Welcome to the latest RGU Research Magazine
I am delighted to welcome you to the latest issue of RGU Research Magazine, and particularly pleased to be introducing an issue packed with news about some of the doctoral projects being undertaken at RGU.
I took over as Dean of the Graduate School a year ago and continue to be impressed and excited by the research taking place throughout the University at postgraduate research level.
The Graduate School was recognised for its performance in the areas of Research Culture and Research Skills within both the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) of 2022/23 and the internal PRES of 2023/24. It was clear from both surveys that the implementation of a single Graduate School, coupled with close liaison with academic Schools, the formal launch of the Researcher Development Programme, and the work undertaken to enhance the research culture within RGU, has significantly improved research students’ perceptions of their study experience.
Our aim is to continue to work with the wider University research community to contribute to enhancing research culture in the wider University and ensuring that doctoral students are beneficiaries and contributors to this culture.
The doctoral research celebrated in this issue of the Research Magazine demonstrates the interdisciplinary and wide-ranging nature of research undertaken at RGU. It also shows the potential for real-world impact of these projects, which range from contributions to the global energy industry, interventions into the public conversation surrounding important issues such as the right to die, the reimagining of urban spaces, and the use of technology to support future change in the way we live our lives and support those who are unwell.
The magazine also introduces the 13 projects that were selected for funding from the interdisciplinary Catalyst fund, which underpins RGU’s Research Strategy and supports projects that align with the University’s high-level themes. Again, the variety of projects that achieved funding demonstrates the breadth of ongoing research at the University. A key strength of these projects is the collaboration across disciplines and between early career researchers and those at a more advanced stage of their career.
The magazine also reports on the three projects that achieved funding from the Scottish Funding Council through the International Science Partnership Fund in December 2023. These projects demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration on a global scale, with project partners in Kenya and Sri Lanka.
This is an extract from the opening of the latest Research Magazine.
