News and blog

On March 20th 2026, we held our Annual General Meeting. Open to all, this is an opportunity to look back at the past year across the postgraduate sector, as well as preview what’s to come.

Members of the PEP Network met on March 11th 2026 for its annual online workshop which ranged across three topics: Developing researcher development, assuring the quality of PGR programmes, and navigating options, choices and paths to recognition and progression for professional services staff.

The annual DDD Residential Workshop was held on February 26th and 27th 2026 in Bristol, offering a variety of topics for discussion including reinventing the doctorate, distance learning and UKRI updates.

On January 21st 2026, the Co-Chairs of our Postgraduate Education Practitioners’ (PEP) Network, Susanna Broom and Kerri Gardiner, held a Network Clinic looking at the specific issues and unique challenges which face those working within postgraduate research. Their report on the event is below.

On December 11th 2025, we welcomed Professor Karen Mpamhanga and Dr Suzanne Culshaw (University of Hertfordshire), who presented on recent work around democratic approaches to supervision which they have undertaken as part of a major international project.

The UK Council for Graduate Education welcomes Sir Ian Chapman’s articulation of a renewed strategic direction for UK Research and Innovation. His emphasis on productivity, international competitiveness, and the role of research and innovation in driving national growth aligns with the Council’s commitment to impactful doctoral education, the development of new forms and formats of the doctorate, and policy and practice that sustain a thriving, world-leading postgraduate ecosystem.

In association with the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), we welcomed Professor Debbie Riby (Centre for Neurodiversity & Development, Durham University) on November 28th 2025 to share insights from her research on neurodivergent PhD researchers and lead a discussion about supervision practices for neuroinclusion.

On November 18th 2025, we held a session focussed on developing a cohesive community for doctoral researchers, led by Professor Anya Ahmed from Manchester Metropolitan University.

On November 12th 2025, the Co-Chairs of the PEP Network ran their regular session taking an overview of the PGR landscape, discussing challenges and looking at upcoming priorities. 

We held our third EDI Conference on November 4th/​5th 2025 at Cloth Hall Court, University of Leeds, reopening the debate about how to tackle the challenges around Race and Ethnicity in PGR.