IHAWKES: IHW’s forum for postgraduate and early career researchers

Published: 14 March 2018

PGR student Lauren Gatting explains the background to and aim of IHAWKES (Institute of Health and Wellbeing Knowledge Exchange Students), a forum for all post graduate and early career researchers (ECRs) based in IHW

Institute of Health and Wellbeing has a forum for all post-graduate and early-career researchers based in IHW, called IHAWKES (Institute of Health And Wellbeing Knowledge Exchange Students).

Image of hawk with the lettering IHAWKES on one wing

Currently, we have a blog where PhD students and ECRs can broadcast their work. The blog can also be used to share ideas and reflect on experiences - to spark discussion and receive recognition. The blog has recently been updated so that readers can browse the articles by theme, topic, or author - making it easy to find interesting and relevant content. In the past, IHAWKES students have led an annual conference (2013 -2016) for post-graduate students to showcase their work to peers across IHW. The conference provided a supportive environment where students could meet, network, practice presenting and receive friendly feedback.

To the post-graduate or early-career researchers based in IHW reading this – What activities and events would you like to take place in the coming academic year? Is it enough having the blog available or would it be good to run a conference again? Should there be a seminar series for health and wellbeing post-graduate and early-career researchers to share their work with one-another and practice presenting? Should the blog be a place to promote ‘coffee’ catch-ups, skill-share sessions, writing accountability groups? As members of the IHAWKES community, it is entirely up to you.

Please let me know (l.gatting.1@research.gla.ac.uk) if you would like to: be a part of organising the institute’s network of post-grad and early-career researchers; organise any IHAWKES-related activities; contribute to the blog.

Lauren Gatting (PGR student/IHAWKES editor)
Institute of Health and Wellbeing


First published: 14 March 2018