The Lincoln Sport & Exercise Psychology Research Group have been busy connecting students and academics from around the country and the globe for virtual discussions of research in a broad range of areas of sport, health and wellness psychology. The PGR Connect Series and Virtual Journal Club meetings – both created and organised by Dr Trish Jackman, with help from Dr Matt Bird – have been extremely popular and successful.

Five Lincoln researchers were amongst the 22 contributors to the PGR Connect Series: LSEPR members Rachel Langbein, Rebecca Hawkins and Oliver Williamson; Jo Blackwell, from the School’s HART Research Group; and Tom George, one of the School’s graduates who now works in the School of Health & Social Care.

Rachel, who is starting the third year of her PhD exploring Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), appreciated both the opportunity to share research with others in an informal setting and the addition of regular group academic interactions during a summer of researching from home:

“The PGR Connect series was a great opportunity to present some of my recent PhD work and communicate my findings to an audience of fellow PhD students and academics. Even just preparing my presentation for the seminar gave me another small goal to work towards, which is something I’ve found it really helpful to do during lockdown (to make the slightly larger end goal of my entire PhD thesis seem less daunting!) I really enjoyed starting each Tuesday hearing about other people’s research, in both similar and different fields to my own. The questions following each presentation often sparked really interesting discussions about the practical applications of people’s work, which I found really motivating. It often gave me plenty to think about and reflect on throughout the day. The series was brilliantly organised and felt like attending a actual research seminar (even with the odd technical difficulty) which provided a much-needed sense of normality! I’d definitely participate in a similar series again as any opportunity to present and seek further feedback on my work is invaluable practice for conference presentations and the PhD Viva.”

Jo, whose own PhD research examines socio-cultural influences on uptake and adherence in cardiac rehabilitation, also noted the benefit of being able to connect regularly with other researchers, especially with the virtual format allowing contributions from as far away as Australia and New Zealand:

“I was really pleased to both listen into and be part of the PGR connect series organised by Dr Trish Jackman, and chaired by her and Dr Matt Bird. Being able to stay connected during these unusual times and when so many other things are cancelled has been an important part of continuing the momentum of my PhD research. The opportunity to share some of my preliminary findings in a supportive environment was brilliant. Equally the opportunity to hear about the research of others, from across the globe, was great.

I always like to be supportive of fellow PGRs both those I work with at the School of Sport and Exercise Science but more widely too. Undertaking a PhD is nothing short of a rollercoaster of ups and downs. The pandemic, subsequent lockdown, shift in research methods and move to full-time home working has not been without challenges. It would be easy to become isolated during a PhD in normal times, therefore opportunities to stay connected become even more important. This series was really well organised and despite the odd technical hitch being able to see and hear others in this way actually for me worked better than many in-person events. It also enabled a wide number of presenters to be involved spanning locations and time zones, without the usual hassles and costs. I am very grateful to the School for this opportunity.”

Congratulations to Trish Jackman for such a fantastic initiative, which looks set to become an annual event!