PGR Matters Podcast

In this episode of PGR Matters , host Matthew Sillence explores how open research training is evolving, with a focus on the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Featuring Dr Samuel Moore (MORPHSS project, University of Cambridge) and Hannah Crago (University of Essex), the conversation looks at how traditional ideas of “open science” can be reframed for different disciplines, and how gamificatio...

In this second episode of season 2, Matthew Sillence talks with Sean Andersson , Dr Alison Barker and Dr Sean Seeger about Open Access (OA) publishing for books and articles. Through our conversations, we unpack Green, Gold and Diamond OA routes, Creative Commons licences, image permissions, university OA funding, and how postgraduate and early‑career researchers can make their work more visible a...

This first episode of season 2 on PGR Matters introduces Open Research and why it matters for postgraduate researchers. Matthew explores how open access policies (especially UKRI from 2021) have reshaped expectations that publicly funded research outputs should be freely available and reusable, with evidence that open access work gains wider and more diverse citations. Our guest in this episode is...

In this final episode of season one, Matthew Sillence and Dr Stephanie Aspin discuss the intersection of poetry, therapy and academic life. Dr Aspin, who has two doctorates and is a neurodivergent therapist, shares her journey from literature to therapy, highlighting her new book Poetry and Therapy: Why Words Help (PCCS Books, 2025). They explore the therapeutic functions of poetry, including tell...

The podcast episode features Dr Karen Clegg and Dr Gill Houston discussing their book, co-authored with Dr Owen Gower , Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture: What We Know, What Works, And Why , which was published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis in 2024. They explore the challenges and importance of doctoral supervision, highlighting the lack of research on supervisors' experiences. The co...

In this episode, Dr John Turnpenny discusses his latest research on postgraduate researcher (PGR) wellbeing, focusing on policy implementation and practice. He highlights the Courage Project at the University of East Anglia, funded by the UK's Catalyst Fund, which aimed to support PGR wellbeing through various interventions. John introduces the policy capacity framework, which examines political,...

In this episode, Peter Wells , a PhD candidate with a background in music, discusses his research on Greenvile Collins, a 17th-century naval officer and mapmaker. Collins's 1693 atlas, Great Britain's Coasting Pilot , was a significant contribution to naval hydrography, despite challenges like limited funding and outdated maps. His work highlighted the dynamic nature of coastal environments. Wells...

Matthew Sillence discusses the importance of digital tools for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and introduces the concept of digital minimalism, advocating for selective and intentional use of technology. He highlights the challenges of choosing tools in an ever-evolving market and emphasizes the benefits of open-source, community-supported software. Matthew recommends five tools: Obsidian for not...

In recent years, discussions of equality/equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) have emerged across the higher education sector. Recent surveys, reports and conferences have explored how EDI can be fostered in postgraduate research degree programmes .  Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), which fund and support many postgraduate researchers, have taken up the challenge within their universities....

Academic writing is a part of academic life, but for many years it has also been one of the most challenging activities for many students and staff. So much so that authors such as Pat Thomson , Rowena Murray and many others have spent much of their careers examining the practices of writing in universities to try to understand and overcome some of the barriers that we face.    The month of Novemb...

In this Halloween episode of PGR Matters we meet with Dudlei de Oliveira, a Brazilian PhD student of Literature, who has been awarded a scholarship from the Brazilian government to undertake part of his research abroad. He is currently a visiting researcher at UEA, in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing , under the supervision of Professor Richard Hand .  Dudlei has a teaching deg...

In this second episode of the Postgraduate Research Matters podcast, we hear from Dr Maria Tsimpiri, who was interviewed in December 2023 about her doctoral experience and life and work after the PhD. Maria's involvement in PGR representation through the Graduate School Student Forum (GSSF) while a PhD candidate, as well as her active participation in the Courage Project , shaped her interest in c...

Dr Matthew Sillence introduces the PGR Matters series, which offers insights in postgraduate research in UK higher education. The importance of discussing the postgraduate research experience . The characteristics of postgraduate researchers. Reasons for creating this podcast: Podcasting is a popular medium. A focus on clarity and concision. The role of different voices. Podcasts are intimate - th...