Doctoral Research Conference 2026

This year's Doctoral Research Conference took place on 17 June 2026. Over 250 doctoral researchers gathered to celebrate the excellence and diversity of doctoral research being undertaken across the university.

The conference included presentations from the Doctoral Research: Making a Difference Competition finalists and the ever-popular Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT©). It also included an exhibition of entries to the Research Poster, Research Image, Research Life in Pictures and the Research Object Competitions. There was also a performance of poetry and bedtime stories and a premiere of research reels.

We would like to thank everyone who was involved and to congratulate the prize winners.

If you missed the conference a full recording is available to view in the Doctoral & Researcher College Blackboard organisation.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s Conference which will take place on Wednesday 16 June 2027. Competitions will be announced in early 2027.

Doctoral Research: Making a Difference

The competition has been established to showcase doctoral research that is making a difference. This may be by uncovering new knowledge, challenging assumptions, influencing policy, solving real-world problems or driving innovation. As well as the academic contribution of their research, participants can also discuss the broader social, economic, environmental or cultural relevance.

• Judges' choice: James Gerrans, School of Biological Sciences, 'Medicine reuse: Is technology the answer?'
• People's choice: James Gerrans, School of Biological Sciences, 'Medicine reuse: Is technology the answer?'

Three Minute Thesis Competition

Shortlisted doctoral researchers had three minutes to give an engaging talk with one slide.

• Judges' choice: Helen Norris, Institute of Education, 'The literacy of feeling: How fiction prepares Teens for the real world'
• People's choice: Nandana Kokkot, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, 'You feel, what you feed!'

Research in an Object Competition

Students were invited to submit an object connected with their doctoral research.

• Judges' Choice: Martyn Cooper, School of Arts and Communication Design, 'The nose'
• People's Choice: Molly Bradbury, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, 'What if the treatment designed to heal actually causes more harm?'

Research Poster Competition

Doctoral researchers were invited to submit a poster on any aspect of their doctoral research.

• Judges' Choice: Orla O'Neill, School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences, 'Modelling supply chain stock flow and climate change disruptions'
• People's Choice: Madhawi Almoka, School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences, 'Composition and Volterra type operators on large Bergman spaces with rapidly decreasing weights'

Your Research as a Bedtime Story Competition

This light-hearted competition required researchers to strip their research story down to basic components and communicate it in language that is accessible from ages 5 to 100.

• Judges' Choice: Irina Turaliyeva, Henley Business School, 'Leading through the fog' 
• People's Choice: Amrita Tigga, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy, 'The cheese of courage and magic'

Poetry, Rhyme and Rap Competition

Doctoral researchers were invited to submit a poem, rhyme or rap which offered an insight into the everyday life of a doctoral researcher and the doctoral experience.

• Judges' Choice: Catherine Martinez, School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, 'I dream to be soil'
• People's Choice: Saniya Jojan, School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, 'Imposter'

Research Image Competition

Doctoral researchers were invited to submit an image that offered a visual perspective on their doctoral research.

• Judges' Choice: Asri Sulistiawati, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, 'The invisible farmer'
• People's Choice: Raghad Ihili, School of Biological Sciences, 'The emerald shift: An unconventional pattern of microbial resilience'

Research Life in Pictures Competition

Doctoral researchers were invited to submit a picture/pictures that offered an insight into the everyday life of a doctoral researcher.

• Judges' Choice: Anqi Mao, School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, 'Embodied participant observation'
• People's Choice: Oliver Hasimuna, School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, 'Behind the data'

Research as a Reel Competition

Doctoral researchers were invited to submit a short reel that captured any aspect of their research in a fun and dynamic way.

• Judges' Choice: Hanny Imania, School of Arts and Communication Design, 'Lost in type'
• People's Choice: Jamie Gane, Institute of Education, 'I am not a maths person'