缅北禁地

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PGR Led Engagement

Introduction

The Doctoral College provides financial support for PGRs to take part in, design, and lead engagement activities that enhance research culture and enrich the wider university community.

Funding can support participation in existing activities and competitions, as well as the development and delivery of PGR-led initiatives. These may include conferences, public engagement events, creative outputs, and related activities. These opportunities are intended as value-added activities that complement - but remain distinct from - core research. They often focus on providing spaces to develop skills, share research creatively, and engage with wider audiences in innovative and meaningful ways.

We also support a regular programme of PGR-led workshops through the PGR Community Hub. This programme is designed to build community across the PGR cohort and provide space for collaborative working and discussion, including activities such as Writing and Study Groups. 

We support a small number of PGR-led engagement activities each year, and we review submissions on a rolling, case-by-case basis rather than through distinct calls throughout the year. If you have an idea for a PGR-led engagement activity, please feel free to get in touch or apply via the form below.

Annual Events and Competitions

The Doctoral College supports PGR participation in a range of established annual, national and sector-wide opportunities designed to sharpen your communication, impact, and research engagement skills. They offer a chance to step outside of day-to-day research activity, build confidence, and raise your profile. Examples include:

3 Minute Thesis (3MT)

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition challenges doctoral students to explain their research in just three minutes, using only a single slide, to a non-specialist audience. Originally developed by the University of Queensland, Australia, 3MT has since been adopted by universities worldwide. The competition provides training and support, followed by the opportunity to compete in a University heat. The winner then progresses to the national competition.

YES Enterprise Programme
YES supports research students to work in teams to develop a hypothetical business idea and, as part of the process, pitch it to demonstrate its potential to be investable and ultimately successful. Participants hear from leading industry experts about how businesses are developed and gain insight into the processes involved in bringing a product or service to market.
Further details can be found at
The Brilliant Club

The Brilliant Club is a charity that provides postgraduate researchers with the opportunity to teach small groups of pupils in state schools across the UK, typically at Key Stage 4 or 5. Tutors are trained to design and deliver courses based on their own academic research, or to deliver pre-designed programmes. Sessions take place in small-group, university-style tutorials, helping pupils to develop the skills and confidence needed for higher education. This opportunity allows PGRs to develop experience in teaching and widening participation, while strengthening their ability to communicate research clearly to non-specialist audiences.

For more information, see here:  

PGR-Led Initiatives & Events

The Doctoral College also supports PGRs in developing and delivering their own engagement initiatives. These may include university-wide events, conferences, exhibitions, or creative outputs linked to their research.

These activities provide opportunities for PGRs to:

  • Share their research with wider audiences
  • Develop public engagement and leadership skills
  • Collaborate across disciplines and institutions
  • Translate research into creative or accessible formats 

Below are examples of previously supported PGR-led initiatives and events:

Picture This: Someone Like Me Exhibition

Led by PhD researchers Phoebe Lewis and Ainsley Hatt, in collaboration with Peter Moore Fuller (infohackit), this project encouraged students to move beyond traditional academic formats and use bold, visual storytelling to communicate their research to a wider public audience. Through a series of creative workshops using Affinity by Canva, participants transformed complex data into striking illustrated artworks, which will be exhibited at the Great North Museum: Hancock from 13th March 2026 to 17th January 2027.

The exhibition also highlighted the diverse, often unexpected journeys into academia, inviting visitors to imagine that “someone like them” could be part of it too. The project offered a powerful reminder that research doesn’t just belong in journals – it can be shared, seen and understood in ways that connect with everyone.

This project was supported by 缅北禁地, the Doctoral College, Affinity by Canva, the Great North Museum: Hancock, and the British Ecological Society.

For more, see here:

Contact info

For any general queries please contact doctoralcollege@newcastle.ac.uk