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Research : Support for Supervisors

This section of the website is dedicated to supporting the supervisors of research students.

The section included information on the admissions process for MPhil and PhD students, the code of practice for research student supervision, details of any training events planned plus an overview of the key milestones in a research degree at Greenwich. The section also provides supervisors with a link to the QAA code of practice for research students.

Admissions

It is important supervisors have a good understanding of this process. It is different from the admissions process for taught programmes in a number of important respects.

  1. Take the time to read the relevant sections in the Academic regulations for research programmes and the research student handbook
  2. All prospective research students need to be interviewed by two experienced and trained academics using the Research Student Recruitment and Selection Procedures
  3. The application form needs to have an additional "front-sheet"/proforma attached which is completed by the applicant's prospective lead supervisor. This needs to be authorised by the School's Director of Research
  4. The Application form and front-sheet should be sent to the Research Student Administrative Office (NOT Admissions)
  5. The RSAO will arrange for an offer letter/contract to be sent and for the student record to be created in conjunction with Admissions
  6. As the production of letters for Research Student applicants has been disabled in Admissions, Schools are responsible for advising unsuccessful applicants

Codes of Practice

There are two codes of practice with which you should be familiar:

  1. University of Greenwich's "Postgraduate Research Supervision - Guidance for Supervisors on Good Practice".This guide can be found in the Research Students and Supervisors' Handbook Acrobat PDF file
  2. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education's "Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education � Section 1: Postgraduate research programmes"

Roles and Responsibilities of a Supervisor

The codes of practice along with the academic regulations provide an overview of the research supervisor's main responsibilities, however, some of the key milestones are listed below. A supervisor should:

  1. Ensure the student registers as a student of the university (and pays their fees as appropriate). If not registered the student is not entitled to supervision and will not be allowed to use the university's facilities, e.g. library, computers, etc.
  2. Ensure the student receives an induction when they start. The front of the Research Student Log and Professional Development Portfolio includes a basic checklist of items to cover. In addition, you should encourage the student to complete the initial audit of key skills and knowledge in the Log. This will form the basis of identifying any skill or knowledge gaps that need to be met. For mature students it can be easy to assume skills and knowledge, and the fear of being seen as patronising can result in important knowledge and skill gaps being missed if care and sensitivity are not used.
  3. In conjunction with the student, ensure their degree programme is registered with the Research Degrees Committee (using form RDA1). Except in exceptional circumstances this should be completed within 6 months of starting for a full-time student or 12 months in the case of a part-time student.
  4. Help the student assess whether the research needs ethical clearance (see the link below to access guidance pages, the university's research ethics policy and the application form)? If yes, the student will need to apply for ethical approval from the appropriate Ethics Committee. For informal guidance on the most appropriate route please contact the administrator for the University's Research Ethics Committee
  5. Ensure the student submits an annual progress report to the Research Degrees Committee (Form RDA4).This is important as this document is taken into account when making a decision on whether to allow a student to progress to the next year of study. The Research Student Log, if maintained, should provide a source of information and material to include in these annual reviews
  6. Ensure the student applies to the RDC to transfer from MPhil to PhD registration (RDA2). The student will need to produce a transfer report, partial thesis or published papers to support their application. In addition, the student will be required to attend an oral assessment, before the RDC will consider confirming the transfer (RDA3) (Does not apply to MPhil or PhD direct entry students)
  7. Ensure the student applies to the RDC for any requested changes in registration, e.g. change of mode, change of supervisors, requests for interruptions and/or extensions to registration, using form RDA5. RDA5s should NOT be used retrospectively except in exceptional circumstances
  8. Ensure the student writes their thesis to a format and standard that will meet with the university's standards for the relevant level of research degree
  9. Oversee the selection of appropriate internal and external examiners and apply for approval from the RDC
  10. Cross fingers and hope the student passes!

Training

Supervisors should ensure their professional skills are kept up to date. There have been fundamental changes in who studies for a research degree in the 21st century and why. Allied to the increased amount of internal and external oversight it is important supervisors keep up to date with developments in supervisory practice. To assist this, the university organises new supervisor development sessions and bi-annual supervisor conferences where best practice and the latest developments can be shared. The need for initial professional development and continuous professional development are now embedded in the QAA Code of Practice.