Welcome to our weekly update highlighting news and upcoming events for the PGR community for the week ending Friday 22 January 2021.

In our update this week:

  1. Campus Study Spaces
  2. Research Students and Critical Worker Status
  3. Updated Guidance on Applying for an Extension to University-Funded Scholarships
  4. Academic English for Doctoral Students
  5. Research Institute Dialogue Event – Sustainability Challenges for Moving to A Low Carbon Economy and Society
  6. SHU PGR Student Society – Pod Club | Monday 25 January 1830 – 1930

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  1. Campus Study Spaces

The bookable study space for PGR students in Charles Street is no longer available but, if you do not have a safe or suitable study space, or where it would support your mental health, bookable PCs and study spaces are available in the University Libraries.  Advance booking is required; you won’t be able to access the Library or study spaces without a booking.

Further information on opening hours, the facilities available and how to book a space are available at 24 hour Learning Spaces – Library Online – LibGuides at Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk)

Note there will be no direct access to the bookshelves.  The Click and Collect service will continue to provide you with print resources. Borrowing from the library – Library Online – LibGuides at Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk)

Government guidance is to avoid all unnecessary contact, and to travel as little as possible, so you should only come to campus if it is essential for you to do so.  The University’s guidance on campus access is available at Keeping safe on campus | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk)

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  1. Research Students and Critical Worker Status

The DfE has indicated that higher education staff in England can in principle be classified as critical workers for the purposes of accessing school-based childcare.  In this guidance, the DfE has clarified that parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can.

The DfE Guidance on critical workers (link below), and subsequent letter to university Vice-Chancellors:

a) confirms that higher education staff who are required to deliver or to support delivery of teaching or research and the provision of appropriate university facilities should be considered critical workers for the purposes of access to education; and

b) highlights the criteria that have been prioritised for accessing school places. One of these categories is: Staff or research students responsible for research and other activities to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and for other essential research and supporting activity necessary to meet regulatory, legal, health and safety or other on-going requirements. This would include long-running research which cannot tolerate a break, staff or others looking after living resources (e.g. animals, plants or bacterial cultures) or hazardous materials; or those that are essential for the maintenance of equipment and facilities.

Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The emphasis remains that research students should work from home where possible.

Any research student who thinks they are eligible for critical worker status and requires a letter as evidence, eg in order to apply for a school place, should first raise this with their Director of Studies.  Where the Director of Studies agrees that a student does meet the criteria, the student should complete the template letter available on the Research Degrees Blackboard site (‘Coronavirus documents’ folder) and send this to their Director of Studies for approval/signature.  The Director of Studies should sign and return the letter to the student.

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  1. Updated Guidance on Applying for an Extension to University-Funded Scholarships

The guidance on the extensions policy for University-funded scholarships has now been revised.  The full document can be accessed from the ‘Coronavirus Documents’ folder of the Research Degrees Blackboard site.  The guidance includes application deadlines for students with funding end dates after 31 July, plus guidance for UKRI-funded students* on how to apply for an extension.

(*we understand that the Heritage Consortium have implemented a separate extensions process so those students won’t need to apply through SHU)

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  1. Academic English for Doctoral Students

 The Academic English for Doctoral Students session timetable has been launched for Semester 2.  Classes will take place every Wednesday from 1100-1200.  Please book your place in advance using UniHub via https://unihub.shu.ac.uk/students/events/Type/196/university-english-scheme-acad

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  1. Research Institute Dialogue Event – Sustainability Challenges for Moving to A Low Carbon Economy and Society | Wednesday 24 February 2021 | 1530-1700

Building on the success of the CK online conference last year the four Research Institutes would like to invite you to the third event in a series of online dialogues for 2020-2021.  This event will focus on the sustainability challenges for moving to a low carbon economy and society.

The 90 minute session will include a 30-45 minute discussion from a panel facilitated by a chair (one of the Research Institute Directors). This will be followed by an open discussion where audience members can join the debate.

Expressions of interest are invited from anyone with experience of researching on sustainability and/or low carbon energy to join the panel for this Dialogue event which will take place on Wednesday 24 February 1530 to 1700.  Expressions of interest are open to researchers at any stage of the research career.  To book a please use the Eventbrite link

Further information can be found on the Doctoral School events calendar (event link) along with the short form to submit as an expression of interest (deadline 29 January 2021).

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  1. SHU PGR Student Society – Pod Club | Monday 25 January 1830 – 1930

Do you like the idea of a book club but have no time to read? Join the Pod-Club!

Listening to podcasts can be a great way to broaden your knowledge and insight into a wide array of subjects, and let’s face it, sometimes we are too tired to read one more thing, be it academic or fiction!  So the society has started a Pod-Club, you listen to the episode before meeting up fortnightly on Monday evenings 6:30 – 7:30pm for a Pod-Club-chat over zoom!

You can keep up to date with SHU PGR Society events by becoming a member of the society: https://www.hallamstudentsunion.com/organisation/prss/ and there is an opportunity to connect with the group on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shsuprss

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If you would like to share any good news stories, highlight any events that might be of interest to the SHU PGR community or wish to request any specific development sessions that would appeal to cross-disciplinary PGR students or supervisors, please get in touch via doctoralschool@shu.ac.uk  We’re always pleased to hear from you.

You can find upcoming events in the doctoral school calendar (including the weekly PGR Focus Thursday and PGR Virtual Café events – the link to join the Virtual Café can be found in the Friday email  |  https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/doctoralschool/events/

We really need to look after our physical and mental health and each other.  Please stay connected.  You can find help and information about supporting your wellbeing via the University website on https://www.shu.ac.uk/wellbeing