Category: ECR Networks

Able network for disabled staff, research postgrads and allies

Able is a disability network that creates a supportive community for disabled staff, postgraduate research students and allies. The network welcomes those who live with a disability and/or physical or mental health condition, whether life-long, newly acquired, self-identified or diagnosed, regardless of whether they identify as disabled or not. They also encourage allies who are supportive of disability equality and equity in the workplace.

Each Friday morning at 9.00am the group meets for a virtual coffee and chat, where members can discuss topics relating to disability, share their lived experiences and become part of a community.

Find out more about the Able network and sign up by completing the online form.

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) workshop (26 February)

Following the very successful first workshop on “Fellowships and Funding” in November 2025, we are now excited to invite you to our second workshop for this academic year focused on Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE).

Date: Thursday, 26th February
Location: Wolfson Centre, Seminar Rooms 1&2 – Hammersmith Campus
Time: 11:00–13:00

The session will include short presentations and interactive discussions aimed primarily at postdoctoral researchers and fellows, with a focus on practical, meaningful and respectful PPIE across health research.

We will also be joined by two patient representatives, who will share their perspectives and lived experience, alongside colleagues including Dr Patrick Kierkegaard, Charlotte Coales (Imperial Centre for Societal Engagement) and Kelly Gleason (CRUK Lead Nurse).

You can register for the event using this link: Event Registration – Fill out form

Mary Paraskevaidi and Stefania Maneta-Stavrakaki.

on behalf of MDR, I&I and S&C Postdocs and Fellows Representatives

Please find the workshop’s agenda below.

Time Session and Speakers
11:00–11:05 Welcome and agenda
11:05–11:45 Session 1. Public and Patient Involvement: Principles and Practice

By Kelly Gleason (CRUK Lead Nurse) and Dr Patrick Kierkegaard

• Consultation vs involvement vs co-production

• Why last-minute PPI fails – common pitfalls and what not to do

• Budgeting for PPI (payments, time, administration)

• Starting PPI before the application stage

• Identifying and engaging patient/public contributors

• Maintaining meaningful PPI throughout the project lifecycle
11:45–12:00 Coffee Break
12:00–12:40 Session 2. Patient Representatives and Case Studies

By patient representatives, Kelly Gleason and Dr Patrick Kierkegaard

• What early involvement looks like from the patient perspective

• Real-world examples of effective PPI in research

• Reflections on good practice and researcher–patient relationships
12:40–13:00 Session 3. Public and Patient Engagement (PPIE): Beyond PPI

By Charlotte Coales (Imperial Centre for Societal Engagement)

• The benefits of engaging with the public

• When and how to engage with the public

• Support available through the Public and Community Engagement team

 

Save the date for our upcoming events! 

  1. Outreach and public engagement – 26th Feb 2026
  2. Change of career – 23rd April 2026
  3. ARC conversation – 25th June 2026

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: WOMEN PhD SHOWCASE 2026 (deadline: 24 February 2026)

Highlighting Innovation: The Women Shaping STEM Research

Tuesday 10th of March 2026 | 12:00-14:00 | Business School Foyer

  • Open to all women PhD Students
  • All STEM topics welcome, but especially research in sustainability and women’s health
  • Deadline: 24th of February 2026

Contact imperialwomensphdnetwork@imperial.ac.uk for more information.

 

Seeking new members to join Imperial’s Athena Swan SAT – an opportunity for you to help shape Imperial’s gender equality work

Seeking new members to join Imperial’s Athena Swan SAT – an opportunity for you to help shape Imperial’s gender equality work

Imperial’s Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (SAT) is responsible for discussing gender equality issues and keeping track of progress on our Action Plan. The SAT helps to represent the different areas and groups across the university and lived experiences. As a member, you would be expected to contribute to discussions and provide a ‘voice’ for the postdoc / fellow community and your department.

Meetings of the SAT take place roughly every month for 90 minutes – usually on Teams. Though we will try to hold perhaps two meetings a year in-person, based on previous feedback from the SAT. We recognise the difficulties of scheduling and availability, and accept that SAT members may not be able to attend every meeting.

Starting this spring / summer, the focus of the SAT will begin to switch to a full self-assessment process to prepare for Imperial’s Athena application in July 2027. Joining the SAT is an opportunity to help influence Imperial’s future gender equality work and action plan. We are planning to create additional sub groups for the SAT, to focus on particular areas (for example culture, career development, etc). We are still thinking about how best these will work, trying to take lessons from last submission and the current work of the Race Equality Charter SAT (submitting this year).

Please contact Robert Bell should you be interested in joining the group

robert.bell@imperial.ac.uk

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).

Help Us Build the Student Parent and Carers Network at Imperial!

Are you a parent, an expectant parent, or a carer navigating student life at Imperial?

We understand that balancing academic life with parenting or caregiving responsibilities can be both incredibly rewarding and uniquely challenging. That’s why we’re building a stronger, more supportive Student Parent and Carers Network, and we invite you to be part of it.

Our first crucial step is to find out more about the experiences and needs of Imperial student parents and carers. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by clicking here: Imperial Student Parent and Carers survey

This network is designed to offer:

✅ Peer Support: Connect with fellow student parents and carers who understand your experience.

✅ Dedicated Events: Family-friendly, care-friendly and flexible networking opportunities, support sessions, and socials.

✅ Advocacy & Voice: Help shape how Imperial supports students like you.

✅ Resources & Guidance: Clear, accessible information on everything from parental or emergency leave, advice on childcare, wellbeing, and flexible study options.

Whether you’re currently parenting, expecting a child, supporting a partner who is, or caring for a family member or friend, you are welcome here.

How to Join:

Simply complete the survey above and join at the end, or reply to this email with your details and we will add you to the Network.

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at, studentparentsandcarers@imperial.ac.uk

Launch of New Interdisciplinary Research Community

We are pleased to invite you to a networking and discussion event to mark the launch of a new interdisciplinary research community at Imperial. This network brings together researchers working in the fields of limb loss, physical rehabilitation, and prosthetic technologies, with the aim of fostering collaboration and advancing shared challenges across disciplines.

Event Highlights:

  • Welcome and introductory talk outlining the network’s aims and objectives
  • Expert speakers
  • Small-group discussion on current challenges in the field
  • Opportunities to identify areas for collaboration and future initiatives
  • Informal networking and drinks reception

We hope this event will serve as a springboard for new connections and collaborative projects across Imperial.

To confirm your attendance, kindly fill out the RSVP form by the Friday, 31st Oct, 2025.