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Celebrating emerging researchers
Discover the researcher community at Sussex and preview some of the exciting research that is being produced by our emerging researchers.
Every June we bring together our researcher communities to celebrate, learn, share, and connect with others.
These activities are fully integrated with the Summer of Research, raising the profile of postgraduate and early career researchers and bringing our events to a more diverse audience than ever before.
The events below showcase the exciting research going on across the University, and highlight the crucial contributions PGRs and ECRs make to the broader research environment.
Want to give the world a glimpse into your research and what that looks like day to day? Enter the Emerging Researcher Image Competition for a chance to win £200.
Our 2026 Summer of Research events for PGRs and ECRs
Three Minute Thesis Final and Adam Weiler Impact Panel
Friday 26 June, 1pm-4pm
Woodland 2 and 3, Student Centre
Think you could sum up your research in just three minutes? The Three Minute Thesis is a prestigious global competition that challenges PGRs to do exactly that.
Join us for the exciting , where top contenders from across the University will compete for a £500 prize and a coveted spot in the UK semi-finals. Be inspired by the diverse, cutting-edge research happening at ÃûæÂÖ±²¥, and cast your vote for the £250 People's Choice award.
In the judging break you'll hear from winners of the 2026 Adam Weiler Impact Award, which recognises Sussex PGRs who are making a lasting, positive impact with their research. We hear the ‘impact’ buzzword a lot, but what does it actually mean at the postgraduate level? Can PGRs really make an impact – and what can that look like?
This year’s awardees will discuss their research so far, where they hope to go next, and how postgraduate research can influence policy, theory and practice in academia and beyond.
We’ll also be announcing the winners of the Emerging Researcher Image Competition open to all PGRs and ECRs at Sussex. Shortlisted entries will be exhibited throughout the Summer of Research. You can browse the gallery and vote for People’s Choice online.
British Academy ECR Network – Sussex Chapter Launch
Monday 22 June
Following the ÃûæÂÖ±²¥’s recent entry into the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network South East consortium, an introductory launch event will be held to provide information on specific career development and interdisciplinary opportunities while facilitating active networking and connection-building among attendees.
The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network is designed to provide a more inclusive and accessible environment for researchers across the humanities, social sciences, and the arts (SHAPE). The event aims to help participants navigate the various professional development, networking and funding opportunities offered by the British Academy while outlining the specific institutional support structures available at Sussex.
To offer an ECR-led perspective, the program features insights from previous successful grant applicants who will share their firsthand experiences of securing funding and advancing their research through the network. The day will conclude with a facilitated networking lunch where researchers can identify synergies across different themes and explore potential interdisciplinary collaborations within the Sussex Chapter.