, are an important part of your doctoral experience.
Doctoral community events are a chance to engage in meaningful research sharing and to meet candidates working in other fields and expand your understanding, as well as providing a much-needed social space away from your research. After all, no one understands the trials and tribulations of doctoral study like other doctoral candidates.
The PGR Calendar
The PGR Calendar includes all the training, networking, and social events available to doctoral candidates. In addition to the DETD programme and the community events organised by the NTU Doctoral, we also add events shared by others across the University that are open to PGR (eg. academic schools, NTU library, research groups).
It’s also a space for PGR to share events they are a part of that they’d like the community to be a part of.
As the PGR Calendar is for all candidates, we don’t include school or department specific events. However, if an event is open to candidates from all seven Schools then we will advertise it here.
If you are a doctoral candidate running a community or research event (such as a conference, roundtable or networking event) that you’d like to share with the rest of the community, or if you'd like to run or suggest an event, please contact Lauren Nixon, Research Community and Communications Officer.
NTU Doctoral Events
Every term we publish a schedule of community events that are added to the PGR Calendar. Any new or additional events added during a term will always be added to the calendar at least a month in advance. Attendance to all NTU Doctoral events is recorded, and will be provided as proof of engagement for PGR on Student Route Visas.
Works In Progress
Works in Progress is a research sharing event that allows candidates from across NTU to share their work in a variety of formats. Whether you want to workshop part of a thesis chapter, practice a conference paper, share your research findings or work through a particularly frustrating issue with your methodology, W.I.P is a space to share.
For both the speakers and the audience, W.I.P is a great opportunity to develop your skills as a researcher, stay up to date with the latest developments in our research community and make connections with other PGR.
Works in Progress takes place once a month during term time, and each session includes two to three candidates each allowed 20 minutes to present their work. Each speaker is allotted time for questions, and we close the session with an open group discussion.
Tea, coffee, and cake or biscuits are always on offer too!
You can register to speak at a future Works In Progress using this form.
10 x 5 Research Talks
We've all been there: you're at a party, a networking event, a community forum, an industry visit etc., and someone asks, ‘So tell me about your research?’
10x5 is a research sharing event designed to help you have a confident, coherent answer what that question arises! In 10x5, PGR speakers will have 10 minutes, aided by flipchart paper and pens (and any props you might decide on!) to explain the core focus of the research to the audience, followed by 5 minutes of questions. This session is designed to help your develop fluency and focus when presenting their research to an audience that may not have any prior context or understanding. Being able to convey your research effectively and concisely regardless of the audience is a key skill for modern researchers, particularly when it comes to industry and public engagement, and will help to develop your public speaking skills.
If you are interested in taking part, please fill in this MS Form.
Doctoral Socials
Doctoral Socials are events that bring the community together to build connection and provide social time for PGR.
NTU Doctoral hosts a social at the end of each term as a way to celebrate and provide a space for candidates to take a break from their research, and our PGR Co-ordinators organise events through the academic year on and off campus.
In the past, we’ve done festive crafting, quiz afternoons, and cake decorating (our take on Bake Your Thesis): activities are always accompanied by snacks and we’re open to suggestions for future socials.
NTU Doctoral Research Conference
The NTU Doctoral Research Conference is an annual celebration of the dynamic and diverse research being undertaken by doctoral researchers from all seven academic Schools. Candidates are invited to present their research in a variety of formats, from traditional 20 minute academic papers and academic posters to 10 minute lightning talks and visual displays.
The PGR Event Fund
The PGR Research Event Fund is a prize run by the NTU Doctoral School. It offers four awards of £500 each to teams of PGR to enable them to host research based events that foster and facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, engagement and PGR development.
The fund can be used towards the cost of a speaker, a venue, catering, materials, travel bursaries etc. Previous events have included a variety of different research focused events. These have included:
- a conference connecting industry professionals with academics
- a residential writing retreat
- a workshop on co-production research
- a symposium that blended academic papers with creative methods to encourage knowledge exchange.
The PGR Event fund is closed for 2026. Details for the next round will be available in the new academic year.