As a postgraduate researcher you have access to a wide range of opportunities to build your academic and professional skills. Taking part in them will strengthen your transferable skills, broaden your experience, and prepare you for your future career.
Learn by doing and through dialogue
It is easy to sign up for a lot of training courses, but development happens in many different ways. Use courses to fill specific gaps, and put most of your energy into learning by doing and through dialogue.
Take on a role
Extracurricular roles are a great way to build teamwork, time management, and project management skills. Become a PGR Representative for your School, get involved with the Postgraduate Research Journal, or join any other activities across the University and the wider community.
Connect with others
Conversations, mentoring, peer collaboration, interdisciplinary exchanges, and networking are where intellectual and creative growth often happens.
Development Opportunities
As a Postgraduate researchers you have access to a wide range of development opportunities designed to enhance your their academic and professional skills. Engaging with these opportunities can help you build valuable transferable skills, broaden you experience, and prepare you for your future career.
- Postgraduate Research Journal
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Granite is the first postgraduate interdisciplinary journal of Aberdeen University. The journal has been established by students for students. This open access journal is designed to give postgraduate students of the University of Aberdeen a place to publish their work and to provide them with experience of the publishing process.
- PGR Representatives
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PGR Representatives are the voice of postgraduate researchers in their School. Reps gather feedback from their peers and share it with staff and committees, helping to shape decisions that affect the PGR community. The role is also a great way to build teamwork, communication leadership and skills, and to connect with researchers across the University.
- PGR Training and Development Fund
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PGR Training and Development Fund supports activities which benefit postgraduate researchers (PGRs) of the University of Aberdeen.
The competition is open to all PGRs, including distance students and Masters of Science (Research).
Applications can be submitted any time between the 31st of October 2025 and 17:00 Monday 18th May 2026. All projects must be completed by 31 July 2026.
Application Form Submit your application: pgrs-training@abdn.ac.uk
We aim for a two-week turnaround on decisions after receiving an application.
What is the fund for?
The PGR Training and Development Fund offers financial support to help postgraduate researchers (PGRs) host activities that build transferable skills and foster personal, professional, and career growth. The fund can be used to support:
- Professional Development Opportunities - Organise workshops focused on enhancing skills such as leadership, project management, and effective communication, helping PGRs prepare for diverse career paths.
- Career Development Support - Set up networking sessions or conversation panels, that connect PGRs with professionals and alumni for insights into career options and skill requirements.
- Encourage Interdisciplinary Learning - Organise collaborative research opportunities that bring together PGRs from various disciplines, encouraging teamwork, creativity, and innovation across fields.
Applications should not go beyond £250. All activities should have a clear benefit to postgraduate researchers within the University.
Who can apply?
University of Aberdeen postgraduate research students, including distance students and Masters of Research, are eligible to apply. The application should be made by a team of at least two people.
You can apply for funding for:
- Event catering
- Expenses for a speaker
- Workshop materials
- Promotional materials
- Small prizes for competitions or thank you gifts
What we don't fund:
- Direct financial assistance to individuals
- Hardware, software or other technical materials that your School would normally be expected to purchase as part of their ongoing budgets
- Reimbursement of University of Aberdeen student/staff time For any questions and to submit your application: pgrs-training@abdn.ac.uk
- Public Engagement with Research
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The Public Engagement with Research Unit (PERU) are available to help you generate ideas and provide advice for your public engagement activities.
- PGR Digital and Information Skills
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A dedicated hub for digital and information skills guidance for postgraduate researchers. It includes slides and handouts from various training workshops and series as well as other related resources.
- Live and On-Demand Courses
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We offer a mixture of live courses and on-demand resources for independent learning.
Live courses are booked on the course booking system. Be sure to check regularly for new courses!