school of something faculty of other graduate training and support centre staff and departmental...
TRANSCRIPT
School of somethingFACULTY OF OTHER
Graduate Training and Support CentreSTAFF AND DEPARTMENTAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT
Effective Research Supervision:Policy and PracticeDr Heather Sears
Senior Training and Development Officer
Workshop outcomes
•What is a PhD?•What characteristics should a supervisor possess?•When can students expect help from their supervisor?•What systems and processes can help students and supervisors?
Developments in PhD training in the UK and
at University of Leeds
Sir Gareth Roberts Review (2001)
SET for success
The problem…
“the problem is that skills acquired by PhD graduates do not serve their long term needs. Currently PhDs do not prepare people adequately for careers in business or academia”
“Sir Gareth Roberts Review (2001) ‘SET for success’. (Chapter 4 Section 4.2)”
The solution….?
“…HEFCE and the RCs ... should make all funding related to PhD students conditional upon students’ training meeting stringent minimum standards. These minimum standards should include …two weeks of dedicated training per year, principally in transferable skills…”
“Sir Gareth Roberts Review (2001) ‘SET for success’. (Chapter 4 Section 4.2)”
The government has….
Leeds receives £350,000 (6,300,000,000 Rp) per annum for training in transferable skills
Provided ‘Roberts’ money
University of Leeds
The Vision….
To be the leading University for enabling research students to develop their Research Performance, Employability, Professionalism and Engagement with Society
“University of Leeds
Postgraduate Research Student Training and Development Strategy”
What are we doing?
Development of skills required for efficient completion of the research degree (Research Performance)
Development of skills required to maximise future employability
Skills training and development is targeted at:
In other words……
Have YOU got the full range of skills required to:
Produce a Thesis
which is Finished On Time and of Sufficient Quality for the award of a higher degree
and Publish your findings in an internationally renowned journal
and Present Your Research to world experts at a conference
and….
In other words……
protect and exploit your Intellectual Property
all the while Maintaining a Life by Managing Your Time with Minimal Stress
and keeping an eye on the Next Step
by Building a Network and Managing Your Career
all without falling foul of Isolation and the Second Year Slump
whilst keeping a Healthy Working Relationship with your supervisor and
In other words……
plan for a successful and fulfilling career?
What is a PhD?
What characteristics should a supervisor
possess?
When can students expect help from their supervisor?
Situations where students may OR may not expect help from a supervisor
Consider whether the students are being :
RealisticToo demandingProblematic
What issues are raised?What should you do to set up good practice from the start?
Students expect supervisors to be available when needed. Although you can plan regular supervisions, students need
to know you are approachable in between more formal sessions, if necessary to ask key questions.
Students expect supervisors to be friendly, open and supportive with academic issues and establish a
consultative, supportive relationship.
Supervisors need to be constructively critical, giving praise where relevant and informative (not harsh) criticism, so they
can develop their work further.
Gradually students should need less explicit guidance and criticism as they
develop autonomy and their own sound judgement.
Supervisors need to know to ask open questions, how to draw out ideas and clarify or define problems, and how to
elicit information.
Your student will need to interact with other students you supervise, those researching similar topics, students
supervised by other supervisors, and the broader academic community.