The Research without Borders showcase exhibition will take place on Wednesday 13 May 2020 in Colston Hall and is expected to feature the work of up to 100 postgraduate research students.

The exhibition will be open to the public throughout the day. Representatives from industry, the public sector, charities and research funders are invited to attend, as well as University of Bristol staff and students. You will have the opportunity to engage with a diverse audience throughout the day and make connections with useful contacts.

Exhibitors will be encouraged to be as interactive and creative as possible. This isn't the place for academic posters; think instead about how you could explain your research through more engaging formats. Last year our participants used props, photos, live demonstrations and games to interact with festival attendees.

To help exhibitors develop creative and engaging displays, every successful showcase applicant will receive £30 that they can put towards materials, props, equipment, etc. — and they can apply for up to £200 more. (Further information on this exhibition fund will be made available during the training stage.)

Please note that all exhibitors will need to be available from 10am to 6pm to allow for set up and pack down. If you have any concerns about this, please email the Bristol Doctoral College.

Watch the short video of last year’s exhibition to get an idea of what it’s all about.

The Research without Borders festival also comprises of two evening sessions that will take place on Wednesday 6 and Monday 11 May 2020. These free, public events will be curated by two of the University Research Institutes (URIs), and participants will work closely with URI directors and their fellow participants to develop the format and content of each activity.

The themes of the sessions will be as follows:

• 'Creating Sustainable Futures' (Wednesday 6 May) — What does your research tell us about our life on earth now and how we can protect environments and livelihoods for the future? Could you help us understand how we can respond to the climate emergency? Or perhaps you are exploring social and environmental challenges and the importance of interconnected solutions? A Research without Borders discussion event curated by the Cabot Institute.
  
  
• 'Question of Life and Breath' (Monday 11 May) — Breathing is crucial to everything we do and indeed to life itself. How we breathe and what we breathe bears a crucial importance to our health, wellbeing and emotional state. This session will cover all aspects and approaches to breathing, air and mindfulness throughout the life span. A Research without Borders discussion event curated by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute.

An allocated number of postgraduate research students will be shortlisted to take part in each event, based on interest. All participants of the collaborative events are encouraged to take part in the showcase exhibition on Wednesday 13 May. This can either as an individual or as a group.

All current postgraduate research students (PGRs) at the University of Bristol can apply to take part. This means that the students undertaking doctorates or a masters degree by research are eligible. For a full list of postgraduate research degrees at the University of Bristol, please check the Types of research degree webpage. In addition, PGRs who are part of Doctoral Training Centres led by or partnered with Bristol are eligible to apply.

Up to 100 postgraduate research students will be shortlisted to take part in the festival and will be notified by 21 February 2020.

Please note that researchers who have already completed their research degree are not eligible to take part in public-facing elements of the festival.

Research without Borders is a unique way to share your research with a diverse set of audiences — from potential employers and research funders, to sixth form students, staff from Bristol organisations and the wider public.

Research without Borders is not an academic conference. You don’t need to share the minutiae of your work or develop a detailed academic poster. Instead, it is an opportunity to think about the wider picture whilst building your communications skills, a chance to engage with the wider public, to develop your networking skills and to build connections with other researchers across disciplines.

You’ll benefit from bespoke training sessions, which will cover all the skills that you need to make the most out of taking part in the festival, including:

• communicating your research effectively
• engaging with different publics
• creating engaging displays
• talking about your research with potential employers.

Previous participants have benefited from further opportunities as a result of taking part in the festival, including talking about their research on podcasts, at public events, conferences and on television.

Every exhibitor in the 13 May showcase event will receive £30 to help them develop their display — and they can apply for up to £200 more. (Further information on this exhibition fund will be made available during the training stage.)

Exhibitors will also have the chance to win a prize for the Most Engaging Exhibit or Best Communications Skills.

Application information

The closing date for applying to take part in the 2020 festival was Thursday 6 February. 

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 21 February.

Training information

Please note that all festival participants will need to take part in a festival briefing and training session. These sessions are currently scheduled for:

• Tuesday 3 March, 2–5pm
• Wednesday 4 March 2–5pm
• Monday 9 March 9.30am–12:30pm
• Thursday 12 March 10am–1pm.

If the above dates are a problem for you, please get in touch with the Bristol Doctoral College at your earliest convenience to find a workable alternative.

All training focuses on helping participants to develop a range of communication style to present their research, and help with how to create interactive displays and engage a variety of audiences. There will be follow up support offered by staff from Public Engagement to help develop your exhibit idea, as well from the team the Bristol Doctoral College.

The dates of the festival are as follows. Please note that exact times and venues are still to be confirmed:

• Wednesday 6 May, 7pm: 'Creating Sustainable Futures' — an evening discussion event led by the Cabot Institute
• Monday 11 May, 7pm: 'Question of Life and Breath’ — an evening discussion event led by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute
• Wednesday 13 May, 9am–6pm: Showcase exhibition in Colston Hall.

The finals of the Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT) will take place as part of the festival showcase exhibition on Wednesday 13 May in Colston Hall.

There is a separate application process for 3MT and applications for the competition will open in February 2020. PGRs that are shortlisted will be provided with separate training and compete in a 3MT semifinals event on Wednesday 22 April.

Research without Borders participants can also apply to take part in the Three Minute Thesis competition, however please note that only doctoral students are eligible to take part in the 3MT (i.e. not Masters by Research students).