Dive into the world of research with our PGR Matters Podcast! Meet postgraduate researchers and staff from the University of East Anglia and beyond as they unravel mysteries, share their passion, personal experiences and discuss all things academic. Hosted by Dr Matthew Sillence from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Graduate School.
Have an idea for an episode? Feel free to get in touch at pgrmatters@pm.me (mailto:pgrmatters@pm.me).
Matthew Sillence introduces open research and the Copyright Dough project, developed with colleagues at UEA and Essex. Guest Gabriel Baxter-Baker describes returning to UEA after performance work to pursue a PhD on transgender oral storytelling. They explain how storytelling traditions value sharing, adaptation, and tracing stories’ origins, challenging conventional copyright ideas.
25 Mar 2026
S2 Ep3: Open Research Training
In this final episode of the open research series, Matthew Sillence talks with Dr Samuel Moore (MORPHSS project, University of Cambridge) and Hannah Crago (University of Essex) about how open research plays out in the arts, humanities and social sciences. They explore reframing “open science” for different disciplines, the role of CARE principles, and how gamification—including escape rooms and the Copyright Dough game—can make open research training more engaging, ethical, and practical for researchers
18 Mar 2026
S2 Ep2: Open Access Publishing
This episode demystifies open access publishing—covering Green, Gold, Diamond routes and Creative Commons licensing—through real experiences from the University of Essex that show how institutional support, repositories, and smart promotion can amplify the reach of PGR and early career researchers’ work.
4 Mar 2026
S2 Ep1: What is Open Research?
In this episode of PGR Matters, Matthew Sillence and Grant Young introduce postgraduate researchers to open research, exploring how transparency, FAIR and CARE principles, and ethical considerations shape the way research—especially in the humanities—is made accessible, reusable, and accountable.
11 Aug 2025
10: Poetry, Therapy and the Academy with Dr Stephanie Aspin
Host Matthew Sillence interviews Dr. Stephanie Aspin, a neurodivergent therapist with two doctorates, about poetry's role in therapy and academia, sharing insights from her new book.
4 Apr 2025
9: Postgraduate Research Supervision: The Status Quo
The podcast episode features Dr. Karen Clegg and Dr. Gill Houston discussing their book, co-authored with Dr Owen Gower, Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture, which was published by Taylor & Francis in 2024. They explore the challenges and importance of doctoral supervision, highlighting the lack of research on supervisors' experiences.
11 Mar 2025
8: Supporting PGR Wellbeing: Policy and Practice
In this episode, Dr John Turnpenny discusses his latest research on postgraduate researcher (PGR) wellbeing, focusing on policy implementation and practice. He introduces the policy capacity framework, which examines political, operational, and governance capacities at individual, organizational, and systemic levels.
Peter Wells, a PhD candidate with a background in music, discusses his research on Greenvile Collins, a 17th-century naval officer and mapmaker. Collins's 1693 atlas, Great Britain's Coasting Pilot, was a significant contribution to naval hydrography, despite challenges like limited funding and outdated maps.
12 Feb 2025
6: The PGR (Digital) Toolkit
Matthew Sillence discusses the importance of digital tools for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and introduces the concept of digital minimalism, advocating for selective and intentional use of technology. He highlights the challenges of choosing tools in an ever-evolving market and emphasizes the benefits of open-source, community-supported software.
10 Dec 2024
5: Neurodivergence and the PGR experience
In this episode, Matthew Sillence meets Cassia Hayward-Fitch, a PhD student in American Studies at the University of East Anglia, who is currently the institution's EDI Ambassador for the CHASE DTP. Cassia is joined by Jess Jasper, a Learning Enhancement tutor at the University of East Anglia. Jointly, they discuss the findings from a recent conference on neurodivergence and the postgraduate research experience, and how consider how institutions and individuals involved in postgraduate research can better understand and support neurodivergent researchers.
3 Dec 2024
4: Write here, write now
In this episode, Matthew Sillence is joined by Nayantara Nayar, postgraduate researcher in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, Dr Jeremy Schildt, Head of Life and Learning (Learning Enhancement) in Student Services. Our guests have been involved in convening writing groups and bring their own perspectives to understanding the act of writing in the company of others.
1 Nov 2024
3: Halloween Special: Adapting the Gothic
In this Halloween episode of PGR Matters we meet with Dudlei de Oliveira, a Brazilian PhD student of Literature, who has been awarded a scholarship from the Brazilian government to undertake part of his research abroad on television adaptations of the works of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).
22 Oct 2024
2: Beginning at the End with Dr Maria Tsimpiri
In this second episode of the Postgraduate Research Matters podcast, Dr Matthew Sillence interviews Dr Maria Tsimpiri about her doctoral experience and life and work after the PhD.
21 Oct 2024
1: Series Introduction
Dr Matthew Sillence introduces the PGR Matters series, which offers insights in postgraduate research in UK higher education.
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