Weekly Update

Up to 20 grants of €1,200 will be awarded. The scheme is open to Master’s and PhD students, with priority given to PhD candidates, particularly those not eligible for other mobility programmes such as Erasmus+. The host institution must be located in a different country from the applicant’s home institution (Queen’s University). Mobility may include research activities and/or course attendance, though research-focused projects will be prioritised.

Organisation of the Mobility

The mobility period and application process are fully self-organised. Applicants must identify a suitable research area and secure agreement from an academic supervisor at a Utrecht Network partner institution. While International Relations Offices may offer general advice, identifying and contacting a supervisor is an essential part of the application.

Application Procedure

Applicants must first obtain a Letter of Recommendation from their Queen’s University supervisor or programme coordinator. They must also secure a Letter of Acceptance from an academic at the host Utrecht Network institution confirming the feasibility of the proposed mobility.

The following documents must be submitted to the Queen’s Global Opportunities Team (goglobal@qub.ac.uk) by Friday 20 February 2026 (12 noon):

• Application Form

• Letter of Recommendation (Queen’s University)

• Letter of Acceptance (Utrecht Network host institution)

The Global Opportunities Team will shortlist applications and nominate eligible candidates to the Utrecht Network.

Eligibility, Duration and Timing

• Priority: PhD students (Master’s students are eligible to apply)

• Requirement: Mobility must take place at a Utrecht Network partner institution in a different country

• Minimum duration: 4 weeks

• Mobility does not need to align with an academic semester and may take place during holiday periods

• Mobility must start between 1 May 2026 and 30 April 2027

Grant and Results

The grant is a lump-sum of €1,200. All applicants will be notified of the outcome by 20 March 2026.

After the Mobility

Participants must submit a Host University Confirmation and a Final Report via the designated online platform. Participation is subject to the applicable Privacy Notice.

For queries, please contact goglobal@qub.ac.uk

The Thomas J. Moran Graduate School invites postgraduate students to submit abstracts for the Graduate School Conference 2026, taking place on Wednesday 24 June 2026.

This special conference celebrates 180 years of research at Queen’s by showcasing the ideas, achievements and impact of postgraduate research across the university. It will provide an opportunity for postgraduates to share their work with an interdisciplinary audience, engage in discussion with peers, and reflect on the role of research in shaping society.

We welcome abstract submissions from postgraduate students whose thesis/upcoming dissertation aligns with one of the following conference themes:

Theme A: Research and Queen’s Core Values
Exploring how research reflects and advances Queen’s core values:

• Integrity
• Excellence
• Connected
• Ambition
• Respect

Theme B: Impact Beyond Academia
Research that connects with the wider world, including:

• Public engagement
• Industry collaboration
• Policy influence
• Real-world applications and societal impact

Theme C: Interdisciplinary Innovation
Research that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries or involves collaboration across different fields.

Theme D: Diversity and Inclusion in Research
Research that addresses issues of:

• Equity and inclusion
• Community engagement
• Representation in research and knowledge production

We particularly encourage submissions that demonstrate how postgraduate research contributes to society, innovation, and the future of research at Queen’s.

Submission Details

• Deadline for submissions: Wednesday 1 April 2026
• Who can apply: Postgraduate students at Queen’s University Belfast
• Submission method: Applications must be submitted via this MS Form

Selected presenters will have the opportunity to present their research in fifteen minutes to a cross-disciplinary audience of postgraduate researchers and staff, helping to celebrate the people, ideas and impact of research at Queen’s over the past 180 years.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

As part of this initiative, a series of interactive masterclasses will be delivered on campus:

• Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Wednesday 25th February – Graduate School, TR7
• Spotting and Seizing Opportunities: Wednesday 25th March – Graduate School, TR7
• Creative Problem-Solving for Research Careers: Wednesday 22nd April – Location TBC

Session time: 1.00pm – 3.00pm
Lunch provided: 12.30pm – 1.00pm

Each session focuses on developing transferable skills that support research careers both within and beyond academia:

• Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset – Develop a proactive and innovative approach to career and business opportunities.
• Spotting and Seizing Opportunities – Identify and capitalise on potential opportunities for growth and success.
• Creative Problem-Solving for Research Careers – Apply innovative thinking to tackle challenges in research and beyond.

Full details, including registration information, can be found on the programme webpage here: Chapter One: Perspectives | Business | Queen's University Belfast

International law defines children as persons under 18 and affirms their entitlement to special protection. Yet significant numbers of young people around the world continue to be drawn into armed conflict and are designated as child soldiers, a term shaped by the prevalent assumption that they are solely passive victims. Despite sustained international attention, efforts to end the recruitment and use of children in hostilities have struggled to achieve lasting success, and in some settings the practice is even intensifying. This persistence highlights the need for reimagined approaches that are more nuanced, empirically grounded, and contextual. This lecture investigates how dominant portrayals may obscure the complex pressures, coercive environments, and constrained choices that shape children’s trajectories into armed groups and considers how a more refined understanding might strengthen prevention, reintegration, and justice processes for the harm’s child soldiers endure and at times bring upon others.  

Further information including how to register for the lecture can be found here.

Research Data Management is part of the Open Research Team. We regularly provide training on the following topics:

• Pure and the Research Portal
• Getting published
• Open Access publishing
• E-thesis submission
• Copyright
• Research data and your thesis
• Informed consent for data sharing
• Workshops on uploading your data to Pure
• Protecting your research

Full details of our training courses for 2025-2026 can be found here

The launch of Thesis with Publications was officially marked by an informative webinar on 3 April 2025. If you missed it, don’t worry, watch the webinar recording here. The webinar brought together postgraduate research students, supervisors, and staff who offered an overview of TWP and advice on its application.

Be sure to tap into the updated TWP FAQs and Additional Resources if you have not yet seen them.  

Find Out More Here!

Or check out the video on sharepoint.

You’re very welcome to join if you’re interested in focused writing, reading, or study time alongside others in the same (virtual) space. It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at in your studies — if you’re looking for dedicated, distraction-free time to work with gentle accountability, this group is for you. You can join here.

✨ What you’ll get:
✔ Hands-on experience in academic skills & English language support
✔ Involvement in workshops, 1-to-1 support & resource creation
✔ Flexible hours that fit around your studies
✔ A chance to directly enhance the postgraduate student experience

🧠 What you’ll do:
• Support academic skills workshops (writing, reading, research & communication)
• Assist with face-to-face & online sessions
• Help create high-quality learning materials
• Provide light-touch proofreading & feedback
• Support evaluation, feedback & admin tasks

⏰ Role details:
📅 Temporary (6 months, possible extension)
⏳ Up to 20 hrs/week (flexible)
🏫 Hybrid working (on campus + remote)

💡 Ideal if you have:
• Strong communication & organisational skills
• Confidence working with diverse student groups
• An interest in mentoring, tutoring or peer support (desirable, not essential)

👉 Open to current QUB postgraduate students

📩 Interested? Apply here

Through a large team of freelance Support Providers, The Register of Support Providers at Queen’s supports disabled students across a number of different roles.

The Register is currently seeking to engage additional Support Providers for the new academic year across a number of different support roles including as Campus Assistants, Academic Mental Health Tutors, Note Takers and exam assistants to support students with disabilities / long-term conditions across the University. 

The Register is particularly keen to engage STEM subject Note Takers (£15 per hour) capable of taking notes in subject areas such as Computer Science, Engineering (all strands - Electrical, Civil, Chemical, Aerospace), Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing etc .  Individuals will also be required for Specialist Campus Assistant roles (£17 per hour) to support students in practical / laboratory settings and with using particular statistical packages such as SPSS etc.

Further information about the Note Taker and other support roles may be found on the main Queen's website.

If you would be interested in joining the freelance team (interviews anticipated August / September), please complete / return the following Expression of Interest form as soon as possible to supportprovider@qub.ac.uk

As you will be working on a freelance / self-employed basis (ie not paid via QWork), there are no restrictions in relation to the number of hours worked per week.  Unfortunately however, if you are residing in the UK on a student visa (previously Tier 4 student visa), you cannot work on a self-employed basis so we would not be able to progress your Expression of Interest on that premise.

If you have any queries at all (about the type of work involved, nature of engagement, payments etc) please contact Kirsti, Disability Support Manager at k.alexander@qub.ac.uk

You can find the current list of available roles here.

Why this role stands out:

• Local Impact, Global Scale: We are a Belfast-founded company with a global reach.
• World-Class Backing: We are backed by the same investors behind Slack, Revolut, and TransferWise, and we are proud to count global leaders like Sarah Friar (CFO of OpenAI) amongst our investors.
• PhD Focused: We specifically value the "Researcher/PhD" profile for this role, as it requires deep scientific synthesis and the ability to architect educational frameworks.
• Rewards: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, and a tech-forward environment (including a new MacBook and access to cutting-edge AI tools).

Full Job Description & Application: https://medall.org/careers/medical-writer-and-strategist

It provides a supportive and interdisciplinary community across the UK, with a dedicated North East and Northern Ireland cluster connecting researchers across the region. The Network offers access to funding for event convening, personal and professional development, and small-scale research projects, enabling ECRs to pilot ideas, build collaborations, and strengthen their research profiles within a supportive and inclusive environment. You can sign up for the Network here.

A symposium you're keen to curate, or a cultural celebration that would bring the postgraduate community together?

Then you should apply to host a Postgraduate-Led Initiative and receive up to £400 funding from the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School.

You'll gain experience in project management, working with budgets, and showcase your leadership skills when you successfully carry out your own Postgraduate-Led Initiative.

And you can apply for your own Postgraduate Led Initiative here.

You might like the idea of befriending an older person; campaigning on humanitarian issues; fundraising for a local charity or getting involved in conservation in urban areas, whatever you’re passionate about we will be able to find the perfect volunteering opportunity for you.

If you know you want to do something but you’re not quite sure what, never fear, we will be able to provide you with a range of volunteering options and just know something will spark your interest!

Discover more on the Student Union website.