In this final episode of season one, Matthew Sillence and Dr Stephanie Aspin discuss the intersection of poetry, therapy and academic life. Dr Aspin, who has two doctorates and is a neurodivergent therapist, shares her journey from literature to therapy, highlighting her new book Poetry and Therapy: Why Words Help (PCCS Books, 2025). They explore the therapeutic functions of poetry, including telling and symbolizing, containment, transformation, and access to the unconscious. Dr Aspin also discusses the challenges neurodivergent individuals face in academia and the importance of rituals and symbolic acts in therapeutic and academic contexts.

[0:00-5:00] Introduction

Dr Stephanie Aspin discusses her academic journey, from literature studies to counseling, highlighting her unique career path and recent book Poetry and Therapy: Why Words Help. 

[5:00-15:00] Neurodivergence and Professional Identity 

Explores her work as a neurodivergent therapist and co-founder of A-Typicats, a consultancy focusing on neurodiversity in higher education. 

[15:00-25:00] Functions of Poetry in Therapy 

Examines four key functions of poetry: telling/symbolizing, containment, transformation, and accessing the unconscious. 

[25:00-35:00] Therapeutic Approaches 

Discusses person-centred therapy and psychoanalysis, explaining how different therapeutic methods can intersect. 

[35:00-45:00] Academic Challenges for Neurodivergent Individuals 

Shares insights into the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent academics, particularly around administrative tasks and workplace environments. 

[45:00-52:30] Ritual and Transition in Academic Life 

Explores the potential of poetry and symbolic acts to mark important academic milestones and transitions. 

Summary 

- Poetry can be a powerful therapeutic tool 

- Neurodivergence requires understanding and accommodation 

- Rituals and symbolic language help process academic experiences 

Links

- Aspin, S. (2025) Poetry and Therapy: Why Words Help (PCCS Books).

- Website: https://stephanieaspin.com/

- Consultancy: https://a-typicats.com/

This episode contains discussion of anxiety and trauma. If you need urgent help for your mental health, a range of services are available in the UK:

Get help from 111 online or call 111 and select the mental health option.

If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill. These services will only share your information if they are very worried about you or think you are in immediate danger.

Credits 

Music by Matthew Sillence.

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: What We Know, What Works, And Why, which was published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis in 2024. They explore the challenges and importance of doctoral supervision, highlighting the lack of research on supervisors' experiences. The conversation covers topics such as supervisor recognition, professional development, feedback incorporation, and the impact of institutional support on research culture.

1. How can institutions better recognize and value the contributions of their doctoral supervisors?

2. How do supervisors effectively incorporate feedback from their supervisees to improve their supervisory approach?

3. What does Continuous Professional Development (CPD) look like for doctoral supervisors, and how can it be implemented effectively?

4. What are the challenges and opportunities in supporting supervisors during and after the COVID-19 pandemic?

5. What recommendations can be made to improve the research culture and support system for doctoral supervisors and their research students?

The episode provides insights into the complex ecosystem of doctoral supervision, emphasizing the need for institutional support, peer learning, and recognition of supervisors' critical role in research development.

Dr Karen Clegg is a Reader in Doctoral Education in the School for Arts and Creative Technologies at the University of York and Co-PI/Director of the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), a £4.6million, Research England funded project designed to transform the practice and culture of research supervision. Recent publications include Clegg K., Quinlan L. and Palmer N. (2025)  Research Supervision  in the Context of REF - time for a stepchange? Wonkhe 24 January; Gower O., Clegg K. and Cleaver D. (2024) The UK Research Supervision Survey (UKRSS) 2024. UK Council for Graduate Education; Clegg K., Houston G. & Gower O. (2024) Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture: what we know, what works and why. Routledge.

Dr Gill Houston is an independent researcher. She has worked extensively in doctoral education, culminating in the roles of vice-chair and chair of the UK Council for Graduate Education. Recent (2024) publications include: Clegg K., Houston G. & Gower O. (2024) Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture: what we know, what works and why. Routledge; Houston, G. and Lunt, I., The final examination of the UK PhD: fit for purpose? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(8), 1182-1195.

Music by Matthew Sillence

In this episode, Dr John Turnpenny discusses his latest research on postgraduate researcher (PGR) wellbeing, focusing on policy implementation and practice. He highlights the Courage Project at the University of East Anglia, funded by the UK's Catalyst Fund, which aimed to support PGR wellbeing through various interventions. John introduces the policy capacity framework, which examines political, operational, and governance capacities at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. He notes many of the challenges to policy implementation, such as organizational marginalization, low political capacity, and fragmented governance. John also indicates how future research could explore analytical capacity and co-creation processes to improve PGR wellbeing interventions.

What motivated research into PGR wellbeing?

What are the main challenges for PGR wellbeing?

What framework was used to analyze PGR wellbeing?

What are the future research directions?

Catalyst fund: Supporting mental health and wellbeing for postgraduate research students - Office for Students 

Music by Matthew Sillence

In this episode, 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. His work highlighted the dynamic nature of coastal environments. Wells emphasized Collins's intellectual curiosity and connections with figures like Samuel Pepys. He aims to write an academic literary biography, blending historical accuracy with engaging storytelling, to honor Collins's legacy and its impact on British cartography.

Baigent, Elizabeth. "Collins, Greenvile (d. 1694), naval officer and hydrographer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sep. 2004.

Music by Matthew Sillence

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. Matthew recommends five tools: Obsidian for note-taking with markdown, Zotero for bibliographic management, Tropy for organizing research photos, OpenRefine for data cleaning, and WeekToDo for minimal weekly planning. He encourages listeners to share their own digital toolkit suggestions, emphasizing the importance of reducing distractions and enhancing productivity.

1. Introduction to Digital Tools for Postgraduate Researchers

   - Abundance of productivity apps and the challenge of choosing the right tools

   - Referencing Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism" and its relevance in hybrid work

2. Why Should PGRs Have a Digital Toolkit?

   - Most research work is conducted digitally

   - Benefits of having choice in digital tools beyond institutional offerings

   - Minimizing distractions from integrated networking features

3. Deciding What Goes in the Digital Toolkit

   - Focusing on open-source, community-supported software

   - Importance of interoperability and compatibility

   - Prioritizing lightweight computing to avoid overburdening devices

4. Understanding Digital Minimalism

   - Selective and intentional use of digital tools

   - Reducing time spent in shared workspaces

   - Staying offline when possible to focus on tasks

5. Suggested Digital Tools for PGRs

   - Obsidian: Markdown-based note-taking with visualization

   - Zotero: Bibliographic management and citation tool

   - Tropy: Organizing and managing research photos

   - OpenRefine: Cleaning and transforming messy datasets

   - WeekToDo: Minimal weekly planner for task management

6. Conclusion and Call for Listener Suggestions

   - Invitation to share personal digital tool recommendations

   - Instructions for submitting voice recordings

   - Promise of future episodes on research projects and doctoral supervision

Send a voice recording of a digital tool suggestion to the email address [email protected] with the subject line "digital toolkit".

Carroll, R. (2021) The Bullet Journal Method: Track Your Past, Order Your Present, Plan Your Future. The 4th Estate.

Newport, C. (2020) Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Penguin Books.

Music by Matthew Sillence

In recent years, discussions of equality/equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) have emerged across the higher education sector. Recent surveys, reports and conferences have explored how EDI can be fostered in postgraduate research degree programmes. 

Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), which fund and support many postgraduate researchers, have taken up the challenge within their universities. In this episode, Dr Matthew Sillence meets Cassia Hayward-Fitch, a PhD student in American Studies at the University of East Anglia. Her research focuses on comics cultures, LGBTQ+ communities, and media reception. Cassia is also the University's EDI Ambassador for the CHASE DTP, whose student conference on 6 November 2024 focused on Neurodivergence and the PGR Experience.  

Cassia is joined by Jess Jasper, a Learning Enhancement tutor at the University of East Anglia. Her role involves empowering learners with a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism to achieve their potential through using a combination of creative, person-centred and structured teaching methods. 

In this conversation, our guests discuss the findings from the recent conference and how consider how institutions and individuals involved in postgraduate research can better understand and support neurodivergent researchers. 

Links 

Neurodivergence at a Glance – Imagine | Johns Hopkins University 

What is Neurodiversity? - NHS Norfolk 

UKCGE | Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Postgraduate Study 2022/23 

EDI Ambassadors — CHASE Doctoral Training Partnership 

Brian Irvine Profile | University College London  

Explore Neurodiversity (MyUEA resource for current staff and students) 

UEA’s SpLD Screening Service (MyUEA resource for current students and staff)

Inclusivity Network (IN) TV Channel on YouTube – bite-sized practical guidance 

Legault, M., Bourdon, JN. & Poirier, P. (2021) "From neurodiversity to neurodivergence: the role of epistemic and cognitive marginalization", Synthese 199, 12843–12868.  

Peters, L. A., (2023) "Embracing neurodiversity to enhance the post-graduate researcher experience: Reflections from a doctoral student", Fields: journal of Huddersfield student research 1(1). 

Neurodiversity: Sage Journals 

Credits

Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay

Academic writing is a part of academic life, but for many years it has also been one of the most challenging activities for many students and staff. So much so that authors such as Pat Thomson, Rowena Murray and many others have spent much of their careers examining the practices of writing in universities to try to understand and overcome some of the barriers that we face.   

The month of November - when this episode was recorded - is also well known globally as ‘Academic Writing Month’ or ‘AcWriMo’ for short. Established by the art historian and digital humanities scholar, Dr Charlotte Frost, back in 2011. Initially planned to support the writing of academic books, this event continues annually with scholars sharing their progress and fostering accountability on their academic writing goals. So, it seemed a good moment to reflect on the importance of creating space and time for writing amidst the many competing activities in our lives.  

To explore our topic 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. 

Links 

Learning Enhancement - Student Support 

Learning Enhancement - Student Support (MyUEA page)

Learning Enhancement Team – Writing Retreats (MyUEA page)

Writers' Groups - Faculty of Arts and Humanities (MyUEA page)

Aitchison, C., & Guerin, C. (Eds.). (2014). Writing Groups for Doctoral Education and Beyond: Innovations in practice and theory (1st ed.). Routledge. 

Lee, A., & Boud, D. (2003). Writing Groups, Change and Academic Identity: Research development as local practice. Studies in Higher Education, 28(2), 187–200. 

Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay

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. He is currently a visiting researcher at UEA, in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, under the supervision of Professor Richard Hand. 

Dudlei has a teaching degree in Portuguese, English and Literature, and a Master's degree in Literature. In Brazil, he teaches both secondary school and undergraduate courses. He is also very interested in comparative analysis of Literature and the audiovisual, and of the Gothic in literature, cinema and TV, and many of his recent academic research has involved those themes. During our conversation, we discuss the adaptation of Gothic literature in recent television series, what Gothic means to people today, and how Dudlei developed the idea for his PhD project. We also learn more about the education system in Brazil and his teaching experiences.

This episode contains discussion of historical race relations and gender-based violence.

Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay

Sound effects by bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC

In this second episode of the Postgraduate Research Matters podcast, we hear from Dr Maria Tsimpiri, who was interviewed in December 2023 about her doctoral experience and life and work after the PhD. Maria's involvement in PGR representation through the Graduate School Student Forum (GSSF) while a PhD candidate, as well as her active participation in the Courage Project, shaped her interest in career prospects towards PGR matters as a whole.

This interview focuses on life immediately after a research degree, with staff member, Dr Maria Tsimpiri, who holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of East Anglia. The conversation covers a number of questions: 

Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay 

Dr Matthew Sillence introduces the PGR Matters series, which offers insights in postgraduate research in UK higher education.

Links

Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay