PGR Student Life

Our diverse and vibrant national and international Postgraduate Research (PGR) community is at the heart of our Department. We are truly committed to investing in the next generation of researchers, educators and leaders.

Being part of our Sports and Exercise Sciences community

We are known for our highly supportive and ambitious research culture, which strives to cultivate the environment needed for all PGR students to fulfil their potential as skilful, innovative and courageous thinkers. Supervisory teams take a personalised approach, working with their students to provide intellectual guidance, methodological training, and career development opportunities.

Alongside the wealth of support and opportunities provided by Durham University’s Graduate School and College system, PGR students in the Department of Sport & Exercise Sciences benefit from a variety of activities designed to foster personal growth, networked connections, fun and curiosity. These include:

• Annual department PGR conference
• Picturing Research event.
• Student Voice committee
• Termly PGR themed Pop-Up sessions in response to student requests (Example previous sessions: How to write; PGR careers beyond academia; the 3-minute thesis).
• Weekly departmental seminar series.
• Opportunities to teach and become certified as an Associate of AdvanceHE.
• Pot-luck lunch picnics, Riverbank Walk and Talks, PGR Coffee, Green Lane Run Club, Student led socials.

Our PGR students have dedicated hotdesking office space in our department buildings alongside 24-hour access to bookable study space in the Bill Bryson Library.

Meet some of our students! 

Jonathon Dawes 

My research explores the barriers and opportunities to ‘opening up’ British tennis amongst underserved communities. I focus on the people, politics, organisations, and policies that shape the sport and the programmes they deliver. 

Being part of DSES at Durham University through the Northern Ireland and Northeast England (NINE DTP) Sport and Society scholarship has enabled me to work with a brilliant interdisciplinary supervision team and to connect with inspiring researchers across the department. DSES has also given me the opportunity to support the next generation in sport and exercise through leading seminars for the first-year sport and exercise industries module. 

Alongside my studies, I combine research with advocacy for inclusive tennis which I started as a teenager and continued during my undergraduate Philosophy, Politics and Economics Degree at King’s College London. I am currently serving as an Independent Councillor for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and working with charities and organisations nationwide to create more opportunities for underserved groups, particularly disabled children. I also serve as Chairperson of the Ustinov Graduate Common Room, leading on elections, student engagement, and ‘Team Ustinov’. 

Sarah Wells 

My research looks at the everyday food practices of athletes, something I like to call their food lives. Working within the DSES with an interdisciplinary research team has enabled me to conduct high quality research whilst having an incredible support system. The commitment to inclusivity and community as pillars of success in our department has been game-changing, as I combine my career as a professional basketball player with my PhD studies. 

Want to learn more from a student perspective?

Our Postgraduate Research student reps are happy to answer your questions. Please contact ses.postgraduate@durham.ac.uk to be connected.

PGR Department Activities

PGR Conference 2025

Pot Luck Picnic 

University PGR Culture and Community Day

Picturing Research 2025 

Our new academic year began with a Postgraduate Picturing Research event. Our PhD and Masters by Research (MRes) students were tasked with creating an image to depict their research and providing a 50 word accompanying description. The contributions reflected the varied, impactful, international and discipline spanning nature of PGR research within the department.