This checklist is here to help you take a confident and proactive approach to settling in as a postgraduate researcher at Warwick. PGR induction is often more self-guided than it is for taught students, so you may find it useful to work through this document alongside your Warwick Welcome tasks, departmental induction information, and any guidance from your supervisor or professional services team.
Not every action in this checklist will apply to every PGR. Some items are relevant to all new researchers, while others will depend on your department, research project, methods, funding arrangements, personal circumstances, or whether you are joining Warwick from outside the UK.
Your department may already provide some of this information through handbooks, local inductions, training, or other processes. Where that happens, use this checklist as a guide to help you keep track of what you need to do and where to look for further information. Alternatively, you may have arrived during the Welcome Week period and used the online Welcome Checklist system.
Mandatory annual course covering student rights, responsibilities, and the principles that shape a safe, respectful and inclusive Warwick community.
Suggested action: Complete the Moodle course online
Mandatory information security course aimed to equip students with the most basic knowledge about cyber-attacks and scams and how to protect themselves.
Suggested action: Complete the Moodle course online
Learn about IT systems and download key software and tools.
PGRs must complete at least the 8 core modules in the full online training before engaging in research activity. Completing this training early will help you understand the standards, responsibilities and expectations that underpin ethical and responsible research.
Suggested action: Complete Research Integrity Training | Link:
Explore Warwick鈥檚 guidance on living off campus to help you decide where you鈥檒l live, get to know the local area, and plan how you鈥檒l travel to campus for your research and induction activities. If you鈥檙e looking for private accommodation, you can use Warwick Studentpad and review University and Students鈥� Union advice before signing a tenancy agreement.
Suggested action: Explore Off-Campus Living | Link:
Starting a doctorate can be exciting and demanding, so it can help to share key Warwick information with the people who support you. Take a look at the Doctoral College wellbeing information and, if helpful, pass it on to a partner, family member, friend or other supporter so they know what support is available to you during your time at Warwick, including pastoral support beyond your supervisor and wider wellbeing services.
Suggested action: Share your key information with your support network
Recommended online course to help international students prepare for cultural adaptation, academic norms and living in the UK.
Access timetable, email, news, events, transport updates and other useful services.
Suggested action: Download the app
Take opportunities to meet other postgraduate researchers in your department and across the University. Building connections with your peers can help you feel part of a wider research community, make it easier to share experiences and advice, and create supportive networks beyond your supervisory relationship. Getting involved early can strengthen your sense of belonging and help you settle more confidently into doctoral life.
Suggested action: Connect with Other PGRs | Where to find this: Departmental / Doctoral College community routes
Explore the Students鈥� Union, societies, representation and student opportunities.
Review the Funding for Current PGRs webpages to understand your funding arrangements, available grants and financial support, and what to do if your circumstances change during your doctorate. This includes guidance on temporary withdrawal, annual leave, family leave and medical leave, as well as hardship and emergency support if you experience unexpected financial difficulties.
Suggested action: Review PGR Funding Support | Link:
Learn what health and safety guidance, inductions or training apply to your research environment and activities. This may include departmental procedures, laboratory or workshop safety, fieldwork, lone working, travel, specialist equipment, or other risks relevant to your project. Understanding this early will help you carry out your research safely, meet University requirements, and know what steps you need to complete before beginning particular activities.
Suggested action: Check Health and Safety Training | Where to find this: Departmental / local H&S guidance
Learn how to access the systems, spaces and equipment you may need in your department to work effectively. This could include buildings and rooms, shared workspaces, laboratories, storage, booking systems, printers, IT platforms, specialist software, or research equipment. Understanding how these practical aspects work from the start will help you complete tasks more smoothly and feel more confident navigating your department day to day.
Suggested action: Access Department Resources | Where to find this: Departmental induction
Find out what good research data management means for your project and how to store your data securely and responsibly from the start. This may include understanding where data should be kept, how it should be organised, who can access it, and how to manage sensitive, personal or confidential information appropriately. Developing good habits early will help protect your research, support good research practice, and make your work easier to manage as your project develops.
Suggested action: Learn About Research Data | Link:
Take time to explore Warwick鈥檚 Doctoral Values and what they mean for your experience as a postgraduate researcher. Developed through a PGR-led initiative, these values aim to support a more inclusive, respectful and collaborative research culture, moving beyond traditional hierarchies. Becoming familiar with them early will help you understand the kind of research environment Warwick is working to foster 鈥� and encourage you to reflect on how these values can shape your own work, relationships and wider doctoral community.
Read Regulation 38 so you understand the key rules governing postgraduate research degrees at Warwick. This includes information on registration, supervision, periods of study, upgrading from MPhil to PhD, progress review, submission deadlines, thesis requirements, examination and possible outcomes. Reading this early will help you understand both your responsibilities and the formal framework for your research degree.
Read Warwick鈥檚 Research Code of Practice to understand the principles and standards that underpin good research practice at the University. The Code applies to all those undertaking research on behalf of Warwick, including students, and covers responsibilities such as ethical conduct, legal and regulatory compliance, research governance, data management, authorship, supervision, conflicts of interest, preventing harm, and research misconduct. Reading it early will help you understand the expectations that should guide your research throughout your degree.
Suggested action: Read the Research Code of Practice | Link:
Read the guidance on the responsibilities of postgraduate researchers so you understand your role in planning, developing, progressing and completing your degree successfully. This should help you clarify what is expected of you within the supervisory relationship and within the wider framework of University and departmental guidance for research degrees. Reading this early will give you a clearer sense of your responsibilities from the start of your doctorate.
Suggested action: Read Your Responsibilities | Link:
Review the general regulations for the presentation of theses so you understand the University鈥檚 requirements for how your thesis must be prepared and presented. Although submission may feel a long way off, becoming familiar with these expectations early can help you develop good habits around formatting, structure and record-keeping throughout your degree, and avoid unnecessary issues later on.
Find out whether your research project will require ethical approval and what steps you may need to take before beginning your research. Requirements can vary depending on your methods, participants, data, materials and field of study, so it is important to understand the process early and discuss it with your supervisor or department if you are unsure. Doing this at the start of your degree will help you plan your project responsibly and avoid delays later on.
Suggested action: Understand Research Ethics | Where to find this: Moodle Training
Academic Induction and Research Community
Department, supervision and belonging
Arrange or attend an initial meeting with your supervisor or supervisory team to begin your academic induction. This is a chance to discuss your project, clarify expectations, understand how you will work together, and identify any immediate priorities, training needs or questions as you get started.
Suggested action: Meet Your Supervisor(s) | Where to find this: Departmental / supervisory arrangements
Learn how pastoral support for PGRs is organised in your department. This may include a PGR Director, Postgraduate Research Tutor, departmental contact, or other named member of staff who can offer advice and support outside the supervisory relationship. Knowing who to contact early on can help you feel more confident about where to go with questions or concerns during your doctorate.
Suggested action: Find Pastoral Support Contacts | Where to find this: Departmental information | Link:
Take time to understand the key milestones, reviews and progression points that will shape your degree in your department. This may include induction activities, training expectations, progress reviews, upgrade or confirmation points, annual monitoring, and other important deadlines. Knowing how your timeline is structured from the start can help you plan ahead, manage your time effectively, and approach each stage of your doctorate with greater confidence.
Suggested action: View Milestones and Timeline | Where to find this: Departmental handbook / local guidance
Take time to read your department鈥檚 PGR handbook so you understand the key information, processes and expectations that will shape your doctoral experience. This may include guidance on supervision, milestones, progression, training, attendance, facilities, departmental contacts and where to go for help. Reading it early will help you navigate your department more confidently and avoid confusion later on.
Suggested action: Read Your PGR Handbook
Take time to meet the professional services, administrative and academic staff who help your department run smoothly. They can support you with processes, systems and practical questions throughout your degree, and getting to know them early can help you feel more confident, connected and part of your departmental community beyond your own research project.
Suggested action: Meet Department Staff
Find out who your Director of Graduate Studies is and, if appropriate in your department, send a short introductory email. This is a professional way to make yourself known as a new member of the research community and to express your interest in being part of departmental life. Your message should be brief, polite and realistic in tone 鈥� for example, introducing yourself, noting your research area, and saying that you look forward to meeting them at a departmental event or activity in future. You should not expect a reply, but taking this step can help you feel more connected to the wider department from the start.
Suggested action: Find Your Director of Graduate Studies | Link:
Take time to explore what the Doctoral College offers to postgraduate researchers throughout your time at Warwick. As well as supporting key milestones in your degree, the Doctoral College can help you access training, development opportunities, funding, events, wellbeing support and wider researcher community initiatives. Getting to know these services early will help you make the most of your doctoral experience 鈥� not just when challenges arise, but throughout your studies.
Suggested action: Explore Doctoral College Support |Link:
Explore the specialist support the Library offers for postgraduate researchers. This may include help with finding and accessing research literature, developing your literature searching skills, managing references, working with research data, and understanding publishing and open research. Getting familiar with this support early can save time, strengthen your research practice, and help you make the most of the resources available to you throughout your degree.
Suggested action: Explore Library Research Support | Link:
Visit the Wolfson Research Exchange to explore a dedicated workspace for postgraduate researchers in the Library. It is a place to work on your research, meet other PGRs, take part in interdisciplinary conversations, and connect with the wider research community at Warwick. The space also hosts Doctoral College drop-ins and can be used for PGR-led events and activities, making it a valuable hub throughout your doctorate.
Suggested action: Visit Wolfson Research Exchange | Link:
Explore the Postgraduate Hub in Junction, a study and social space for all postgraduate students. As well as general work areas, the Hub offers group study rooms and accessible study spaces and equipment, making it a useful place to work in ways that suit your needs. The space also hosts Library training, including sessions relevant to researchers, so getting to know it early can help you make the most of both the facilities and the opportunities available.
Suggested action: Explore the Postgraduate Hub| Link:
Explore the Postgraduate Hub in Junction, a study and social space for all postgraduate students. As well as general work areas, the Hub offers group study rooms and accessible study spaces and equipment, making it a useful place to work in ways that suit your needs. The space also hosts Library training, including sessions relevant to researchers, so getting to know it early can help you make the most of both the facilities and the opportunities available.
Suggested action: Explore the Postgraduate Hub| Link:
Take time to explore Warwick鈥檚 Research Culture Roadmap and Action Plan and how it relates to your experience as a postgraduate researcher. This University-wide work is focused on creating positive, inclusive and supportive research environments, and PGRs are an important part of that wider research community. Understanding this from the start can help strengthen your sense of belonging at Warwick and show how your research journey connects to broader conversations about research culture, community and change.
Suggested action: Explore Research Culture at Warwick|Link:
Take time to explore Warwick鈥檚 Research Spotlights and discover some of the interdisciplinary themes, challenges and collaborations shaping research across the University. As a PGR, this is a great way to see how your work might connect with wider conversations beyond your own department or discipline. Engaging with these areas early can help you broaden your perspective, build interdisciplinary connections, and spot opportunities to get involved in projects, events and collaborations.
Suggested action: Explore Research Spotlights | Link:
Reflect on the skills, knowledge and experience you want to develop during your doctorate, and begin planning how you will build them over time. This might include research methods, writing, communication, teaching, professional development, career planning or other areas linked to your project and future goals. Thinking about your development early can help you make informed use of training opportunities and take a more purposeful approach to your growth as a researcher.
Suggested action: Plan Your Development | Link:
Take time to complete the Building Wellbeing Literacy for Early Career Researchers Moodle course. This interactive resource is designed to help you understand wellbeing literacy and develop awareness of how to recognise, manage and communicate your wellbeing needs throughout your research journey. Doctoral study can be rewarding, but it can also be demanding, so engaging with this course early can help you build healthy habits, reflect on what supports your wellbeing, and make informed use of the support available to you during your time at Warwick.
Suggested action: Open Wellbeing Literacy Moodle Course | Link:
Researcher Development Online (RDO) is open to Warwick PGRs from all disciplines and offers a flexible way to build skills alongside your research. Through a wide range of workshops and sessions, you can explore topics such as writing, productivity, wellbeing, communication, career development and research practice. This is a good option if you want to choose the opportunities that suit your needs and interests as your doctorate develops.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Transferable Skills (PGCTS) is open to Warwick PGRs from all disciplines and offers a structured way to develop skills that will support you during your doctorate and beyond. Through the programme, you can strengthen areas such as communication, collaboration, research effectiveness, professional development and career planning. This is a good option if you want a more formal and reflective approach to building skills alongside your research, whatever your subject area.
Explore the Warwick Institute of Engagement to learn how Warwick supports public engagement through curiosity, creativity and collaboration. WIE offers events, funding calls and training opportunities to help staff and students get involved in engagement work. Taking a look early in your doctorate can help you see how your research might connect with wider audiences and communities, and introduce you to opportunities you may want to explore later in your research journey.
Begin exploring career planning and support early in your Warwick journey. Careers support is tailored to you as an individual and can support you if you want to pursue a research or non-research career, if you want a career change or to continue in your existing career, or whatever career journey is right for you.
