Student Networks

The Midlands Graduate School supports students to come together in thematic networks. Details of existing networks are provided on this page.

If you are interested in developing a Student Network, contact us on esrcdtp@warwick.ac.uk

Sensitive Research Network
Mental Health Research Network
Parents & Carers Network
Gender Student Network
Sustainability Student Network
Disability Research

SRN Midlands (the sensitive research network)

https://www.srnmidlands.com/

What is the SRN Midlands?

We are a collective of PhD students from the Midlands who are researching complex and emotionally demanding topics across the social sciences. We have a diverse range of interests and methodological skills both in qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

What do we define as emotionally demanding?

“Research that demands a tremendous amount of mental, emotional, or physical energy and potentially affects or depletes the researcher’s well-being ... [it] is not limited to research on sensitive issues ... research can also be emotionally demanding when it concerns topics similar to the personal/traumatic experiences of the researcher...”

SRN Midlands serves as a platform to:

1. Build and sustain an interdisciplinary community

Maintain ongoing recruitment to ensure active, diverse, and sustained membership.
Convene regular meetings to foster connection, dialogue, and shared direction.

2. Generate and share knowledge

Collect, synthesise, and curate evidence and resources on emotionally demanding research.
Disseminate knowledge in accessible formats for academic, professional, and public audiences.

3. Provide expertise

Serve as a recognised expert network for individuals and organisations seeking guidance and insight.

4. Promote engagement and visibility

Support knowledge exchange through conferences, seminars, workshops, publications, and digital platforms.
Raise awareness of the emotionally demanding nature of research and of researcher wellbeing across academic and professional communities.

5. Enable collaboration and impact

Facilitate collaboration across research, policy, and practice to advance understanding and support in this area.
Support and develop collaborative grant applications to strengthen interdisciplinary skills in EDR.

Mental Health Research Network

Aims of the Network

To increase communication and collaboration between students who are working with topics related to mental health but might be in different pathways and disciplines.
To make the planning process easier for events, seminars, conferences, workshops etc. (Especially in the context of the Doctoral Event Grant which requires members from different universities to host an event.)
To share and discuss our work with each other in order to gain initial feedback and analyse our work from a multi-disciplinary lens.
To expand the conceptualization of mental health out of individualistic/reductionist notions towards more holistic ideas.
To inform the members of the network about specific events, groups, and studies happening inside specific universities but which are usually not widely publicized out of their universities. (For instance, there was a small workshop about the philosophy of mental health hosted by the department of philosophy in the University of Nottingham.)
To share niche opportunities related to mental health that might not be publicized in non-specialist channels and hence might not be visible to students working in non-Psychology disciplines and vice versa.

Parents & Carers Network

The MGS are aware that many of our students are parents, or having other caring responsibilities. We would like to facilitate a student led network for parents and carers.

Please complete this form if you are interested in being part of the network, and let us know if you could help lead the group: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/news/studentnetworks/parentscarerseoi

Save the Date

Parents/Carers we’d like to hear from you! The MGS Parents and Carers Network will host a gathering at University of Birmingham on April 30, 2025. The mid-morning session will include a light meal, informal networking activities, opportunities for sharing your voice as a parent/carer and advocacy, and an optional field trip to a museum on campus. The event will be child-friendly, and we are looking for ways to ensure we accommodate those in caring roles as well.

More information and register here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/news/seminars/parentscarerslaunch

Gender Student Network

Expressions of interest are invited for co-leads and participants in a student network focused on gender related research. Express your interest here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/news/studentnetworks/gendereoi/

Sustainability Student Network

Expressions of interest are invited for co-leads and participants in a student network focused on sustainability related research. Express your interest here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/news/studentnetworks/sustainabilityeoi

Disability Research

Steven King (Economic and Social History, NTU) is interested in bringing together students across a range of disciplines whose research concerns disability for a regular series of online events. If you are interested in getting involved please fill out the form here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/news/studentnetworks/disability