ANNUAL PROGRESS REVIEW
MARCH 2014
Note to the Faculty Research Committee (FRC) Chairs and Administrators. This template is provided as a guide as
to the University’s minimum requirements. It is envisaged that FRCs may determine procedures that exceed the
minimum – for example using annual research conferences or poster competitions to ensure that student
achievement can be fully assessed to inform eligibility to progress on their research degree programme. In all case
the Postgraduate Research Programmes Administrator (STaR Office) must be informed of individual students’
status in one of three categories as follows – “proceed”; “proceed at risk”; “withdraw”. Notes on the annual
progress review procedure are attached to this form.
SECTION A - TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE
Title (Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms etc)
Faculty
Family Name
First / Given Name(s)
Title of research programme:
Mode of Registration:
Full-time
Part-time
Date of initial registration:
(If unsure please contact STaR
Office)
Instructions to students:
Complete section A in full. We advise that you complete this form electronically – all boxes are expandable.
Ensure that you have complied with any additional requirements of your FRC and pass the form electronically or in
hard copy to your Director of Studies for comment.
You must then meet with your supervisory team to discuss progress.
A1. Reflection on previous action planning
Comments on the extent to which you have achieved any goals set in action planning for the year under review.
A2. Summary of progress made with your research degree programme
(i)
Data gathering and primary research
(ii)
Other research achievements, including presentations and/or publications
A3. List of Research Skills Development Workshops attended and a brief summary of other
development opportunities undertaken.
A4. State here your confirmed research degree programme (whether MPhil or PhD).
If not yet “confirmed” state date by which you anticipate the “Confirmation” or transfer stage
A5. Comments or observations you would wish to draw to the attention of the Faculty Research
Committee.
A6. Indicative programme of work for the coming year.
(Note that this will be confirmed by an agreed action plan at the start of next academic year. See attached
Guidelines for completion).
A7. Anticipated thesis submission date.
A8. Please give your current address and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted to
discuss this report.
SECTION B - TO BE COMPLETED BY THE DIRECTOR OF STUDIES (or internal supervisor where the DOS is external to
the University**)
NAME OF ASSESSOR:
B1. Evidence list
Please list here the evidence required for progression as approved by your Faculty Research Committee. This may
include draft chapters, posters, oral presentations, other research outputs, and students’ skills development
records.
Has the student met all these requirements?
B2. Review meeting
Date of Review:
List those present:
B3. Supervisors’ Report
(i)
Comment on the candidate’s self-assessment report on the approved research programme:
(ii)
Comment on progress with the research degree programme (e.g. literature searching, data collection,
data interpretation)
(iii)
Comment on progress with academic related skills (e.g. academic writing, production of draft chapters
of a thesis, publications)
(iv)
progress with the skills development programme (e.g.
project planning, presentation and
communication skills, career planning, and dissemination of research).
B3. Give an assessment of the likelihood of completion within the timeframe set by the Regulations.
B4. General comments/issues to be discussed with the candidate:
B5. Ethical approval: Has the programme of research changed significantly since the last ethical approval? Have
these changes been confirmed?
B6. Subject to the development of an action plan for the start of the next academic year, do you
recommend that the candidate proceed and is re-enrolled on the next year of the course? (Please
tick )
YES
YES “at risk” (until issues listed in B4 have been
addressed)
NO*
*If NO, please confirm (i) that the student has been formally placed “at risk” and (ii) that the formal
“at risk” procedure has been concluded with a recommendation to withdraw.
Signature of the Director of Studies** - see above, on behalf of the supervisory team
Date
SECTION C - TO BE COMPLETED BY THE INDEPENDENT ASSESSOR
NAME OF ASSESSOR:
C1. Comment on the student’s self-assessment and the supervisors’ responses.
C2. Give an assessment of the robustness of the evidence presented in support of progression.
C3. Ethical approval: Has the programme of research changed significantly since the last ethical approval? Have
these changes been confirmed?
C4. Compulsory Interview
Date of Interview
Time of Interview
In Person
List those present
By Telephone
Brief summary of areas discussed at the interview (e.g. review of previous year/future developments of
project/meetings with supervisors/facilities/factors that have helped or hindered the student’s performance).
Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.
C5. Assessor’s recommendation (Please tick √)
Student is eligible to proceed
Student is eligible to proceed “at risk” until issues are
resolved
Student is not eligible to proceed
Signature of the Independent Assessor
Date
SECTION D - TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CHAIR OF THE FRC or FACULTY PGR TUTOR (at the conclusion
of the monitoring process)
NAME OF STUDENT:
D1. Issues discussed at the FRC
D2. Is the student listed as a “debtor”?
D3. Decision of Faculty Research Committee: (Please tick )
A This research programme may proceed and the candidate may be enrolled on the next year
of course.
B The candidate may proceed but is to be placed “at risk”
C
The candidate has not made sufficient progress and the registration should be withdrawn.
I confirm that the “at risk” procedures have been implemented and have concluded that
withdrawal is the preferred option (withdrawal form attached).
In the case of Bursaried Students commencing their fourth year of study only: (Please tick )
I confirm that the bursary contract will terminate and the student has
applied for ‘Write Up’
Chairs comments:
Concerns/issues for the attention of the Director of Studies or FRC:
Signature of the Chair of FRC or Faculty PGR Tutor
Date
ANNUAL PROGRESS REVIEW - Guidelines for completion
Annual Progress Review – general principles
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To review individual student progress against targets set for the previous year
To ensure students are on track for timely completion (e.g. for PhD within three years full-time) and at the
very least to ensure completion within the maximum registration allowed
To identify any academic problems or issues and put in place arrangements to address them
To place "at risk" any student who is failing to meet targets and needs additional support
To ensure that students are in good standing with the University (i.e., are not debtors)
To establish targets for individual students the next academic year through action planning
To formally agree and record which students can proceed to the next academic year
To inform Registry of student progress (by the agreed deadline) to enable SITS records to be updated and
to enable eligible students to re-enrol using e-vision
Faculty Research Committee (FRCs) are advised that the following elements must be included in the
Annual Progress Review which should be transparent and comprehensive:
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A student self-assessment of progress made in the last academic year
An opportunity for students to identify any areas that have been problematic and need addressing
(including any problems with supervision)
An assessment by the student of any training needs
The supervisory team's assessment of progress made against targets set for that academic year
An assessment of whether the student is on target to complete within the maximum permitted timescale
An assessment of the students progress by an academic independent of the team
An interview with the student - either in person or by telephone by someone other than a member of the
supervisory team
A discussion of what action should be taken for any students who look "at risk" (i.e., falling behind with
targets, failing to attend supervisory sessions, unlikely to complete within the timeframe)
A minuted decision on whether the student should be allowed to proceed to the next academic year
In addition, FRCs may wish to introduce further elements to the process, as appropriate. These may
include:
 A postgraduate research conference (either independently or combined with other areas of the University);
 Individual presentations;
 A poster competition;
 Production of a paper for publication;
Stages in Annual Progress Review:
There are three stages in this process, all of which must be completed in the annual monitoring period:
 Section A must be completed in full by the student.
 The student must then meet with the supervisory team to discuss progress.
 The Director of Studies must make a full assessment of the student’s progress and complete Section B in full.
 An independent assessment of progress must be made in Section C. This must be followed by an interview
with the student carried out by the same independent assessor or another representative of the Faculty
Research Committee.
 The results of annual monitoring must be presented to the meeting of the Faculty Research Committee.
 The Faculty Research Committee must determine the progression status of the student in one of three
categories (proceed, proceed but placed "at risk", withdraw) and the Chair of the FRC/Faculty PGR Tutor must
certify this in section D. Debtors must be placed “at risk”. The whole of this annual progress review record
must be retained in the student’s file.
 The list of students eligible to progress must be presented to Research Awards Sub Committee.
Special note for students:
Please note – the results of the annual progress review will be used to formulate an Action Plan for the next
academic year. This must be agreed with your supervisory team and submitted to your Faculty Research
Committee for approval at the start of the fresh academic year. Students for whom an action plan has not been
agreed by 31st October will be placed “at risk”.