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PGR Supervisor Development Programme

The PGR Supervisor Development Programme background

The development of a tailored programme for all PGR Supervisors new and new to Newcastle University and for all existing Supervisors was approved by University Senate in June 2024. 

The PGR Supervisor Development Programme will be introduced from September 2024 and will be mandatory for all colleagues wishing to undertake PGR Supervision.

The programme has been developed through extensive internal and external collaboration. It is expected that the content of the programme will evolve over time to respond to developments in the internal and external PGR researcher development environment.

Additional supplementary material will be available to support your development, throughout the programme we will signpost participants to a range of in-depth material, case studies and pedagogical best practice. 

A Newcastle University PGR Supervisor Development Review Group will be established to help shape future programme development and delivery, we will also engage PGR Supervisor Champions who will support the delivery of workshops and development activities.

Development Programme for New Supervisors and Supervisors New to Newcastle

With development elements to be completed with 18 months of becoming a new PGR Supervisor. It is expected that the programme will be no more than 12 hours in total.

This programme will incorporate real-life examples and case studies to support evidence-based learning.

New Supervisors are invited to register for the following mandatory workshops.

Introduction to the Role of PGR Supervisor - A holistic introduction

This session introduces participants to the role of a PGR Supervisor. It includes important introductory information on being a supervisor of a research degree at Newcastle University.

This session will introduce important issues relating to the key academic activities and progression of research students and will introduce key concepts such as barriers/challenges that PGR students may face and the support available.

Guidance will be provided on university regulations:

  • The PGR Code of Practice
  • Key PGR regulations and policies

Participants will be given the opportunity to reflect on their experience of supervision and identify/share best practice in research degree supervision. Real-life examples will be provided as case studies.

In addition to introduction to the key academic activities, the session will also introduce the following elements and signpost where to go to for further support and expert advice, for example: 

  • EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) sensitivity
  • Supporting students with a Student Support Plan
  • Psychology of Supervision
  • Expectations of Supervision
  • Staff and Student Wellbeing
  • Doctoral College
  • Careers for Researchers guidance available at NU Careers
  • The role of Faculty Development Programmes in supporting PGR students
The Principles and Practices of a Good PGR Supervisor

Open to new and experienced participants.

It will address the qualities, standard of behaviour, and attributes of good PGR supervision.

Held as a networking /group discussion session using real life case studies as examples. This workshop will include topics such:

  • Managing expectations.
  • Supervision style.
  • Managing the relationship.
  • Providing positive and effective feedback.
  • Reflective practice.
  • Working in a Supervisory Team.

The session will provide an opportunity to identify challenges, blockages, solutions, for effective, high-quality supervision.

This new session will draw upon a range of pedagogy and practice materials available to support best practice in research supervision. Including:

The UKGCE Guide to Good Supervisory Practice Framework (add URL).

University EDI Toolkit.

Wellbeing for Supervisors

This session is designed to help PGR Supervisors identify when their students, peers, or they themselves may need wellbeing support, and who within the University, and wider community can offer such support.

Intended to increase supervisors’ confidence in knowing what is and what is not their role in the supervision of their student’s wellbeing.

The format of the workshop will be a mixture of presentations, individual and group activities focusing on:

  • Overview of the key wellbeing issues affecting PGR students and supervisors. 
  • Student Health and Wellbeing Services provision, including: 
  • Dealing with distressed students 
  • Where responsibility starts/ stops - where to signpost 

 Real-life Case studies will be used as examples, and an open forum discussion will help participates to build a network of support and share practice/experiences.  

Assessing Research Degrees

Provides participants with an overview of key research assessment regulations and an opportunity to consider and discuss important issues relating to the assessment of research students, as a PGR Supervisor and/or Internal Examiner. 

The session will provide guidance on how to approach the assessment of the submitted work and in an oral examination.

Discuss the role of the Internal Examiner at Newcastle University and consider how the role may vary with that of an External Examiner from another institution. 

This workshop will provide an opportunity  to share good practice between an experienced Examiner/Supervisor and an experienced PGR Professional Services colleague.

This session can be undertaken as and when needed.

Understanding race, ethnicity, and culture in PGR supervision.

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 is evidence-based, drawing on a recent research and action project (ProNE) which has collected data and trialled interventions across the five North East Universities.

Emphasising the diverse experiences within the broad group of racially and ethnically minoritized PGRs, the workshop identifies some common issues and discusses how supervisors might respond. The format will be interactive, with opportunities for questions and sharing each other's existing ideas and good practice. It will signpost further resources to support us as supervisors in actively tackling inequalities across the PGR journey.

The workshop will cover:

  • Understanding the basics of equality, diversity, and inclusion
  • The evidence base: statistics and lived experiences for PGRs at Newcastle (Home and International)
  • Implications for supervision
  • Building constructive relationships
  • Allyship, cultural competence and anti-racism
  • Intersectionality

Experienced PGR Supervisors – Refresh Programme

It is expected that the programme be completed every 5 years. The programme provides an opportunity to receive updates on recent developments and to engage and share best practice using case study material and real-life examples. The full programme set out below is to be attended over the first 5-year iteration/first accreditation period of the programme. The total programme duration will be no more than 7.5 hours (equivalent to 1 day of CPD over a 5-year period. It is anticipated that the programme content for experienced supervisors will evolve over time so that supervisors would not be attending exactly the same workshops when engaging with the programme and the Wellbeing /EDI workshop would not need to be re-attended over each accreditation period

The refresh elements will provide an opportunity to receive updates on recent developments to support peer engagement and sharing of best practice. Case studies and real-life examples will be used throughout.

The Principles and Practices of a Good PGR Supervisor 

This session will be open to new and experienced participants.

It will address the qualities, standard of behaviour, and attributes of good PGR supervision.

Held as a networking /group discussion session using real life case studies as examples. This workshop will include topics such:

  • Managing expectations.
  • Supervision style.
  • Managing the relationship.
  • Providing positive and effective feedback.
  • Reflective practice.
  • Working in a Supervisory Team.

The session will provide an opportunity to identify challenges, blockages, solutions, for effective, high-quality supervision.

This new session will draw upon a range of pedagogy and practice materials available to support best practice in research supervision. Including:

The UKGCE Guide to Good Supervisory Practice Framework (add URL).

University EDI Toolkit.

Refresh – the changing role of the PGR Supervisor

This session will provide an opportunity for experienced supervisors to update their knowledge of recent developments in the PGR domain and to refresh their knowledge of best practice in supervision. This workshop will provide an update on recent developments or changes in research supervisory practice, for example updates to the Annual Progress Review Process, Student Support Plans, and an overview of any changes to visa requirements or university regulations. The workshop will include reflective practice using case studies and examples of recent complaints and appeals.

Refresh – Wellbeing for Supervisors

A refresh of signposting support. Designed to help PGR Supervisors recognise when their students, peer and themselves may need support for their wellbeing, and who within the University, and wider community can offer support.

Intended to increase supervisors’ confidence in knowing what is and what is not their role in the supervision of their student’s wellbeing. 

Anyone who has not undertaken this development would be encouraged to take part

Understanding race, ethnicity, and culture in PGR supervision

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 is evidence-based, drawing on a recent research and action project (ProNE) which has collected data and trialled interventions across the five North East Universities.

Emphasising the diverse experiences within the broad group of racially and ethnically minoritized PGRs, the workshop identifies some common issues and discusses how supervisors might respond. The format will be interactive, with opportunities for questions and sharing each other's existing ideas and good practice. It will signpost further resources to support us as supervisors in actively tackling inequalities across the PGR journey.

The workshop will cover:

  • Understanding the basics of equality, diversity, and inclusion
  • The evidence base: statistics and lived experiences for PGRs at Newcastle (Home and International)
  • Implications for supervision
  • Building constructive relationships
  • Allyship, cultural competence and anti-racism
  • Intersectionality

Complementary Resources

Additional workshops are available to support your professional development:-

Supporting PGRs with Open Access Publication

Open access publishing makes research available to everyone, for free and with limited restrictions on reuse. This ‘pilot’ training session will introduce the principles and practice of how PGRs can make their research open access, considering the routes available, funder and institutional expectations, copyright and rights retention and sources of funding. It will also provide guidance on the use of institutional systems and the support available to PGRs.

Supporting PGRs in the Creation of a Data Management Plan (DMP)

This training session will introduce how to support PGRs in the creation of a data management plan (DMP) and how to facilitate data archive and sharing. The DMP is a document that outlines a project’s practical approach to what data will be created, how it will be processed, analysed, and how data of long-term value will be archived and shared. It benefits the PGR as it establishes the framework in effective data management, which translates to better time management and enables data sharing where appropriate.

PGR Supervisors Prevent in research and safeguarding

This session is designed to help PGR Supervisors understand how the university can support them and their supervisees to meet their Prevent Duty, in both the research and the personal safeguarding space.

New workshops will be available soon on:-

  • Neurodiversity
  • Research Ethics
  • Creating Thinking Environments
  • Researcher Supervision Practitioner Partner Resources
Supporting Material

Material to support your development is available at:-

Contact info

For any general queries please contact doctoralcollege@newcastle.ac.uk