Graduate
School ofTraining
something
and Support Centre
STAFF
FACULTY
AND OF
DEPARTMENTAL
OTHER
DEVELOPMENT UNIT
Effective Research
Supervision:
Policy and Practice
Dr 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….
Provided ‘Roberts’ money
Leeds receives £350,000
(6,300,000,000 Rp) per
annum for training in
transferable skills
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?
Skills training and development is targeted at:
 Development of skills required for efficient
completion of the research degree (Research
Performance)
 Development of skills required to maximise future
employability
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 :
Realistic
Too demanding
Problematic
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.