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Festival of Early Stage Researchers (FESR)
FESR 2025 is here!
1-9 April 2025
Explore, network and celebrate with your community
Calling all doctoral researchers and early-career academic and research staff. You are invited to the Festival of Early Stage Researchers, taking place between Tuesday 1 April and Wednesday 9 April.
The annual Festival of Early Stage Researchers (FESR) celebrates the invaluable contribution UCL’s early stage researcher community makes towards research and innovation and is an integral part of your career development journey at UCL.
Co-organised by doctoral and early career researchers, the exciting festival programme includes experiential workshops, showcases of success stories across the various themes and expert panel discussions. Interspersed through the whole programme, there will be networking opportunities for participants to meet new colleagues.
Join the festivities and enhance your professional and personal skill sets, prepare for career next steps, share experiences, and build your cross-disciplinary connections.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with researchers from across UCL and take an active part in one of the UK's biggest researcher communities!
FESR 2025 Programme:
- 1 April 2025 - Getting started on interdisciplinary collaboration
10:00 - 14:50 Getting started on interdisciplinary collaboration
Curious about interdisciplinary research? Wondering how collaborating with colleagues from different fields can enhance your work? If you are a doctoral or early-career researcher join us for a dynamic half-day workshop packed with networking opportunities, individual reflection, small group activities, and inspiring speakers. Discover new connections, skills, and ideas to elevate your research. Learn from the UCL Grand Challenges Team and hear from early-career Researchers who have successfully secured ECR Catalyst Grants for their interdisciplinary projects within Mental Health & Wellbeing. Facilitated by The Horizons Institute, this workshop is your gateway to mastering interdisciplinary collaboration. Lunch will be provided!
If this is for you, book your ticket via Eventbrite!
- 2 April 2025 - Commercialising your research
Part 1: From Research to market
10:00 - 10:40 Unlocking support
Hear from UCL’s professional services, including UCL Innovation & Enterprise, Translational Research Office, UCL Business Ltd, and UCL Consultants Ltd to discover how they can support your funding, commercialisation, entrepreneurship and collaboration needs.
10:45 - 11:45 Showcase of ECR successes
A panel of UCL ECRs who have been supported by the various teams, respectively, and who have progressed their research along the commercial impact process will share their experience and insights into how and when to reach out for support, what support they received and how it impacted them and their research.
12:00 - 13:00 Lunch with Marketplace
Connect with the ECR panel members and meet representatives from the professional services teams, ask questions, and explore the resources available to help you advance your research. Hear from the team organising Transform: Creating impact through knowledge exchange about their upcoming programme in June 2025.
Part 2: Pitch your research: workshop and competition
13:00 - 14:00 What makes a good (elevator) pitch?
Hear how to communicate your work effectively. Learn how to prepare a concise, well-articulated, 3 minute (elevator) pitch that catches the interest of your audience and how to answer follow-up questions effectively.
14:00 - 14:30 Develop your own pitch
Get hands-on experience in pitching your research: Apply what you have learned to develop your own 3 minute (elevator) pitch. Being able to articulate your abilities, interests and work in a clear and concise way to an unknown audience, is an invaluable skill for work and life. This is your opportunity to dedicate some time and thought to be ready to pitch your (research) passion to a non-expert.
14:30 - 15:30 Pitching competition with a chance to win a price
10 slots for individuals to present their 3 minute pitches to fellow participants are available. Each pitcher will need to answer two questions from the audience. The audience (peers) will provide brief feedback and will cast the vote for the most engaging pitch. There will be a prize!
Please indicate if you want to volunteer for the pitching competition when ordering your ticket.If this is for you, book your place via Eventbrite!
- 3 April 2025 - Planning your career (on campus with live streaming)
10:00 - 10:50 Global mobility - finding and funding a research position abroad
Hear from early career researchers what their experience has been changing country to do research: What motivated them to move? What challenges did they overcome, what unexpected opportunities opened up? Where did they find what support in their endeavour?
Hear from UCL's European Research and Innovation Office (ERIO) what global mobility funding opportunities are available to researchers within Europe and further afield to carry out research in a different country.11:00 - 12:00 Unconventional careers outside of academia
Hear from UCL PhD graduates from the private and public sector why they chose to persue careers beyond academia, how they applied skills developed during their research career to the various roles since and what new skills they had to learn and how they went about it.
You will hear from a Pharma & Life Sciences Strategy Consultant at IQVIA, an Economic Advisor at Ofcom, a User Researcher Consultant at Capgemini and the Head of Bilateral Projects (DSIT) at UK Civil Service.
12:00 - 13:00 Networking lunch
Meet and connect with our panellists, fellow doctoral and early career researchers over lunch. Panellists from the following session on Research-associated careers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will also join the lunch.
13:00 - 14:00 Research-associated careers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
Hear from UCL professional services colleagues who chose research-associated careers within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and what draw them to these.
You will hear from the Head of Entrepreneurship, the UCL Programme Manager within the Alliance for Cancer Early Detection (ACED), from the Head of Strategic Initiatives - Research Culture and the Strategic Research Facilitator for the Environment Domain.
14:00 - 14:30 CONNECT: Interdisciplinary Support from the Academic Careers Office (ACO)
Join the Academic Career Office (ACO) to learn about UCL support for interdisciplinary research through both placement and coaching schemes and a brand new project ACO is excited to announce.
If this is for you, book your place via Eventbrite!
- 8 April 2025 - Publishing your research (on campus with live streaming)
10:00 - 11:30 Publishing in the time of AI - Taster session with Nature Masterclasses
Brought to you by Nature Masterclasses, this taster workshop is designed to help researchers understand the role of Generative AI in academic writing and publishing. Participants will explore how AI can enhance writing efficiency, improve clarity, and streamline the publication process, while also critically assessing its limitations and ethical considerations. Attendees will gain insights into the responsible and effective use of AI-powered tools, ensuring that they complement rather than compromise academic integrity.
There will also be a demonstration of Nature Research Assistant – a new Generative AI tool Springer Nature is developing to support researchers with their academic writing for publication.11:40 - 12:40 Decreasing the frustrations in the publishing process
The expert panel of editors of various research journals across different disciplines will demystify the academic publishing process and equip doctoral researchers and early career researchers with practical strategies to navigate common frustrations. We want to empower attendees with actionable insights to make their publication journey more successful and less daunting.
12:40 - 13:30 Networking lunch
Meet and connect with our panellists, fellow doctoral, early career researchers over lunch. Panellists from the following session on Re-imagining peer review will also join the lunch.
13:30 - 14:30 Re-imagining peer review: Addressing integrity challenges and exploring innovative models
The expert panel of representatives of various organisations and initiatives will explore the challenges to research integrity in academic publishing and peer review, while showcasing innovative models that are fostering a more transparent, ethical, and robust research ecosystem. We want to equip early career researchers with a critical understanding of the current landscape and inspire actionable steps for positive change.
14:30 - 17:00 Zine-making workshop (on campus only)
Get creative in this hands-on workshop! You will use zines (a type of pamphlet) as a platform to showcase your research in a creative way. The workshop will start with a brief introduction about zines and how they have been historically used as an empowering tool for collaboration, self-expression and DIY making culture. You will then be guided on how to make your own zine using collage, printing, drawing and text. All materials and tools will be provided; however, participants are encouraged to bring any additional materials they would like to incorporate into their zines. You will leave the workshop with your own handmade zine.
If this is for you, book your place via Eventbrite!
- 9 April 2025 - Thriving as a researcher and Community Celebration
13:00 - 16:00 Unlocking your potential - navigating power, influence and authority in research
Looking to make an impact in your field while maintaining a healthy work-life balance? Join us for an interactive workshop designed to equip you with the tools and confidence to thrive in the research environment. Reflect on key dynamics of power, influence, and authority in academia, and develop strategies for building credibility and influence. Learn to set boundaries, manage workload, and maintain work-life balance. Connect with peers and expand your professional support network in this session for doctoral and early-career researchers. Finally, hear from the UCL Workplace Health Team what wellbeing support is available to staff at UCL.
16:00 - 17:30 Use the self-guided campus tour app to discover UCL landmarks and wellbeing spaces while making your way to the Community Celebration at the Petri Museum
If this is for you, book your ticket via Eventbrite!
17:30 - 20:00 Community Celebration at the Petrie Museum for Egyptian Archaeology
Doctoral and early-career researchers, join us in celebrating you and your contributions to research and innovation at UCL. We conclude the Festival of Early Stage Researchers 2025 at the extraordinary Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology with drinks and a scavenger hunt with a chance to win a prize. Discover fascinating artefacts, hear from Dr. Pontus Skoglund (the Francis Crick Institute) about reading genetic history from ancient DNA, while mingling with colleagues in a relaxed and festive atmosphere.
If this is for you, book your place via Eventbrite!
Book your place via Eventbrite** Various ticket types/combinations are available.
FESR 2025 Planning Committee
FESR 2025 is co-created with representatives from the early stage researcher community. Since the beginning of the year the committee meets on a weekly basis to put together an exciting programme.
- Meet the Committee Members:
Kudos nominations for FESR 2025 Kudos notice board
As part of FESR 2025, we want to recognise and celebrate individuals who actively support the doctoral and early career researcher staff community towards research and innovation.
You are invited to submit Kudos nominations for UCL staff and students who have made exceptional contributions to supportung doctoral and early career researchers to enhance their skills, build their communities, and develop their careers. This could be through a single instance of outstanding support or long-term, continued efforts that align with UCL values, Ways of Working and the Research Culture Roadmap.
Please submit your nominations via this Kudos Nomination form by 30 April 2025.
We will compile all nominations and publish them on our FESR Hub, allowing UCL students and staff to see the invaluable contributions made to the ECR community.
FESR Hub
Explore our Festival of Early Stage Researchers Hub for further information on programme details, resources and updates from the festival throughout the years.