We try our best to get together as a research community as often as possible here at RVC.

The Researcher Association organises several events during the year. We focus on Career Development events and Social events to increase our networking opportunities.

Over the last years we have organised:

Research Highlights

RVC Research Highlights aims to bring together RVC staff, students, friends, families and the local community to share the most up-to-date findings of RVC research and explore their wider impact on the world. In addition to the interactive stands, it also includes the yearly PHOTO COMPETITION at the event. RVC researchers usually showcase photographs that represent their research under the three categories: ‘Research in Action’, ‘People Behind the Research’ and ‘Nature's Artwork’. The photographs are presented in a gallery in the conference centre, with attendees able to vote for their favourite in each category on the day. The Research Highlights is held annually at Hawkshead.

Researcher Development Day

The Researcher Development Day is organised by HR and the Researcher Association. It is an event directed to post-docs and last year PhD students to give them ideas and tools and help them build up their career in research. The event consists as much as possible of a plenary lecture with a round table discussion with early career researchers. Workshops on specific subjects, including public engagement with science, how to become ‘REF’-able and networking were the past ones. This "marketplace" and networking event allows researchers to interact with Alumni, PIs and guests from Industry. These informal chats enable researchers to gain a better understanding of different career trajectories and paths to success.

Annual Postgraduate Research Day

The Postgraduate Research Day is organised by the Graduate School and the Researcher Association. This event provides an opportunity for PhD and MRes students to showcase their work to fellow students and staff, to practice their skills at presenting their work and to receive constructive feedback on their research. There are final year PhD presentations along with posters by MRes and 2^nd year PhD students. Graphical Abstracts produced by 1^st year PhD students and MRes students are on view as well.

Social Events

The RA organises regular coffee events. There are quarterly coffees for new starters to welcome them to the RVC and regular coffees for the wider RVC research staff enabling researchers to connect with colleagues from other Departments.