Author: Sarah Faux

Join a new PhD Participatory Research Network!

A group of PhD students has set up a PhD Participatory Research Network (funded by LISS-DTP) to connect PhD students interested in participatory methods – approaches where people with lived experience are active partners in shaping all stages of the research process. Each month, we’ll meet to explore a different theme through interactive workshops, peer discussions, and guest speakers. Together, we’ll build a collective toolkit of resources and guidance by PhD students, for PhD students.

Our first session will be held at REACH Space, 3rd Floor, Surrey Street East Wing, Strand Campus, King’s College London, on Wednesday 5th November, 2pm-4pm. Our network is open to all PhD students from King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, and Imperial College London. If you are based elsewhere but would like to join, please email Emma (e.hayashibara@qmul.ac.uk). As spaces are limited, please register your interest via Eventbrite to secure your place. If you can no longer attend, kindly cancel your registration so that someone else can take your spot.

For any questions about the network, feel free to contact Emma (e.hayashibara@qmul.ac.uk).

Applications for Conception X are now open (Deadline 16 Dec)

Conception X is Europe’s largest community for entrepreneurial researchers. Designed to fit around your research timeline, Conception X programmes help PhD students, postdocs and early-career researchers translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact. Visit their website to learn more. 

Their two-track approach supports researchers who are ready to move fast towards their first raise as well as  those who are looking to explore research commercialisation – allowing you to move at a pace that works for you. From day one, Conception X connects you with industry decision-makers and investors, helps you become eligible for innovation grants, awards and equity investment, and provides access to tailored coaching and networking opportunities. 

Top performing founders are invited to pitch to the Conception X Angel Syndicate and  XTX Ventures, with the potential to receive up to £250k in investment. 

Since launching in 2018, Conception X has helped more than 600 researchers  launch deeptech startups based on their research, creating over 190 companies that have raised £147+ million in early-stage investments and grants. 

Next step: Join a Discovery Session

Register for a Discovery Session to hear from Conception X alumni, learn more about available pathways and ask any questions. You can apply via the Conception X website when ready.

Application deadline: 16 December 2025.

Global Essay Competition (deadline: 11 Feb 2026)

The St. Gallen Global Essay Competition is a global student essay competition, offering students who study at graduate or postgraduate level around the world the opportunity to apply for participation at the St. Gallen Symposium.

The 100 best submissions will get the unique opportunity to participate at the St. Gallen Symposium in an all expenses covered trip to Switzerland and challenge the status-quo with their ideas.

This year’s question for the Essay is: “Disruption in Tech + Politics + Demography: What happens when they collide? Pick a case where at least two of these forces meet, and propose a bold idea to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks over the long term.”

Deadline: 01 February 2026, 11:59 p.m.

Find out more

 

Black @ Imperial

Are you a Black heritage student at Imperial? Black @ Imperial is a programme designed to support you through a variety of free events on campus such as socials with Afro-Caribbean snacks and careers talks with Black professionals. Our first event this year is a Board Games Social in partnership with ICU on Thursday 16 October, 5pm – 7pm.

You can find out more and sign up to our events on the Black @ Imperial webpage.

Imperial after:hours – day and evening classes for Imperial students and staff

Imperial after:hours is a programme of day and evening classes open to Imperial students and staff, and members of the public. Organised by the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication, we have classes in various languages, ranging from Arabic, French and German. to BSL, Hindi and Spanish, as well as a huge range of arts and humanities courses.

Maybe you have always wanted to learn to play acoustic guitar or understand the meaning of art, or perhaps you want to make art yourself, on one our painting, printmaking and craft courses. We have day schools as well, including day trips this autumn to the medieval sites of Canterbury, Faversham and London, and day classes in topics including Christopher Wren’s architecture and art therapy.

No previous experience is needed for any course, there are no assessments or exams, and you’ll find our tutors are knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming.

Full details on all courses is available at www.imperial.ac.uk/afterhours. Classes are enrolling now.

Imperial Lates: open call for researchers

Imperial Lates are a series of free, after hours, adults-only events. They provide Imperial researchers with a fantastic opportunity to engage with members of the public in an exciting, informal environment.

All submissions are welcome, from initial ideas to fully developed activities. The Imperial Lates programming team can help to develop an idea further, discuss opportunities to host a talk or take part in a panel discussion, or connect researchers with a creative practitioner to explore their ideas through an artistic workshop.

This season’s themes are:

October: Light

Join our researchers in welcoming the autumn and celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Light. Learn all about how light works, as well as it’s uses in health research and even in space!

November: Time

Explore the nature of time at November’s Imperial Lates. Deep dive into the very first second of the universe, catch up with the fastest object ever built, or dance inside a quantum clock.

January: Wellbeing

New year, new you! Start 2026 afresh by learning the scientific secrets to hacking your health and wellbeing from Imperial researchers in our January Lates.

Click here to find out more and to fill out the open call form 

If you have any questions, please email lates@imperial.ac.uk

Help to shape the Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service

Give your views on the workshops, groups, and courses currently on offer from the Student Counselling Mental Health Advice Service. Your feedback will help to ensure services are relevant, inclusive, and accessible to all students.

The team are especially interested in hearing from those of you who have not yet attended any sessions.

Complete the two-minute survey

GTA Opportunity – Paid LaTeX development opportunity

The Research Computing and Data Science team are in the process of commissioning and collating a series of exemplar programming projects known as ReCoDE. These projects are designed to demonstrate good programming practice in research to help other students learn by example and include extensive annotation to explain their function and the design choices made.

We generally welcome any submission, but we are looking to commission a particular submission in the form of a LaTeX template for an Imperial doctoral thesis. This template should match all of Imperial’s thesis requirements and should not be overly complicated, such that a relatively inexperienced LaTeX user would have the background to understand it. The basic skeleton of the thesis and the formatting required to meet Imperial’s requirements should be the focus, but other useful pieces of LaTeX may also be demonstrated.  This template does not need extensive research content, but could include some if it helps to demonstrate the formatting tools used.

If you are interested in working on this exemplar, more information on contributing can be found here. Click on the “Pitch an exemplar here” button at the bottom of that page to submit a proposal. The next round of exemplars will be selected in the autumn, and we will review all proposals before reaching out to selected applicants to complete the exemplar over three months in the autumn term.

Authors of exemplar are paid as GTAs (or Casual Workers) for 45 hours of work at a rate of £35.78/hour, including holiday pay.

Opportunities for PhDs/Postdocs (Quant research roles)

Options Group is hiring in for an important hedge fund client who manage >$10bn in aum.  The client is looking to speak with entry level PhDs or Postdocs focusing on Machine Learning/AI, Math, Stats, Physics, Computer Science for various quant research roles based in London.  Additionally, about the client’s search:

They are looking for exceptional generalists—either applied researchers or theorists with some coding experience. Historically, statisticians have been the most common hires, but last year they hired more pure math candidates than any other background. They’ve also brought on people with publications in machine learning journals and active GitHub profiles. Their hires include computer scientists, including those focused on theoretical CS. One of their Partners in London, for example, comes from a theoretical physics background..

Interested parties can contact Keith Macksoud (Options Group, Executive Director) immediately with a CV.

Establishing the Imperial IBD Research Community – Join Us!

Are you a researcher, engineer, or clinician working on or interested in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research? If you’re based at Imperial, Imperial NHS, or St Mark’s Hospital, we’re building an IBD research community to foster collaborations, support grant applications, and facilitate knowledge sharing and translation across all departments, career stages, and backgrounds.

Please take a moment to help us map this network by completing this short form: Join the IBD Research Community.

Save the Date for Our First Networking Event

📅 When: 24th April, 16:00
📍 Where: Hammersmith Campus

Let us know if you’ll be attending by filling out the form by 21st February, so we can secure the right venue size.