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: .

Supervisor Forum 1, 6 March 2024

Email [email protected] to book a place for the 6 March.

Supervisor Forum 2, 29 May 2024: Doctoral Researcher Ethics Processes & Considerations

More information to follow shortly.

Email [email protected] to book a place for the 29 May.

Supervisor Forum 3, 19 June 2024: Supporting Doctoral Students at the End of Their Degree: Submission, Mock Vivas, Vivas and Beyond

This Supervisor Forum is for all those supervising doctoral students and for those who would like to supervise in the future. It is a repeat of the 6th March forum.

It will be a chance to:

  • think about the crucial final part of the doctoral degree
  • explore ways in which we can support doctoral students at this stage
  • share experiences and practices
  • revisit our regulations and processes

Email [email protected] to book a place for the 19 June.

Annual Supervisor Symposium, 2023-24: details to be announced

This annual, half-day event provides a space for supervisors to gather and explore a topical theme related to supervision in an extended format, often with a presentation from a guest facilitator.

Supervision Module 2023/4

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.