PGR Ambassadors
- Are you passionate about your research, and keen to champion its potential to the world?
- Would you be as happy in front of a camera or microphone, as you would being interviewed?
- Do you think you could share your story with the researchers of the future?
If so, you could be exactly who we’re looking for!
We’re proud of our collaborative community at Manchester. It’s one of the reasons our university stands out from the crowd when students are choosing where to research, and it’s part of the power behind our faculty’s project teams – teams at the cutting-edge of tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges.
That’s why, when we’re recruiting new researchers, we want to bring that welcoming, collective spirit to the fore. Applicants tell us all the time that one of the best ways of doing that, would be to hear more from our current postgraduate researchers. They’re keen to know more about their stories; how they approach their work, the obstacles they’ve surmounted along the way, and their hopes and dreams for the future.
There are a whole range of different ways we’d like to share those stories, from audio advice, to day-in-the-life videos, to written recommendations about the best places to eat in our city!
And that’s just the start. We’re keen to demonstrate Manchester’s communal spirit in any way we can, and now we’re recruiting for storytellers to help us do just that.
Sound good? Read on to find out more and learn how to apply.
What do ambassadors do?
As an FSE PGR Ambassador you’ll work with the PGR Marketing and Student Recruitment team to create and feature in content to promote postgraduate research at Manchester through:
PGR recruitment campaigns; telling the story of your journey to becoming a PGR at Manchester and painting a picture of what it’s like to research here.
PGR-led content such as audio advice, social media clips, day-in-your-life videos and written recommendations.
Virtual or on-campus events - Open Days, Visit Days, Offer Holder events, and PGR Cafes.
Ambassadors will receive £12 p/h (plus holiday pay) for the hours you work. These are casual roles so the number of hours you work per month will vary depending on what activity is taking place at that time of year.
Each of our ambassadors will be briefed by our team, and you’ll only work with us where it fits in with your research commitments. You’ll always get sign-off on any stories before they’re posted on any of our channels, and only work on the types of stories you’re comfortable with sharing.
Why should I become an ambassador?
- You will be paid an hourly wage at £12 p/h (plus holiday pay) during the hours you are asked to support with PGR recruitment activities.
- We aim to provide you with an opportunity to build your profile both within and outside of the university, giving you a number of online examples and offline experiences to refer to.
- You’ll learn more about the range of channels we use to tell the story of Manchester’s PhD offer, and how we approach our marketing through each of them.
- PhD applicants and offer holders want to hear more from our current researchers, so you’ll be playing a big role in ensuring a bright future for FSE research.
Who are we looking for?
If you’re a current postgraduate researcher within the Faculty of Science and Engineering at The University of Manchester, then you’re eligible. And everyone is welcome - we’re looking for postgraduate researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, who’ll have different stories to tell about their journey.
We’re hoping that ambassadors will talk about their experiences in an authentic and compelling way, so you'll also need to be comfortable with the idea of telling your story in front of a camera or microphone.
We’re particularly looking for ambassadors from all departments but especially those in Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Mathematics, or recipients of PGRTA, Dean’s or President’s Scholarships.
How do I apply?
If you’re interested and you’d like to express your interest or you have any questions, please contact us by emailing Avtarnika Sharma.
You’ll need to complete an application form which includes recording a short video of yourself talking to camera for 60 seconds.