樱花动漫

Award holder: Aritra Chakrabarty

This project strengthens the 樱花动漫’s Early Career Researcher (ECR) community by embedding public policy thinking within research design and impact practice. It addresses a critical skills requirement by equipping ECRs with toolkit, resources and peer support to integrate policy engagement throughout the research lifecycle. Through policy clinics co-developed via interdisciplinary workshops with policy academics, and local authority partners, the project will deliver practical toolkits, guidance on policy framing and communication, and resources for co-creation and knowledge exchange. The project aims to foster a sustainable culture of policy-focused, impact-driven research.

Award winner: James Thomas

The Exeter Publication Network will provide an interdisciplinary, inclusive and open support network and environment for fellow PGR/ECRs who are interested in working on academic publication, be that individual or developing new interdisciplinary projects across the PGR/ECR community. Alongside providing an environment for PGR/ECRs to interact, the network sets out to be a channel to provide the community with opportunities to develop skills in understanding the publication process and taking active positive steps towards publication, which may currently fall beyond the capacity of the core researcher development program and that of individual departments.

Award winner: Yimei Chen

Mapping Your Research Stories is a five-workshop training programme designed to support postgraduate researchers and early career researchers in developing innovative approaches to interdisciplinary research communication. Through a combination of conceptual and theoretical learning, practical mapping training, creative replication, guided individual project development, and individual program presentation, participants will learn how to use cartography and spatial visualisation to explore, interpret, and communicate their research. The programme fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, digital literacy, and research storytelling skills, contributing to a more engaged, collaborative, and inclusive research culture at the 樱花动漫.

Award winner: Allison Stitt

This is a seminar series to aid early career researchers in expanding their audience through partnerships with community organisations and content creators. Our diverse group of speakers includes: writer and science podcaster, Robin Ince; founder of Pint of Science, Praveen Paul; founder of Mental Elf, Andre Tomlin, and Dr.’s Martina Egedusevic and Fatima Sabet, two 樱花动漫 researchers with a lengthy career of science outreach. This series will equip ECRs to engage larger audiences for their work by connecting with experts in science communication and will help researchers take a leading and collaborative role in dissemination.

Award winner: Cealan Henry

This seminar series supports ECRs in navigating the transition from securing research funding to leading and sustaining funded research. Running from March to June 2026, four 1.5-hour seminars focus on post-award grant management, leadership and decision-making, managing risk and failure, and building coherent research portfolios. The series concludes with a one-day writing retreat in July 2026, providing protected time and structured support to develop live funding applications. Together, the programme strengthens research leadership capability, supports sustainable research practices, and contributes to an engaged, collaborative research culture, with anticipated benefits for funding quality, researcher confidence, and longer-term research impact.

Award winner: Ethan Addicott

This project supports early career researchers (ECRs) to strengthen equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practice and foster a positive research culture across interdisciplinary research communities at the 樱花动漫. Through collaborative self-assessment, expert-led evaluation and practical implementation, the project will help ECRs reflect on issues of intersectionality, power and privilege, and translate these reflections into concrete action. Key outputs will include an EDI assessment rubric, targeted training pathways and a co-developed Community Charter, creating sustainable, reusable resources that support inclusive, collaborative and funder-ready research environments.

Award winner: Daniel Williams

The current media landscape is such that opinions can quickly become highly polarised, leading to the spread of misinformation and development of conspiracy theories. Some research areas, especially within climate and environmental science, are especially prone to being adversely affected, with researchers often ill-prepared to respond. This initiative provides a practical, interactive workshop on the art of communicating contentious or controversial scientific research topics. The aim of the workshop would be to empower researchers to effectively communicate their science to both academic and public audiences, even in the face of opposing opinions or a combative media environment.

Award winner: Qianqian Li

This project delivers a PGR-led hybrid seminar–workshop series that brings together external scholars in digital sociology, media studies, and cultural studies to demystify qualitative digital research methods in practice. This focus is not included in current PGR research training and development courses. By focusing on methodological difficulty, ethics, reflexivity, and adaptation, the series addresses the gap between formal methods training and the lived realities of digital research. Four interactive sessions will combine speaker reflections on completed and in-progress projects with facilitated peer discussion. Open to PGRs and ECRs across the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the initiative fosters interdisciplinary exchange, researcher wellbeing, leadership development, and lasting methodological resources.

Award winner: John Panneerselvam

This project will host an interdisciplinary workshop to promoting a sustained, programmatic series of engagements between Computer Science and Medical School that prioritises Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and Postgraduate Research (PGR) students to support their professional development via an engaged research culture. The workshop provides ECRs and PGRs with opportunities to present their research, exchange expertise, build cross-disciplinary networks, and develop collaborative grant and publication ideas. Senior academics will contribute mentorship and strategic guidance via keynotes and briefing on existing interdisciplinary projects and future funding opportunities, highlighting the impact of computing-led innovation in medical applications and enabling long-term research collaborations.

Award winner: Ibhade Akpede

This workshop, led by experts in creative research methods, aims to support postgraduate and early-career researchers in learning innovative techniques for integrating creativity into their research. Participants will be introduced to practical, creativity-based activities specifically designed to stimulate research ideas. Through game-based and design-thinking exercises, participants will be equipped with tools for refining broad research concepts. Activities include learning how to incorporate Play-Doh into research. The interdisciplinary nature of these activities makes them suitable for both individual and team-based research projects. The event, which is open to all PGRs and ECRs across the 樱花动漫, also offers networking opportunities.

Award winner: Hayley Redman

Whether you’re exploring sensitive topics, engaging with marginalised communities, or reflecting on your own identity and experiences, the emotional impact of health research can be profound. The Emotionally Demanding Health Research: PGR and ECR Network aims to offer an informal space to bring together health researchers across disciplines to offer peer support and a place to share information and resources.  This will be complemented by a panel session bringing together experienced researchers across different disciplines within the university to share insights, practical tips, and tools into managing the challenges related to this work for PGRs, ECRs, and their supervisors.

Award winner: Tamara Al Khalili

This research-led, cross-faculty initiative responds to evidence that universities do not adequately support PGRs and ECRs with caring responsibilities. It delivers two innovative creative activities focused on wellbeing, communication, and research culture for PGRs and ECRs who are parents or carers of children with additional needs and disabilities. The initiative aims to strengthen participants’ sense of connection and emotional resilience, which are essential for sustained academic productivity and success. Key outputs include a blog and a digital resilience toolkit to support future researchers in similar circumstances, while addressing the persistent invisibility of carers’ experiences within researcher development and wellbeing provision.

Award winner: Samuel Trethewey

This one鈥慸ay hybrid event will provide interdisciplinary networking and professional development for PGRs and ECRs, focusing on rural health, complex systems, social determinants of health, and building research collaborations. Using the RARE network as a case study, the event will showcase the value of cross鈥慸isciplinary work and inspire participants to develop their own networks and leadership skills. Sessions led by experienced academics and community stakeholders will emphasise effective communication for impactful research. Addressing key RDF domains, the event supports researcher curiosity, leadership, critical thinking, and engagement. Lasting impact will be ensured through event materials and developing an online resource.