‘As a Postgraduate Researcher, it can be easy to focus so intently on your research and forget how much university life still has to offer. The Bristol PLUS Award has encouraged me to seek out these experiences, and meet a wider range of students and staff, which I am incredibly grateful for.’
(19 – 20 PGR PLUS Award achiever)

Broaden your Horizons

A photo of volunteers outside in an allotment, standing together and smiling — Volunteers on the City Challenges programme

The Bristol PLUS Award is the university’s employability Award, giving you the opportunity to gain formal recognition for commitments you take on outside of your research.

Getting involved outside of your research is a great way to build connections and community. The PLUS Award recognises a broad range of activities, and for Postgraduate Researchers, lots of these are things you may well already be taking part in.

That could be teaching support, marking, or submitting a paper to a journal. Or experiences outside of the university such as part time work or volunteering. For more ideas, you can check out our list of common PGR options for the Bristol PLUS Award.

Articulate your value, consolidate your skills

‘Overall, the Bristol PLUS Award has helped me develop valuable, transferable skills and allowed me to reflect on how I can use these skills to become more employable.’
22-23 PGR PLUS Achiever

Whether you are interested in a career in academia or industry, or are still exploring your options, the Bristol PLUS Award gives you a framework to reflect on your skills and experiences and equips you to communicate the value of your research to a broad audience.
You’ll gain expert support through workshops, courses and reflection, and be formally recognised by the university for going above and beyond in your commitments outside of your research.

Mayra’s PLUS story – Postgraduate Researcher and PLUS Award Achiever

‘I realised that I am a competent researcher, I am resilient and I know how to work in different circumstances. I felt extremely satisfied with my work and learnt a lot about myself. All this experience taught me that sometimes things do not go according to your plan, but with an open mind, all your effort and love, good results can be achieved’
Mayra Yadira Rivera Lopez

A photo of Mayra, smiling — Mayra, Outstanding PLUS Award winner 21-22

Alongside her Aerospace Engineering PhD, Mayra got involved in various roles and opportunities, all of which could be used towards her Bristol PLUS Award. These were:

Working in part time jobs, as a Global Lounge Ambassador, and a Teaching Assistant helping undergraduate students with their lab work.
Submitting a project to the European Space Agency, which was selected to be launched on the International Space Station.
Entering the Three Minute Thesis competition – Mayra’s presentation of her research even won her the People’s Choice Award

After achieving her Bristol PLUS Award, Mayra went on to also win the Outstanding PLUS Award in the Resilience category, by articulating the resilience she showed in pursuing her PLUS Award. You can read more about Mayra’s Outstanding PLUS Award win in our blog post.

Want the PLUS to work for you too?

Check out the PLUS Award Guide to find out what activities can be used, including a list of examples for postgraduate researchers
Sign up for the Award before 12 February 2023
Early achievers of the PLUS Award can take their success further with the Outstanding PLUS Awards.