1. Welcome to the Chemistry Graduate School
Kirsty Penkman, Chair of Chemistry Graduate School

2. Postgraduate study
The Department of Chemistry has a large Graduate School with around 150 graduate students – PGR and PGT
2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) places York Chemistry 7th in Research Power.
91% of research work rated as internationally leading or internationally excellent.

3. Postgraduate research groups
Variety of research areas, often inter-disciplinary, and with links to industry
Analytical & Atmospheric Chemistry
Green Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Materials Chemistry / Liquid Crystals
Organic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
York Structural Biology Laboratory (YSBL)

4. Facilities and Equipment
Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry
Centre for Magnetic Resonance
Green Chemical Technology Centre
Technology Facility (with Biology)
Centre for Laser Spectroscopy & Photochemistry
York JEOL Nanocentre

5. Facilities and Equipment
Centre for Hyperpolarisation in MRI
Dorothy Hodgkin research building
Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory
New teaching labs
Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence

6. Links to Industry
Many of our students, both PGR and PGT are able to take advantage of our links with a variety of industrial collaborators including:
Bruker
GlaxoSmithKline
Pfizer
Boots
Proctor & Gamble
Unilever
Bayer Crop Science
Afton Chemicals
Elsevier
Bristol Myers Squibb
FERA
Covance

7. Doctoral Training Centres
SPHERES
Doctoral Training Centres
Chemistry at York participates in the following Doctoral Training Centres:
White Rose BBSRC DTP in Biological Chemistry
NERC SPHERES DTP in Environmental Research
NERC ACCE DTP in Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment

8. York Graduate Research School (YGRS)
The University
Senate
York Graduate Research School (YGRS)
Research Student Administration (RSA)
Student Services
Chemistry Board of Studies
Chemistry Graduate School Board
Chair: Kirsty Penkman Deputy Chair: Fred Anston
Student Support Officer: Isabel Saez
Employability & Diversity: Leonie Jones
Administrators: Alice Duckett and Rachel Crooks, Sharon Stewart
Post-doctoral rep
Student reps for MSc Green Chemistry and postgraduate research students

9. Postgraduate Programmes
Taught MSc in Green Chemistry and Sustainable Industrial Technology – 1 yr
PhD – 3-4 yrs
MPhil – 2 yrs
MSc by Research – 1 yr
Not a continuation of an undergraduate degree
A significant body of original work is required
Policy on Research Degrees (PORD)

10. Postgraduate study Working practices Take ownership of your work
Time limited (be prepared for ups and downs)
A research degree is about doing a significant piece of original research
Stay Informed
Use the library (most journals online)
Learn to use databases properly (sci finder, web of knowledge, etc.)
Look for relevant conferences
Read literature critically
Go to departmental and sectional seminars

11. Offers the advantages of a cohort-based postgraduate experience to all PhD, MPhil and MSc by research students
The latest innovations support the development of scientific, transferable and employability skills, enhance the research output and meet the needs of employers. 
Core skills training is complemented by specialised subject-specific training offered in key research areas. 

12. Your Training and Courses handbook contains details of the courses available.
You should attend all Year 1 Core Training
Courses are in three categories:
Techniques – you should sign up for any courses needed for your research project
Concepts courses and Hot Topics courses. You should sign up to one of each of these over the course of your studies.
Sign-up to course is done via Skills Forge – see your handbook and s for details.

13. Skills Development Other skills you will develop………
Transferable Skills
Scientific Writing / Publications
Communication; internal posters & talks
Presenting at Conferences
Outreach work
Graduate Teaching Assistant training

14. Variety of Career Destinations
Academia and Post-doctoral research
Chemical Industry
Teaching
Chemical Regulation / Government
Preservation / Restoration
Public Understanding of Science
Publishing
Medicine

15. Welfare Department Supervisor Independent Panel Member (IPM)
Chair of Graduate school (Kirsty Penkman)
Head of Department (Duncan Bruce)
Mentor
Employability & Diversity Officer (Leonie Jones)
Graduate Student Support Officer (Isabel Saez)
Disabilities Officer (Robin Perutz)
Chemistry Graduate Office (Alice/Rachel/Sharon)

16. Welfare
University
The Student Hub is your first point of contact for central Student Support. From here you can access services including.
Disability Services
International Student Support
Open Door Team (counselling)
Student Financial Support Unit
Student Advisors run regular drop in sessions
You can also access the Graduate Students Association (GSA)
Advice Service who can advise on a range
of academic and wellbeing issues

17. Supervision Meetings
All students are required to have regular supervision meetings. A formal record should be recorded on Skills Forge every 6-7 weeks according to the deadlines listed on Skills Forge.
However, other regular meetings will still take place with your supervisor on an informal basis

18. Communication Department E-mail – check daily
Posters around the Department advertise events
Chemistry Update (online every four weeks)
Graduate pigeonholes
Chemistry Graduate web pages
Graduate notice board
University
Student Home Page
York Graduate Research School (YGRS) Newsletter

19. To Do list
Collect your student card if you do not already have it. Access to Chemistry buildings requires your card. If the lock doesn’t work first time, try again as it needs to activate. The door lock opposite the reception desk should be used for this.
Complete online enrolment
The forms in the plastic wallet in your induction pack will need to be returned to the Chemistry Graduate Office when completed
Overseas students – visa and passport registration.

20. To Do list
Check timetables – there are University and Departmental activities taking place. The first two weeks of your timetable are in your induction pack and the full timetable is on Google Drive. You also have access to the University timetable from the student homepage
On the Google timetable, activities in red are core induction activities and you should attend these. Activities in black are optional and you need to sign up on Skills Forge for these. Discuss your choices with your supervisor and refer to the Training and Courses Handbook in your induction pack.

21. To Do list
Consider nominations for your students reps for the Graduate School Board
Meet with your supervisor if you have not already done so
Risk assessments – to be completed online before any lab work. Your supervisor will advise you, and you will learn more during the Health and Safety training

22. Further information Speak to Rachel or Sharon See the website:
Any queries, please
Or call into the Chemistry Graduate Office: C/A142
Speak to Rachel or Sharon