We’re sponsoring 7 sessions at this years RGS-IBG Annual Conference in Exeter. Feel free to contact the sessions conveners if you need more information…..they’re a nice bunch!

PGF SPONSORED SESSIONS AT THE RGS-IBG ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015 

The British Library have launched a competition today!

Closing date: 9th Feb 2015

• Are you currently studying for or have you completed a PhD degree?
• Do you want to tell the world why your research is important?

The challenge

The #ShareMyThesis competition challenges PhD students past and present to summarise why your PhD research is important in 140 characters or less. The competition is open worldwide and to entries from all subject areas.

First, tweet why your PhD research is important using the hashtag #ShareMyThesis. Your tweet should convey why your research is important (not just what your research is about). Make sure your tweet is self-contained and understandable to a non-specialist.

Tweets must be received by 9 February 2015 at 10.00. Our judging panel will then select the top eight tweets.

Next, the eight shortlisted entrants will be asked to write a short article (up to 600 words) elaborating on your tweet and explaining why your PhD research is important. Full details can be found here.

The judging panel will select a winner and two runners up by 20 March 2015.

Other Info

All PhD authors and current doctoral students are invited to send a single tweet with the hashtag #ShareMyThesis saying why their research is important.

The competition aims to increase awareness of EThOS and the use of theses for research. The top eight entrants selected by an expert panel will be invited to expand their tweets into a blog post, and the final three will win some fab prizes.

The competition is generously supported by Research Councils UK and Vitae, and closes on 9 February.

The prize

The winner will receive a 15-inch MacBook pro. Second prize is an iPad and third prize a £200 Amazon voucher.

White Rose Migration Research Postgraduate Network

 1st POSTGRADUATE WORKSHOP ON MIGRATION

“Reframing the Migration Debate”

CALL FOR PAPERS

ICoSS, University of Sheffield, 11th June 2015

 Keynote Speaker: Professor Andrew Geddes (Politics Department, University of Sheffield)

The White Rose Migration Research Postgraduate Network, in collaboration with The University of Sheffield Migration Research Group, invites submissions for the 1st Postgraduate Workshop on Migration. The aim of the workshop is to provide a space of discussion and dissemination for early career researchers (either doctoral or postdoctoral researchers) working on different topics and across different disciplines in relation to migration. This will be an opportunity to showcase your research, preliminary research findings and any other ‘work in progress’ with a critically engaged audience from across the White Rose Universities. This workshop will facilitate the development of networks and foster future research collaborations.

This year the workshop is inviting postgraduate students and early career researchers from different disciplines to critically discuss and reflect about different aspects of migrants’ experiences. With an increase in restrictive policies, the perceived need to secure borders and anti-migrant sentiment, this workshop extends an invitation to researchers, who wish to challenge pejorative migrant discourses through engagement in a comprehensive discussion of migrants displacement and the integration process into a new ‘place’. We are interested in papers that contribute to “reframing the migration debate”, with innovative approaches that allow us to explore migrants citizenship, contribution and resistance in the context of the challenges they face. Suggested topics include, but are in no way limited to:

• Migrants as active citizens exercising agency.

• Challenges to migrants’ ability to contribute to society, such as the impact of migration on capital and subsequently integration.

• Relationship between governance, the management of migration and integration.

• New dynamics and patterns of migration.

• Exploration of the role played by different institutions in civil society in relation to migration flows e.g. the media, NGO’s, etc.

• Alternative theoretical/empirical perspectives on migration.

Abstracts in all areas of migration and from all disciplines will be considered. The workshop welcomes research and work in progress about broad heterogeneous groups including documented, undocumented and forced migrants.

Abstracts submission

Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and should be submitted via the following link by 15th March 2015:

 https://docs.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/forms/d/1Jktog5NPvrtOCcT4GCNx2tkUz2OO2klj0ybvVv0ywX0/viewform?usp=send_form

(If the link is broken please copy and paste in your browser)

Conference Registration Deadline: 30th April 2015

All students planning to attend the workshop to join the discussion should register via the link below
https://docs.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/forms/d/1AOLLArJCMaOFdTBCG1EwX0XlNzkWf6a5N1oVA3YNI2M/viewform?usp=send_form
(If the link is broken please copy and paste in your browser)

*The event is FREE to all attendants, and lunch and refreshments will be provided. However, participants will be responsible for covering their own travel costs.

*There will be a limited number of travel grants available for accepted abstracts.

If you have any questions please contact Michaela Bruckmayer (m.bruckmayer@sheffield.ac.uk) or Marcia Vera (marcia.vera@sheffield.ac.uk)

Is your research involving GIS in anyway? If you are this Esri Young Scholars Competition may be of interest.

Esri Young Scholars Competition

Would you like to attend an international GI conference?  Would you like to network with GI professionals from all over the world?  Are you a student or researcher at a UK or Irish university using Esri technology?  If so, you may like to enter our Esri Young Scholars competition.  The 2015 Esri Young Scholars Award celebrates excellence in geospatial study, and is open to undergraduate and postgraduate researchers at UK or Irish Universities.
The winning student will:

* Receive a conference pass for the Esri International user conference and the Esri Education GIS conference, flights, accommodation and a daily allowance.
* Meet with Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond;
* Showcase their talents on the international stage to more than 30,000 spatial professionals;
* Network with other Young Scholars from around the globe; and,
* Hear from many of the world’s leading geo-enabled enterprises.

Your entry should show excellence in scholarship, doing a special project or carrying out interesting research, associated with using any Esri technology.  Please submit a summary of your work in the form of an appealing poster with maps that express or visualise your project.  Your entry should include your name, contact details and institution details.

Papers should be submitted electronically to highered@esriuk.com

The deadline for submissions is 5pm on the 19th April 2015.

We, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Postgraduate Forum (RGSPGF), invite proposals for sponsored/joint sponsored sessions for the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2015. The 2015 conference will be held at the University of Exeter from the 2nd to 4th September 2015 and will be chaired by Professor Sarah Whatmore (University of Oxford) with the focus being on “Geographies of the Anthropocene”.

More information can be found at: http://www.rgs.org/WhatsOn/ConferencesAndSeminars/
Annual+International+Conference/Annual+international+conference.htm

In keeping with the ethos of the Postgraduate Forum we would particularly welcome different or non standard, highly interactive sessions that are of equal benefit to the audience and the presenter. If you are interested in co-sponsoring a session please send a proposal to Greg Thomas (ggt9@aber.ac.uk) and Will Andrews (wwa9@aber.ac.uk).

Proposals should include:

I. Title of session;

II. Name of co-sponsoring groups (if applicable);

III. Name, affiliation and contact details for session convenors;

IV. Abstract outlining scope of session (200 words);

V. Indication of preferred organisation of session (the more creative the better);

VI. Indication of any non-standard arrangements.

The Postgraduate Forum encourages postgraduates to propose sessions. This is a great opportunity to organise a session and the Postgraduate Forum is happy to provide assistance with the organisation of the sessions should it be required.

The deadline for proposal is Friday 12th December and we will be aiming to inform session organisers of sponsorship before the New Year. Any questions should be directed to Greg Thomas (ggt9@aber.ac.uk). Don’t be put off by the deadline in a few days. Get in contact with Greg if your interested in running a session.

Higher Education Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society – with Institute of British Geographers

Undergraduate Reflective Essay Prize 2015

Call for Submissions

The Higher Education Research Group (HERG) invites submissions for a new competition – the annual Undergraduate Reflective Essay – in association with the 2015 RGS-IBG Annual International conference.

The reflective essay should offer a personal answer to the question:

To what extent is undergraduate geography fieldwork effective at enhancing learning?

To help you with your thinking, the RGS-IBG notes on its website that the benefits of fieldwork include:

• Seeing geography and theories come to life: improving your knowledge of geography and understanding
• Developing your skills: giving you a chance to learn skills in data collection and analysis, map work, observational and investigative skills, computer and technology skills, communication and mathematical skills
• Appreciating environments: giving you a chance to experience and enjoy a wide range of environments and landscapes
• Opinions and views: it helps you to understand other peoples and cultures, and your own views about social, political or environmental issues
• Taking responsibility for your learning, gaining confidence and develop your skills: such as leadership and teamwork
• It is enjoyable

(http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Learning+and+Leading/Why+do+fieldwork.htm)

You might consider local, national and international fieldwork, and you might describe a range of encounters in the field with academic staff and fellow students.

Reflective writing is evidence of reflective thinking. In an academic context, reflective thinking usually involves:

1. Looking back at something (often an event, i.e. something that happened, but it could also be an idea).
2. Analysing the event or idea (thinking in depth and from different perspectives, and trying to explain, often with reference to a model or theory from your subject).
3. Thinking carefully about what the event or idea means for you and your ongoing progress as a learner.

Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events, not just a description of them:

• Reflective writing often involves ‘revealing’ anxieties, errors and weaknesses, as well as strengths and successes. This is fine, as long as you show some understanding of possible causes, and explain how you plan to improve.

• It is normally necessary to select just the most significant parts of the event or idea on which you’re reflecting. If you try to ‘tell the whole story’ you are likely to use up your words on description rather than interpretation.

• It is often useful to ‘reflect forward’ to the future as well as ‘reflecting back’ on the past.

(University of Portsmouth, undated)

The award for the winner of the competition will be free registration and £100 towards travel and accommodation to attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference in 2015 (to be held at the University of Exeter, 2-4 September 2015). The winning entry will be published on the HERG website and there will also be the opportunity to submit the essay for peer review and consequent publication (if accepted) in a Higher Education pedagogic journal such as Journal of Geography in Higher Education.

The competition is open to all geography undergraduate students, including those finishing their studies in 2015. The prize will be awarded to the essay that offers the most interesting reflections into fieldwork learning. The essay will be judged by members of the HERG Committee. The committee reserves the right to withhold the prize if submissions are not deemed to be of sufficient quality.

Eligible essays for this competition must be type-written manuscripts 2,500-3,000 words in length. Each essay should be accompanied by a short (150-200 word) abstract, together with a clear statement of the author’s full name, university, email address and telephone number. The word count of the essay (minus abstract and any references) should be stated at the close of the document. Essays should be in English with translation provided for any quotations or sections in a language other than English.  Interested students should submit a copy electronically, together with a short supporting statement from their Head of Department to confirm their affiliation. Entries must be emailed to catherine.white@northumbria.ac.uk by 12.00pm on March 1^st 2015. Please put Undergraduate Reflective Essay Competition in the subject line. Any questions about the competition should be sent to catherine.white@northumbria.ac.uk.

 Higher Education Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society – with Institute of British Geographers

Postgraduate Reflective Essay Prize 2015

 Call for Submissions

The Higher Education Research Group (HERG) invites submissions for its annual Postgraduate Reflective Essay – in association with the 2015 RGS-IBG conference.

The reflective essay should offer personal reflections on the broad area of transformational learning in Higher Education. Transformational (or transformative) learning takes learners’ knowledge and skills into a different domain. Such learning is often ‘unsettling’ in that it leads to questioning of accepted assumptions and views and to new ways of knowing and understanding. As Eyler & Giles (1999, p133) note: ‘Transformational learning occurs as we struggle to solve a problem where our usual ways of doing or seeing do not work, and we are called to question the validity of what we think we know or to critically examine the very premises of our perception of the problem’. You might consider transformational learning in the classroom, field or laboratory, or in co-curricular activities you have undertaken, and you might describe a range of encounters with academic staff, fellow students, and learning spaces. You are free to be creative in your interpretation of this broad theme.

Moon (2004: 84) has suggested that the following outcomes can result from reflective processes:

• Learning, knowledge and understanding
• A process of critical review
• Reflection on the process of learning (metacognition)
• The building of theory from observations in practice situations
• The making of decisions/resolutions of uncertainty, the solving of problems, empowerment and emancipation
• Unexpected outcomes (e.g. images, ideas that could be solutions to dilemmas or seen as creative activity)
• Emotion that can be an outcome or can be part of the process
• Clarification and the recognition that there is need for further reflection
• Some form of action

The award for the winner of the competition will be free registration (at the Postgraduate Member rate) and £100 towards travel and accommodation to attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference in 2015 (to be held at the University of Exeter, 2-4 September 2015). The winning entry will be published on the HERG website and there will also be the opportunity to submit the essay for peer review and consequent publication (if accepted) in a Higher Education pedagogic journal such as Journal of Geography in Higher Education.

The competition is open to all postgraduate students, including those finishing their studies in 2015. The essay will be judged by members of the HERG Committee and the prize will be awarded to the essay that offers the most interesting reflections into transformational learning. The committee reserves the right to withhold the prize if submissions are not deemed to be of sufficient quality.

Eligible essays for this competition must be type-written manuscripts 2,500-3,000 words in length. Each essay should be accompanied by a short (150-200 word) abstract, together with a clear statement of the author’s full name, university, email address and telephone number. The word count of the essay (minus abstract and any references) should be stated at the close of the document. Essays should be in English with translation provided for any quotations or sections in a language other than English.  Interested postgraduate students should submit a copy electronically, together with a short supporting statement from their Head of Department to confirm their affiliation. Entries must be emailed to catherine.white@northumbria.ac.uk by 12.00pm on March 1^st 2015. Please put Postgraduate Reflective Essay Competition in the subject line. Any questions about the competition should be sent to catherine.white@northumbria.ac.uk.

The Urban Geography Research Group is pleased to announce that we have funds available to offer a grant of £250 to support PhD students in the field of Urban Geography. The fund can be used to support conference travel, supplement fieldwork or host an event, but must be related to your own PhD work.

To apply, please complete and submit an electronic copy of the form available on our website–http://urban-geography.org.uk/phd-support-fund to Regan Koch r.koch@ucl.ac.uk by 30th November. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of the UGRG committee and decisions made by 19th December.

RGS Urban Geography Research Group: www.urban-geography.org.uk