PGRSDP for Current & Experienced Supervisors

The purpose of these sessions is to support Supervisors in keeping their knowledge and practice up to date with key changes affecting PGR students. The sessions will provide an overview of recent UKRI developments and any other relevant changes to funding, and may also include a refresh of relevant University procedures and how they apply to PGR students, including:

• Academic Queries and Appeals Procedure
• Academic Misconduct Procedure
• Complaints and Resolution Procedure
• Disciplinary Procedure
• Support to Study Procedure

Facilitators:  Peter Gallagher/Luke Gaughan 

Attendees: 50 Maximum/10 Minimum 

Course Summary & Learning Outcomes 

This session will address the qualities, standard of behaviour, and attributes of good PGR supervision and will provide an opportunity to identify challenges, barriers, and solutions, for effective, high-quality supervision. 

At the end of the workshop participants will: 

• Understand the core qualities, skills, and attributes of positive PGR supervision 

• Consider a longer-term development activity such as applying for recognition here: The UKGCE Guide to Good Supervisory Practice Framework OR Gaining Advance HE Fellowship (PSF) Recognition | Learning and Teaching @ Newcastle | Newcastle University 

Preliminary Material (Part A) 

Each participant is encouraged to complete the preliminary learning material provided to support this workshop. This material will be circulated to you via email from the Learning Management System (Elements), one-week before the workshop; and will draw upon a range of pedagogy and practice materials available to support best practice in research supervision. Topics covered include:

• Supervision style.
• Managing the relationship. 
• Managing expectations 
• Providing useful and effective supervision/feedback. 

 Please familiarise yourself with the documents which will be referred to in the workshop:

• the Supervisory expectation grid and Supervisory conversations sheet. These brief tools encourage reflection of supervisor-PGR expectations and supervisory interactions. 
• Useful links also at: Newcastle University EDI Toolkit for Researchers 

In-Person/Online Workshop (Part B) 

This interactive workshop will be held as a networking/group discussion session using real life case studies as examples. This workshop will also focus on reflective practice and interdisciplinary supervision teams. 

Who Should Attend? 

This session would be useful to: 

• New PGR Supervisors, or those aspiring to be a PGR Supervisor. 
• PGR Supervisors new to Newcastle. 
• Experienced Supervisors wishing to refresh their knowledge. 
• PGR-focused Professional Services colleagues. 

Facilitators: Rachel Pain, Mwenza Blell, Yujia Xu (PGR) 

Attendees:  Maximum 40/Minimum 10  

Course Summary: 

This session aims to provide supervisors with knowledge about some of the additional barriers that can face racially and ethnically minoritised PGRs at Newcastle. It has been developed in response to strong evidence at the UK and local level that these PGRs have poorer experiences and outcomes of the PhD journey. 

The session will: 

•        Define key terms such as race, racism, anti-racism, intersectionality, allyship, cultural competence
•        Consider the evidence base around race,ethnicityand the PGR experience 
•        Emphasise the diversity of experiences within the broad group of racially and ethnically minoritized PGRs
•        Discuss the implications for supervision, and how supervisors can respond proactively

The format will be interactive, with opportunities for questions and sharing existing ideas and good practice. It will signpost further resources to support us as supervisors in actively tackling inequalities across the PGR journey.  

Facilitators:  Stephanie Alderslade, Edward Hillier 
Attendees:  Maximum 30 / Minimum 10

Course Summary: 

This workshop is designed to provide participants with information on resources available to support PGR students with their mental health and wellbeing during the course of their studies.  We will also cover where colleagues can access support for their own wellbeing. 

This course will provide an overview of: 

• The key wellbeing issues affecting PGR students and supervisors
• Student Health and Wellbeing Services provision
• Dealing with distressed students 
• Where responsibility starts/stops & where to signpost 
• Review of Case studies and an open forum discussion to network and share practice/experience

Preliminary Material (Part A) 

Each participant is required to complete the preliminary learning material provided to support this workshop. We are asking attendees to complete the following online Workshops. This will help to supplement some of the topics discussed during this workshop. As these courses are part of the University Essentials, you may have already completed them, but if not, please see the links below. 

Mental Health and Wellbeing Awareness - https://elements.ncl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1450 

Suicide Prevention - https://elements.ncl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1299 

Estimated completion time: 25-30 minutes 

In-Person/Online Workshop (Part B) 

This interactive workshop will focus on add here the focus and discussion element of an interactive workshop, case studies and sharing of best practice as a COP 

Facilitators:  Steven Boneham, Heather McKenna, Bogdan Metes

Attendees:  30 Maximum/5 Minimum   

Course Summary & Learning Outcomes 

Openness in research —through inclusive methodologies, sharing publications, data, methods, code and insights—enhances transparency, critical engagement, and the wider societal impact across all disciplines. As a result, research funders, publishers and institutions increasingly require the use of open research practices. However, adopting such practices isn’t necessarily straightforward and there are a range of practical and ethical issues to consider.  

This workshop will introduce the principles and practices of open research and how we support our researchers in making their work as accessible as possible—whether it involves quantitative data, qualitative inquiry, or interpretive and creative practices—while recognising the need to protect sensitive information and the integrity of participants and collaborators. Participants will be encouraged to consider and discuss both the benefits and challenges of seeking to make research 'as open as possible and as closed as necessary’. 

At the end of the workshop participants will be able to: 

• Understand the key principles and practices of open research 

• Evaluate the benefits and challenges of adopting open research practices in their discipline 

• Consider how to make their research ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary’ 

• Direct their PGRs to appropriate sources of training and support with open research, considering the approaches and systems available, funder and institutional expectations, copyright and sources of funding.  

Who Should Attend? 

This session would be useful to: 

• New PGR Supervisors, or those aspiring to be a PGR Supervisor. 

• PGR Supervisors new to Newcastle. 

• Experienced PGR Supervisors who would like to refresh their PGR knowledge. 

Facilitator: Debbie Riby - Durham University

Course Summary & Learning Outcomes

This session focuses on neurodiversity-affirmative PhD supervision and support, with the following learning objectives:

• Increased knowledge of neurodiversity and neurodivergence, including the language of neurodiversity;
• Considerations for supporting a neurodiverse, inclusive, postgraduate research community;
• Reflecting on support for postgraduate researchers with lived experience of neurodivergence (and understanding the individual);
• Consideration of potential modifications to supervision practices, communication, and support for neurodivergent PhD students;
• Reflections on potential areas of specific need for neurodivergent PhD students, for example in relation to viva preparations.

Facilitators: Khadija Badri and Fahrina Chowdhury

Course Summary & Learning Outcomes TBC

Newcastle University is committed to the responsible use of research metrics as part of our research culture and research strategy. We advocate for the transparent, appropriate, and inclusive use of metrics, guided by expert judgment, to support high-quality, impactful research that is open, collaborative and sustainable. Click here for our full policy statement on the Responsible use of Research Metrics. The self-study e-learning module on the Responsible Use of Research Metrics is available here: Responsible Use of Research Metrics e-learning.

This self-study e-learning covers the core principles of responsible research metrics and can be completed in your own time.

This training is designed for:

• Anyone who is interested in how research is measured and assessed.
• Anyone involved in recruitment, reward and recognition processes or grant applications where research may be used as an assessment tool. 

For support, please contact res.policy@newcastle.ac.uk