POSTGRADUATE STRUCTURED MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR A 48 MONTH FULL-TIME PHD PROGRAMME

POSTGRADUATE STRUCTURED MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR A 48 MONTH FULL-TIME PHD PROGRAMME

Development of a strong interactive relationship between student and supervisor(s);

Monitoring of student progress and supervisor performance at School level by the Head of School (HoS) acting, where appropriate, through a College Postgraduate Officer (CPgO);

Ensuring quality assurance of postgraduate progress, education, training and development across Schools by a University-wide monitoring system. It is intended that the Framework will be modified by Schools and Colleges to suit their needs while retaining a core element to ensure

consistency of quality supervisory practice.

APPLICATION, ADMISSION AND INDUCTION PROCEDURES FOR POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS

PT; FT; OS All research degrees and Reg Pg students Detailed consideration of application (with interview if possible) Recommendation (School) Offer; Reject Decision (University) Offer; Reject Registration Identity Card Induction (University) Induction (School and College) ISSUES Qualifications Experience References Funding Language Competence Project Identification/Suit ability Student/Supervis or Compatibility Financial implications Facilities Supervisor(s) suitability Conditional Unconditional Control check Fees source Financial support IPR agreement Univ Regs Monitoring procedures Welfare Information School rules Safety Demonstrating/ Teaching Skills College Induction Programme STAFF INVOLVED HoS Supervisor(s) Coll Pg Officer HoS or Rep Supervisor(s) Coll Pg Officer

HoS Coll Pg Officer Registry Registry Coll Pg Officer

Coll Pg Officer/HoS Safety Adviser Support Services

POSTGRADUATE STRUCTURED MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK: MONITORING PROCESS

YEAR 1 MONTH 1 MONTH 3 MONTH 9 BY MONTH 12

PROCESS Research Topic Agreed Training Needs Analysis Professional Development Good Research Practice 1st Postgraduate Assessment Form

Formal Meeting 2nd Postgraduate Assessment Form

Oral Presentation of

Research

1st Formal Report to School with comment by Supervisor(s) Objectives:

i) in depth academic review

ii) establishment of research and thesis plan iii) report on academic progress iv) understanding of good research practice ISSUES Milestones Meeting Arrangements with supervisor(s) Resources Training Menu (Note 1) decided Transferable skills Subject specific skills Student Progress Feedback to student Identify objectives for next six months

Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if necessary Early warning meeting, if necessary Transfer or discontinue if appropriate Student Progress Feedback to student Identify objectives for

next six months Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if necessary Progress update Feedback from Research Group Decision on continuation or transfer Feedback to student STAFF INVOLVED Supervisor(s) HoS Supervisor(s) Support Services HoS Supervisor(s) Coll PG Officer HoS, Coll Pg Officer or other experienced supervisor (not student’s Supervisor(s)) HoS Supervisor(s) Coll PG Officer School Research Group

Coll Pg Officer (See Note 2)

Supervisor(s)

HoS

Supervisor(s) Coll Pg Officer

Note 1: Student Training Requirements - 48 Month PhD Training Menu:

Computing skills - Use of: spreadsheets, databases, statistical packages, data analysis software.

Information retrieval - Literature awareness, extracting information from databases, library work, information science/technology. Commercial appreciation of research - IPR, copyright, patent law.

Presentation skills - Writing skills, writing of CV, thesis writing, poster making, seminar presentation, learning through teaching, mock interview. Personal & Financial Skills - Team working, budget management, leadership, project and time management, problem-solving.

Subject Specific Skills (to be identified by Schools/Colleges)

Demonstrating/Teaching Skills - to include training in the assessment of students

Registration on specific taught courses where appropriate (possibly leading to a PG Certificate or PG Diploma in Research Methods) University of Aberdeen’s Guidelines on Good Research Practice

Note 2: College Postgraduate Officers are not expected to attend all presentations to the School Research Group; rather, they should satisfy themselves that

YEAR 2 MONTH 13 MONTH 15 MONTH 21 BY MONTH 24

PROCESS _{Training Needs}

Analysis Professional Development Oral Presentation of research 3rd Postgraduate Assessment Form Attendance at external conference 4th Postgraduate Assessment Form Industrial visit Secondment Academic visit (As appropriate) 2nd Formal Report to School with comment by Supervisor(s) Objectives:

i) review of research and thesis plan ii) report on academic progress ISSUES _Reset Milestones Review Training Menu (Note 1) Progress update Feedback from Research Group Student Progress Feedback to student Identify objectives for next six months

Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if necessary

Talk or poster Student Progress Feedback to student

Identify objectives for next six months

Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if necessary Decision on continuation or transfer Feedback to student STAFF INVOLVED

Supervisor(s) _{Coll Research} Group Coll Pg Officer (See Note 2) Supervisor(s) Supervisor(s) HoS Coll Pg Officer Supervisor(s) HoS Supervisor(s) Coll PG Officer Supervisor(s) HoS Supervisor(s) Coll PG Oficer

YEAR 3 MONTH 25 MONTH 27

_{MONTH 33}

PROCESS _{Training Needs}

Analysis Professional Development Oral Presentation of research 5th Postgraduate Assessment Form Attendance at external conference 6th Postgraduate Assessment Form Industrial visit Secondment Academic visit (As appropriate) ISSUES Reset Milestones Review Training Menu (Note 1) Progress update Feedback from Research Group Student Progress Feedback to student Identify objectives for next six months Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if

necessary

Talk or poster Student Progress Feedback to student Identify objectives for next six months Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if

necessary

STAFF INVOLVED

Supervisor(s) Coll Research Group

Coll Pg Officer (See Note 2) Supervisor(s) Supervisor(s) HoS Coll Pg Officer Supervisor(s) HoS Supervisor(s) Coll PG Officer Supervisor(s)

YEAR 4 MONTH 37 MONTH 39 MONTH 42 ONWARDS

MONTH 45

ONWARDS (See

Note 3)

PROCESS Training Needs

Analysis Professional Development Oral Presentation of research 7th Postgraduate Assessment Form Completion of research Notice of PhD thesis submission Career advice 8th Postgraduate Assessment Form Submit PhD thesis ISSUES _Reset Milestones Thesis Plan Finalisation Review Training Menu (Note 1) Progress update Feedback from Research Group Student Progress Feedback to student Identify objectives for next six months

Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if necessary External/internal examiners identified and appointed CV writing Mock interview Progress update on thesis Feedback to student Completion on schedule? Identify objectives Meeting with HoS and PG Officer if necessary Mock oral examination STAFF INVOLVED

Supervisor(s) _{Coll Research} Group Coll Pg Officer (See Note 2) Supervisor(s) Supervisor(s) HoS Coll Pg Officer HoS Supervisor(s) Coll Pg Officer Postgraduate Registry Supervisor(s) Supervisor(s) HoS Coll PG Officer Supervisor (s) (Coll Pg Officer)

Note 3: Students should make every effort to submit their thesis by month 48. However, it is acknowledged that this may not always be achieved. Where

submission does not take place by the end of a student’s registration period, the student and supervisor are responsible for maintaining regular contact and for ensuring that the thesis is submitted at the earliest opportunity. Postgraduate Assessment Forms should be submitted during the post-registration

period (i.e. during the writing-up stage).

The successful implementation of the structured management framework described depends upon postgraduate supervisors being suitably prepared for their role (Note 4) through attendance at a training course which would include inter alia the following topics:-

Note 4: Staff Training Requirements:

Regulatory aspects - University regulations, Research Council regulations, School requirements, monitoring processes, health & safety regulations.

Project management - Team working, financial management, time management, interviewing techniques, student counselling, professional development, oral

examinations, report, dissertation and thesis writing.

Commercial aspects - IPR, patenting procedures, technology transfer, entrepreneurial skills Admissions - recruitment and selection procedures.