Tag: Doctoral Students

New to Imperial? Tell us what you think in our Welcome Experience Survey

Take the opportunity to voice your opinions and help shape the future of our Welcome season. Share your thoughts in our Welcome Experience Survey by 15 December. Your input is invaluable, and together, we can enhance the start of every student’s Imperial experience.  

Previous feedback led to positive improvements. From transforming the Sherfield Building into a vibrant hub for learning, support, and community, to launching the My Imperial Campus App for a more personalised digital experience, your feedback is driving real change. We also revamped the Welcome Fair, making it bigger, more accessible, and easier to explore, with over 11,000 students getting involved.  

Whether it’s creating inspiring spaces, smarter tools, or more inclusive events, your voice is helping us build a campus that works better for everyone.    

You can find the survey link in the email you will have received on Friday 14 November or by visiting the website directly. 

PhD students: present your work at the next Animal Research Forum (register interest by 01 Dec)

The Imperial 3RsHubis looking for PhD Students that want to present their work at the yearly Animal Research Forum, on the 29th January 2026.

We are interested in showcasing both entire projects or part of of projects where any of the 3Rs (reduction, replacment and refinment of the animals used in research) was applied. We are particularly interested in PhD students who are not working with animal models but whose projects have a direct replacement impact.

The Forum is an opportunity to highlight your project’s 3Rs impact, gain recognition from your peers, network with experts from all Imperial departments and be selected for the Best Poster Award. You can find examples of last year’s posters on the 3RsHub website.

Please register your interest by December 1st 2025 by emailing a.napolitano@imperial.ac.uk.

Introducing dAIsy – Imperial’s New GenAI workspace

dAIsy is Imperial’s new Generative AI platform, designed to give you safe, easy access to multiple AI models (such as GPT, Claude, Deepseek, and others) through a single interface.

dAIsy is built to support teaching, learning, and research while ensuring data protection and institutional compliance.

Why use dAIsy?

  • Private and secure – your data stays protected. All your prompts and chat history are stored securely in Imperial’s cloud.
  • Build your own agents – You can define instructions or behaviours suited to your specific needs.
  • Advanced developer role available on request – if you want to go deeper.

Imperial offers licensed AI models to promote equitable access and, alongside Microsoft Copilot, dAIsy supports our commitment to harnessing AI’s transformative potential responsibly and effectively.

Further support

Disability History Month (November 2025)

The Able network and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust I-CAN network are collaborating on several events for Disability History Month.

  • Friday 21 November – Online coffee morning
  • Tuesday 25 November – Therapy dog session (Charing Cross Hospital)
  • Thursday 4 December – Reflecting round (online)
  • 19 December – Imperial Health Charity Creative Workshop (online)

Find out more and sign up for the events

Sea2Carbon paid PhD internship (full-time or part-time) (Apply by Fri 19 December 2025)

Sea2Carbon paid PhD internship (full-time or part-time)

Sea2Carbon, one of the companies that completed The Greenhouse accelerator programme, based at Undaunted, is offering a full-time or part-time paid internship. It is suitable for an Imperial PhD student with a background in biochemistry, biotechnology, marine biology, or life sciences to support lab-scale testing of its novel algae-to-product process.

The successful applicant will play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable solutions for agriculture and industry by conducting experiments focused on the extraction of valuable compounds and conversion of macroalgae into high-value outputs.

Please see this document for further information. To note, the deadline to apply is Friday, 19 December.

Sustainable Christmas Tree Building Activity (25 & 27 Nov 2025)

This year, Imperial is consolidating the number of traditional Christmas trees across our campuses, and embracing creative alternatives like trees made of books and Tetrapaks. It’s all part of our commitment to reducing waste and promoting biodiversity!

We need your help! Come along to South Kensington Campus for two exciting tree-building sessions:

  • Tuesday 25 November, 12–2pm
    Library Café Book Tree – Help build a Christmas tree made entirely from reused books.
  • Thursday 27 November, 12–2pm

Queens Tower Rooms Tetrapak Tree – Join us in crafting a tree from clean Tetrapaks and reused boxes. (Make sure to bring your cleaned Tetrapaks or any delivery boxes you want to contribute!)

Any questions, please get in touch with sustainable@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).

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.

Research Industry Challenge (26 Nov & 8 Dec 2025)

If you’re an early-career or a PhD researcher, from any discipline, join the Developing Business-Aware Academics team to spark ideas and explore industry perspectives in an informal and collaborative environment with engineering services company, Babcock.

From gently removing marine creatures from dock foundations in an environmentally friendly way to developing tiny drones with HD cameras as well as new ways to scan ships in murky waters and the unenviable task of unblocking submarine toilets! They would love to hear from you if you think your research could shed an innovative light on these challenges.

Join DBAA for a free online communications workshop on Wednesday 26 November at 10:00am and an in-person introduction to networking and research challenge event in Exeter, on Monday 8 December from 10:00-13:00 including lunch.

Find out more about the events and research challenges on offer here.

If you want to know more about IP, commercialisation and industry partnerships contact the appropriate enterprise team member within your faculty.

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