Research Supervisor Training Programme Introduction

A brief history of research degrees at UW From supervision of research students at Worcester managed through the CNNA 1 st April 1999 Worcester gained accredited status with Coventry University Accreditation renewed 2006/07 for a 5 year period October 2008 applied for RDAP August 2010 awarded RDAP By October 2012 UW has 145 research degree completions – 113 PhDs, 32 MPhils

Research Degrees at UW now As of 1 st October 2012, 109 research degree students: –40 Full time (35 on UW funded studentship) –69 Part time (23 UW staff and 1 part time UW studentship bursary) Currently award: –MRes –MPhil –PhD by Thesis –PhD by Portfolio Developing: –Professional Doctorate (2013) –MRes (2012) –PhD by Practice (?) Research degrees managed by the Graduate Research School (GRS) MPhil and PhD by thesis both incorporate the Research Student Training Programme (compulsory and optional elements)

Supervision at UW Supervision in teams of at least 2 often 3 supervisors Lead supervisor is called Director of Studies (DoS) and is normally a more experienced supervisor External Supervisors may be used but are not required All internal supervisors must be on the Register of Approved Supervisors Team must normally have a combined experience of at least 3 research degree completions (at appropriate level) But new Supervisory Mentor scheme has been introduced which allows for a less experienced team to be established if supported by an experienced mentor Team may include Advisors Team is ideally established at application stage but is only formalised when student’s research proposal is approved (RDB1)

Research Training Student completes a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) at the beginning of each year identifying ongoing and new training and development needs All students must take RTP401 at the outset of their degree All students must also take a subject specific research methods module (identified by the supervisory team ideally at interview) unless they can claim APL or APEL for this module Research students may take RTP402 These 3 modules together form the PG Cert in Research Methods Research students may attend sessions from the programme of training and development workshops or external workshops Relevant sessions normally identified through TNA

The GRS Team Job TitleNameExtension GRS ManagerMrs Helen Tabinor5012 Research Degrees Administrator Ms Veronica Young5214 AdministratorMs Sarah O’Grady5214 Research TrainingDr John-Paul Wilson2196 Chair of Research Degrees Board Prof Geoffrey Elliott5145

Research Coordinators InstituteName Business SchoolDr Jan Francis- Smythe EducationDr Stephen Parker Health & SocietyProf Dominic Upton Humanities & Creative ArtsProf Jean Webb Science & EnvironmentDr Chris Brown SportDr Claire Rhoden

Research Degrees Board (RDB) Chair – Prof. Geoffrey Elliott Secretary - Graduate Research School Manager Up to 3 members of staff from each Academic Institute, to reflect the range of disciplines in which research students are based (to be nominated by the Head of Institute and approved annually by the Academic Board) Director of Research Development Up to two co-opted members from within or outside the University

Some questions for you… Who are you? Why do you want to supervise research degrees? What is your experience of supervision (at UG, PGT or PGR level)? Is there a substantive difference between research supervision and supervision in other contexts?

The rest of the day… Expectations – yours, the students, the University, etc The Supervisor’s role - formal requirements and good practice Regulations – the RDB process Approaches to Supervision