Resources for doctoral supervisors

Doctoral Supervisors

Doctoral supervisors are part of a large and diverse community of researchers.

You belong to an interdisciplinary environment and you can make contributions to further strengthening research culture and activity at local and institutional level, and beyond.

The Graduate School is the focus for the collation of good practice and continuing professional development for supervisory teams and early career researchers.

Supervisor Support and Development

Recognising the critical role of the supervisor in guiding and developing the next generation of researchers, the Graduate School provides an enhanced programme of activities to support supervisory teams, and offers fora for sharing and enhancing good practice.

Supervisor Forum programme

The annual Supervisor Forum Programme provides a platform for doctoral supervisors to share knowledge and best practice with colleagues, while gaining support, information, and guidance on a range of topics from Graduate School members. These events are particularly recommended for those new to supervision and for members of staff who would like to supervise in the future.

Invitations are sent to the GS Community list and all doctoral supervisors. If you do not receive invitations to published events please email: .

Supervisors' Forum 1 - 27 November 2024, 2-4pm in Regent Street UG02: PhD Milestones

In the first supervisors' forum of this academic year, we consider the role of the PhD supervisor in helping the doctoral researcher to navigate PhD milestones. In a series of short presentations, we discuss the supervisor's role in assisting the doctoral researcher through the PhD journey, including gaining ethical approval, helping them use the Doctoral Researcher Development Programme (DRDP), and the formal requirements of the Annual Progress Reviews (APRs).

The forum is open to all Directors of Studies and Supervisors and those interested in taking on supervisory roles. The forum will particularly benefit those new to PhD supervision or those who have not yet supervised a PhD to completion.

The second forum will be held on Wednesday 5 March 2025, 2pm-4pm in UG02, and the final forum of the year will be held on Tuesday 20 May 2025, 2-5pm in UG02.

Supervision Module 2024/5

The doctoral supervision module runs twice a year, usually in semester one and the summer term.

The contact time consists of five 2-hour workshops. The module also includes independent research and peer group activities outside of the workshops. Assessment consists of two pieces of coursework: a peer supervision exercise and a written scholarly reflection on practice. Demand for places is high, so please only register if you can be fully committed to the module.

Places are capped at 20, and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Registration can be done at any time. For further information and registration, visit the PRESTige registration form.

Key documents

You can find guidance and key documents for examiners on our Information for examiners page.

Doctoral Programme Framework

The doctoral programme framework is a range of documents which set out the University’s regulations and accompanying handbooks for doctoral researchers and their supervisors:

Research Degree Regulations

Research Degree Handbook

DRDP

The full programme, related information and forms are located on our dedicated DRDP website.

Key documents relevant to all research staff are located on the Research Framework page.

Online resources

External resources

A range of information is available free to all UoW staff on the Vitae website.

The UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE)

Supervisor Toolkit and Framework

Supervisor resources

Research in Focus Blog

Other Resources

Your Research Career Podcast Series

Presentations are available from the Researcher Education and Development Scholarship Conference 2020: ‘What is supervision now?’ And ‘What development or institutional structures are needed to enable supervisors?’

Supervising PhDs is a community blog on doctoral supervision relationships and pedagogies.

Essential PGR Mental Health Resources. A compilation of resources gathered by the UKCGE.