Faculty of Medical Sciences Graduate School
Text to assist with applications for BBSRC Industrial CASE studentships – 2012
The following sections of text cover the generic aspects of supervision, student training and support,
and the research environment to assist with completion of sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Case for
Support Form, which must be submitted as an attachment in JeS. Please note that some sections
may require editing as appropriate for your specific application. The relevant section of the
guidance notes is for each of these section is stated (in bold). Required information that is projectspecific, so must be provided by the applicant, is highlighted. You may wish to add project-specific
detail relevant to some points that must be addressed even where the generic information could
suffice (e.g. Section 5 “arrangements to support interdisciplinary research training”; Section 6
“opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary team work”.).
Please contact Dianne Ford (Director of PhD Studies; dianne.ford@ncl.ac.uk) if you have specific
questions or queries.
3. SUPERVISORS
(Most of this section is project/supervisor-specific, but the following text may be useful to the
requirement to explain in relation to the academic supervisor “arrangements for training of both
the academic and non-academic/company supervisors and for evaluating the performance of
supervisors”. Note that the same information is required for the non-academic/company
supervisors.)
The Faculty of Medical Sciences Graduate School ensures that students are supervised by wellqualified, research-active and trained supervisors. Elements of supervisor training are delivered
through Supervisor Advice and Support sessions run annually by the Graduate School. These
sessions cover aspects of postgraduate student supervision including selection, recruitment,
induction, assessment, examination, research student personal development planning and generic
and transferable skills training. The materials from these sessions are available on-line throughout
the year. In addition, the University's Staff Development Unit provides a one-day workshop in
Research Supervision. The workshop provides a forum for new and experienced supervisors to
review national and institutional policy, procedures and practices in the supervision of research
students and assists supervisors to use a variety of means to monitor and manage research student
progression. New staff must attend the Higher Education Academy-accredited Postgraduate
Certificate in Academic Practice, which includes assignments on postgraduate student supervision,
and are guided and monitored by an appointed mentor. Supervisory practice is monitored through
the staff Performance and Development Review (PDR) process, which is carried out at research
institute level, and through the annual student progress review procedure. Successful PhD student
supervision is a major criterion evaluated within the PDR process. Within the annual student
progress review process, meeting records kept by the student in the research training portfolio are
available for inspection by the progress panel and students are given the opportunity to complete a
confidential form to notify the progress panel of any problems with supervision. The Faculty of
Medical Sciences Graduate School has a written policy for dealing with the rare occasion on which
complaints about supervision are made. As determined appropriate through this formal process,
supervisors may receive additional training and support to fulfil their role, may undergoing a period
of performance monitoring in this capacity or maybe removed from the register of Fellows of the
Graduate School so that supervisory duties may be prohibited from undertaking supervisory duties
until additional training has been undertaken.
4. MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS (Up to 2000 characters)
Clearly show the roles that the academic department and the collaborating organisation will play
to ensure high quality supervision of the student and the proper monitoring of student progress
throughout the duration of the award.
Provide details of how you will monitor the student and their training needs during the course of
the studentship, including;
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
Supervision arrangements, assessment arrangements, frequency of supervisor/student
contact and the involvement of staff other than the principal academic supervisor in the
supervisory process (if appropriate)
How you will manage the partnership with the industrial company to ensure high quality
supervision of the student and the proper monitoring of student progress.
The supervisory team meets the requirement stated in Newcastle University’s Code of Practice for
Research Degree Programmes that students are supervised by at least two academic staff, one of
whom must be an experienced supervisor (fulfilled by acting as lead supervisor through to the award
of PhD). As stipulated in Code, formal meetings between the student and lead supervisor(s) must
take place approximately monthly, and total at least ten per annum.
During the first year (when the student will undertake the MRes in Biosciences) progress will be
monitored at 6 months by the MRes Degree Programme Director through review of course marks
and progress on the research project. The award of a Merit (> 60%) for the MRes will be the
expectation for progression into the final 3 years of the programme. Subsequent annual progress
reviews will be carried out at 20, 32 and 41 months by two academics (progress panel) independent
of the supervisory team and will require submission by the student of a research report, completion
of annual progress report forms by the student and the supervisory team and an interview with the
panel. The panel’s report of the progress review will be scrutinised by the Head of Institute then
Dean of Postgraduate Studies and provided to the student and supervisory team. The progress
panel may request a follow-up review after a period of a further 2 months before making a final
recommendation.
Students manage their acquisition of research, transferable and employability skills through the
Research Training Portfolio (RTP), which includes a Personal Development Plan (PDP) that maps to
all areas of proficiency specified in the Researcher Development Statement. Progress panels inspect
the RTP and must respond to a specific question to indicate if the student has completed research
training required. If necessary, a programme of training to fill any identified training gaps will be
agreed.
5. PROPOSED TRAINING AND SUPPORT (Up to 4000 characters)
The key assessment criterion will be the overall quality of training offered by the academic
institution and non-academic partner.
All applicants must ensure that they address all of the points detailed in this help text and relate
them to the research training programme which will be provided by the academic department,
and non-academic partner. The application should be completed by both partners and detail
comprehensively the following:
Research Training
Give details of how you will address the project-specific and generic training needs of the student
at both partners, highlighting how this addresses strategic skills gaps(where relevant) and how the
project be managed and the placement carried out so as to gain the greatest benefits to student
training from the placement experience. Please include:
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appropriate practical and technical research training

specific training courses and seminars

arrangements to support interdisciplinary research training

internal arrangements for planning, managing and monitoring its provision of
postgraduate research training (including the procedures in place for student
representation on relevant departmental committees and opportunities for student
feedback on the training environment)

computing

statistical techniques

health and safety

business and finance related training
Transferable Skills and Employability
Give details of the policy for generic employability skills development given to each student, in
line with the “Researcher Development Statement” developed by Vitae which outlines the areas
of professional development that research organisations should be addressing in their training
programmes. The Researcher Development Statement replaces the Research Councils‟ Joint Skills
Statement and is available at: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/rds.
Where appropriate provide details of the how the academic department benefits from the
research organisations allocation of Roberts funding for generic skills training.
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presentation and communication skills
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team-working

time-management
Student Recruitment
Give details of the procedures and criteria used in the selection, recruitment and induction of an
exceptional student to undertake the project.
Training will comply with the University's Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes, which
complies with the QAA Code. Annual monitoring is through the Quality Assurance and Enhancement
Framework (QAEF). Student institute representatives sit on a committee chaired by the Faculty
Postgraduate Tutor and representatives from this committee sit on the Faculty Graduate School
Committee and on a University-level PgR committee. Effectiveness of student representation is
monitored through the QAEF. Newcastle University participates in PRES. Resulting actions are agreed
through Faculty Graduate School Committee and the University PgR committee.
The four year programme will integrate the MRes in Biosciences in year 1, to deliver interdisciplinary
training through taught courses (3 modules from a total of 30) and a research project. Modules
including: Systems Biology; Applying the 3 Rs to In-Vivo Experimental Techniques; Bioinformatics
Theory and Practice provide training in areas of strategic skills gaps. The taught component also
includes mandatory training in basic research skills, including numerical data handling and statistical
techniques and experimental design. The student will train alongside a large cohort of BBSRC DTPfunded students and will have the same opportunities, including training in mathematical
approaches through the SysMIC on-line course. Opportunities for business and finance-related
training include two taught MRes modules (“Medical Biotechnology and Enterprise” and “Innovation
in Industrial Bioscience”) and supported participation in the Biotechnology YES competition. The
induction programme delivers mandatory health and safety training; evidence of attendance at
other relevant university courses (e.g. Biological Safety Training) is required for progression at the
first annual progress review.
Training in knowledge and intellectual abilities (Domain A of the Researcher Development Statement
(RDS)) is through taught elements of the MRes programme and the MRes and PhD research projects.
Training in generic and employability skills is primarily through a Graduate School training
programme, run by a Postgraduate Skills Development Coordinator (PhD-level post), and developed
and revised annually based on information from stakeholders and course evaluation surveys. The
programme maps to the RDS and consists of over 70 individual events, enhanced by supported
participation in external events (e.g. Vitae workshops, Biotechnology YES competition, INSIGHTS
public lecture competition). Induction training is compulsory and covers research governance and
organisation (Domain C of the RDS) and personal effectiveness (Domain B of the RDS). Training in
engagement, influence and impact (Domain D of the RDS) is through training sessions and supported
participation in external activities. The programme includes specific training sessions on
presentation and communication, team-working and time-management and also supports
participation in activities that develop these skills further (e.g. the House of Commons' SET for
Britain poster competition in addition to supported activities noted above). Students receive
Graduate School support to organise and participate in the North East Postgraduate Research
Student Conference, which develops all of these three areas.
Recruitment will be supported by the Faculty, which aims to recruit the very best students by highprofile advertising using a variety of media. Candidates will be selected competitively (CV and two
academic references) for interview by at least two trained selectors, including the lead supervisor.
Induction training is provided by the Graduate School as detailed above, and is augmented by an
institute-specific induction programme to introduce students to local rules, policies, practices and
structures, introduce key members of staff and provide subject-specific academic training and/or
context.
6. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT (Up to 2000 characters)
Give details of the academic and non-academic research environments, including:

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integration with existing cohort of students
interactions with other researchers
opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary team work
current infrastructure, expertise, facilities and technologies available in the
department/group to provide in-depth specialist training in advanced skills and
methodologies.
Explain how these will be of benefit to the student and their research training, and the
collaboration.
The student will benefit from training within a Graduate School (Faculty of Medical Sciences) of
approximately 500 postgraduate research students with diverse backgrounds, including a large
cohort of BBSRC DTP-funded students (30 in total across the Newcastle-Liverpool-Durham
partnership, of whom 16 will be based at Newcastle University). The student will participate in all
relevant BBSRC DTP cohort activities. Research activities and associated specialist facilities within
the Faculty provide excellent opportunities for PhD student training within key research skill areas.
The Faculty fosters a multidisciplinary training culture, notably through projects involving application
of modelling and mathematical approaches to biological research, including research on ageing and
through strategic BBSRC studentship awards in the area of Systems Approaches to Biological
Research. Other collaborations are at the interface of molecular (BBSRC) and social (ESRC) sciences.
Established, strong collaborative links between researchers in these diverse areas provide ready
opportunities for students to participate in interdisciplinary research, most commonly through our
mandatory requirement for and robust operation of supervisory teams, rather than single
supervisors, which also allows for and encourages cross-faculty supervision. Students have many
and diverse opportunities for interactions with other researchers at all levels from postgraduate
student researchers to the most senior academics. As examples, postgraduate students in the
Faculty organise the highly-successful and well-established North East Postgraduate Conference.
The conference includes student participation from other HEIs in the region and students invite highprofile external speakers. The Graduate School supports the assembly and project development of
teams for the Biotechnology YES competition, and encourages interdisciplinary team work through
this mechanism.