The long Easter bank holiday weekend is upon us and the sun is shining as I write this. I hope that you are feeling in an equally sunny mood about your research, but even if you are not, stepping away for a break is always helpful.

In this month’s newsletter we have some Library matters of note. First, I know the news that the University will, from January 2027, rejoin some ‘Read and Publish’ deals will be very welcome. This is something you have collectively raised as a concern, and the PGR voice has been an important part of the considerations in this decision. Read on for more detail.

Also in Library-land, something which has existed for years but many people do not know about is the possibility of using other University libraries. This could be very handy if you will be somewhere else in the UK in the coming weeks and need somewhere suitable to study, ready access to eduroam, or perhaps to consult that classic book from fifty years ago that hasn’t been digitised. I benefitted from this facility myself - I have a slightly traumatic memory of completing a very tricky statistics assignment working in the JB Morrell Library at York while a postgraduate at Manchester! Details of this scheme are given below.

Finally, we so often hear appreciation from you about how much you appreciate your supervisors’ support and guidance. There is a chance to recognise this formally through York SU’s Excellence Awards. Supervisors are always thrilled to be nominated. See the item below for the nomination link.

Best wishes, 
Paul

In a close-knit community like a university, we must all be vigilant to prevent infectious diseases from spreading. Make sure you're registered with a doctor and be aware of symptoms of infectious illnesses such as meningitis.

The Library is currently in conversation with a number of Publishers and we are rejoining some of the Read and Publish deals that were previously stopped. More information to come, with a likely start date of January 2027. In the meantime, Interlibrary Loans continue to support you accessing content. Support for open access publishing will continue to be provided, with a new interactive tool to be launched very shortly which will help researchers understand the routes to open access publication for their chosen journal(s). 

The University Library has cooperative arrangements with many other libraries, allowing our students and staff to visit and use the collections elsewhere. These range from nearby local partners in York, all the way to all university libraries in the UK and Ireland! Find out more about applying for library access.

The Excellence Awards are back for 2026 giving you the chance to show appreciation to staff across the University whether they are from academic or professional services. Awards include the PhD Supervisor of the Year. Submit your nominations by 27 April 2026.

A planned power outage will temporarily close Campus West reception in the Information Centre next Thursday (9 April). A minimal service will be provided from the old James College reception in the Roger Kirk Centre during this time. 

Check the website for information about student support over the Easter break.

As part of their Early Career Researcher Collective, the EDI Research Centre is piloting a cross-institutional mentorship scheme to support current PGRs (and researchers up to 10 years post PhDs) from minority backgrounds. Applications to be either a mentor or mentee are now open - find out more and register your interest by 5pm, Thursday 30 April. 

Join the Postgraduate Communities team in B/R/016 for an afternoon of hot drinks, cake, creativity and connecting with fellow postgraduates. No experience needed - bring your imagination and decorate a mug to take home! 

Tickets are now live for several upcoming postgraduate community trips - an easy way to explore the wonderful sights, sounds and tastes of Yorkshire. Whether you're a solo explorer or looking to find your new travel crew, just hop on and soak in the best of what the North has to offer!

Keep your research project on track by identifying risks from the start. This session will take a deep dive into one of the Valuing Voices principles for equitable and responsible research, providing you with the skills and resources to proactively protect your project's success using our online tool. Book your place for the session on 15 April.

YorkTalks is our annual celebration of incredible research at York. This year, we have a new flexible and interactive format that showcases York’s research at its best across several events - the first of which will focus on heritage research at York in collaboration with York’s Festival of Ideas in June.

The York Open Research Awards are open for submissions until Monday 27 April. The Awards celebrate innovation, advocacy and good practice in open research across all disciplines at York, with several £400 prizes on offer. Read about this year's scheme and past awardees on the Open Research at York wiki.

Exploring themes of inequality, power dynamics and resistance, the White Rose Social Sciences DTP are calling for submissions from PGRs to form part of their 15th annual conference in June. Find out more and submit an abstract by midday, Friday 15 May.

Interested to find out more about the wealth of research happening at York? Sign up for the new monthly Research Highlights newsletter.

Discover what careers involving research skills are like - both in and beyond the Higher Education sector. Chaired by Professor Kate Arnold, this panel Q&A will allow you to hear from a range of York alumni working in academia, the non-profit sector, journalism, market research, and biotech - with three of the panelists being PhD graduates. There will also be time after the panel event to meet the speakers informally over refreshments. Find out more and register for a place.

See all current Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) teaching opportunities on Handshake.

If you're planning to teach as a GTA at York, you need to complete Introduction to Teaching and Learning training first. There are three different workshops; you should complete the one recommended by your department. For any queries, please contact the Academic Practice Team: academic-practice@york.ac.uk.

York Students' Union offers a number of regular PGR-exclusive events and activities, and we head into spring and summer, it is also running a number of events that may be of particular interest to PGRs.

Join the Students’ Union for a night of singing, dancing, poetry recitals, and more! Embracing the theme Global Rhythms: Night of Unity, the showcase is dedicated to celebrating the power of performance to connect cultures and communities across the globe. Register for a free ticket today. 

Join staff and students to celebrate trans identity, and showcase the diversity of our UoY community. Featuring a range of stallholders, external speakers, discussion sessions and more - register for your free place. 

A huge congratulations to two of our PGRs, Jadie Acklam and Alice Martin, who were both shortlisted as finalists for the STEM for Britain 2026 competition - a major scientific poster competition and exhibition organised by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee.

As finalists, Jadie and Alice were invited to the Houses of Parliament to present their research to policymakers, as well as fellow researchers. Find out more about the competition, and discover Jadie and Alice’s respective posters.

University of York
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ygrs@york.ac.uk

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