SRHE Newer Researchers Network: Webinar Series
Share your research or work-in-progress!
The Newer Researcher network is hosting a series of webinars in 2026 to recognise the body of exciting research being undertaken by newer and early career researchers. This is an opportunity to share your research findings or work-in-progress, within a supportive space, receive feedback and develop connections with others in your research space.
If you have also submitted a paper the SRHE Annual Conference, you can still submit to this webinar series to help refine your ideas and presentation.
Webinar Format
Webinars will be programmed monthly from February 2026 until July 2026 (dates below), taking place between 13.00-14.00 (UK time). Following acceptance, suitable dates for presentation will be arranged by the Society with presenters.
Presenters will be grouped by domain, theme, or methodological synergy, with 2 – 3 presentations per webinar. Each presenter will be allocated a total of 15 minutes for a ‘Lightning Talk’ style presentation (up to 10 minutes to present, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A discussion). Presenters are welcome to use any tools or materials which can be facilitated online; those who choose to use slides are advised to include a maximum of 20 in their presentation.
To express your interest in participating please send your proposal to Dr Charlie Davis at Charlie.Davis@nottingham.ac.uk by Friday 14 November 2025, 17:00 (UK time). We will communicate the outcome of all proposals and soon as possible following this date.
How to apply
Provide a 300-word abstract which should include
- Presentation title
- Research domain (please choose one from the list below)
- Introduction: aims and rationale
- Background of your research
- Research methodologies being used
- Details of some findings to date (including the stage you are at in your research project)
Please also include your references – these may be excluded from the abstract word count.
Research Domains
- Academic practice, Work, Careers, and Cultures (AP)
- Digital University and New Learning Technologies (DU)
- Employability, Enterprise, and Graduate Careers (EE)
- Higher Education Policy (HEP)
- International Contexts and Perspectives (ICP)
- Learning, Teaching, and Assessment (LTA)
- Management, Leadership, Governance, and Quality (MLGQ)
- Postgraduate Scholarship and Practice (PGSP)
- Student Access and Experience (SAE)
- Technical, Professional and Vocational Higher Education (TPV)
Selection Process
| Low | Medium | High | |
| 1 | Introduction missing or unclear. No aims or rationale of the research. | General overview of the research lacking full clarity and/or aims/hypothesis. | Clear introduction to the research with clear aims/hypothesis. |
| 2 | Missing or lacking depth to contextualize the research. Poorly referenced. | General summary of the research and partially referenced but does not give a clear context. | Referenced summary to the research to date and a clear context. |
| 3 | Missing or too generic to be able to understand any data presented. | Some detail of the methods to be used but lacking clear rationale or detail to permit the reader to engage fully with future data. | Clear explanation/rationale of/for the methods to be used, how data will be collected and analysed. |
| 4 | Missing or poorly presented and so the reader cannot understand what has been presented. | Some data presented but slightly difficult to engage with. No clear relationship between data and aims of the research. | Presentation of data in a clear and easy to follow manner with brief discussion of impact – relating to the aims of the research |
Session dates and times
| Date | Time | |
| Thursday 12th Feb |
1300-1400
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| Monday 16th March |
1300-1400
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| Wednesday 29th April |
1300-1400
|
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| Tuesday 19th May |
1300-1400
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| Thursday 18th June |
1300-1400
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| Tuesday 7th July |
1300-1400
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Network Convenors
Dr Mark J.P. Kerrigan, SOAS University of London
Email: mk157@soas.ac.uk
Dr Simon Pratt-Adams, Anglia Ruskin University
Email: simon.pratt-adams@aru.ac.uk
Dr Charlotte Verney, University of Bristol
Email: charlotte.verney@bristol.ac.uk
Dr Charlie Davis, University of Nottingham
Email: charlie.davis@nottingham.ac.uk
This SRHE network is for individuals who consider themselves as ‘newer researchers’ in the field of higher education. We appreciate the broad range of career paths that newer higher education researchers have followed and our membership and activities aim to embrace this diversity. The network is aimed at:
- postgraduate students (including full time and part time)
- postdoctoral and early career researchers
- newer academics from a range of disciplinary backgrounds
- researchers newer to carrying out research in the field of HE
Essentially, if you consider yourself a newer researcher in higher education and would like to be involved in the network’s activities, then you are very welcome to participate.
Our aim is to provide opportunities for new researchers to develop links with national and international peers, share their developing research and build capacity as researchers within a supportive research community.
Activities
Our activities include:
- Annual SRHE Prize for Newer Researchers
- A series of Professional Development Workshops
- Network events throughout the year