York Research Supervisor Workshops
The York Research Supervisor Workshop Series provides an opportunity for supervisors from different disciplines to come together to share and reflect on their practice as a community of supervisor practitioners. They are designed to support individual supervisors and those working in supervisory teams.
The workshops for 2024/25 are designed to support PGR supervisors at all career stages and with different levels of experience. They cover three themes:
- Supporting the PGR lifecycle - policies and processes: These bitesize sessions will provide an update on important aspects of the University’s Policy on Research Degrees and the new Code of Practice on PGR admissions. These sessions are critical to an understanding of York’s processes and will enable consistency, quality assurance and compliance with University, legal and funder requirements. They will be recorded to enable access at the point of need.
- Enhancing your supervisory practice: These are interactive courses facilitated by specialists to enable sharing of practice and an opportunity to test out new ideas and approaches.
- Supporting Health and Wellbeing, Diversity and Equity: These are specialised workshops focusing on a particular aspect of supervisory practice and are designed to enable greater confidence in attracting and supporting researchers from diverse backgrounds.
Flexibility: All the workshops have been scheduled on different days and times to enable as many people as possible to fit them into their schedules. The emphasis is on sharing of ideas and practice and they are informal in nature so please be ready to engage verbally or through the chat function. Unless otherwise stated all sessions are online and last between 45 to 90 minutes.
York is leading the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project. Some of the sessions offered in 2024/25 will be open to supervisors from the consortium universities: University of Nottingham, Sheffield Hallam University, King’s College London and Coventry University. Based on the feedback we will provide support and pilot them for use by RSVP Practitioner Partners in 2025/26. This is your opportunity to be involved and co-create meaningful provision.
Workshops for 2024/25
Semester 1
1 October 2024, 10am to 11.30am (online)
Working through authentic (anonymised) case studies, colleagues are invited to consider how best to support PGRs through the ethics and process. Colleagues will also be able to explore the role of Trusted Research, Nagoya Protocol and data management.
- Audience: All supervisors and Graduate Administrators
- Facilitators: Facilitated by colleagues in Open Research, Academic Liaison, Teaching and Learning teams and colleagues in Policy, Integrity and Performance
- Related theme: Supporting the PGR lifecycle - policies and processes
Book your place: Integrating Integrity into Doctoral research - building best practice
11 November 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm (on campus - SLB/006)
This new session will focus on joining a supervisory team part way through a candidate’s doctorate. We will highlight some of the key issues to be aware of when taking on new PGRs and provide a space in which colleagues can feel able to share experiences. We will cover: getting up to speed with the processes, co-supervisors and establishing relationships.
- Audience: York supervisors who are taking on a PGR because of changes to the supervisory team
- Facilitators: Dr Nicola Palmer, School for Business and Society - University of York and Sheffield Hallam University, alongside Dr Karen Clegg, Co-PI, Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), University of York, Juliet James and PGR Faculty Leads
- Related theme: Enhancing your supervisory practice
Book your place: Joining a supervisory team partway through a project
21 November 2024, 11am to 12 noon (online)
Designed to help those new to doctoral supervision, this session will explore: discussing expectations with the supervisory team; defining professional boundaries; guiding the research project and supporting independent scholarship.
- Audience: New supervisors (Graduate Administrators are also welcome)
- Facilitators: This session is delivered by Dr Karen Clegg - Co-PI, Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), University of York
- Related theme: Supporting the PGR lifecycle - policies and processes
3 December 2024, 12 noon to 1pm (online)
This new and short session will explore how to provide useful and constructive feedback on PGR work, and strategies for getting students to engage with the feedback.
- Audience: Supervisors at all levels
- Facilitators: Dr Karen Clegg (Co-PI, Next Generation Research SuperVision Project, University of York), Dr Julia Rayner (Mentoring Coordinator, Next Generation Research SuperVision Project, University of York) and Dr Roisin Astell (Digital Resource and Researcher Developer, Next Generation Research SuperVision Project)
- Related theme: Supporting the PGR lifecycle - policies and processes
This is now fully booked. If you're interested in attending a future session, please join the waiting list on the Learning Management System (LMS) so that we can notify you when new dates are made available.
Rescheduled for 17 February 2025, 11.30am to 12.30pm (online)
This new session will provide supervisors with tools with which to support PGRs through the viva process, and will also dip into the data on the viva process.
- Audience: Supervisors at all levels
- Facilitators: This session is delivered by Dr Karen Clegg - Co-PI, Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), University of York
- Related topic: Supporting the PGR lifecycle - policies and processes
Book your place: Supporting PGRs through assessment and the viva
Semester 2
Sessions for Semester 2 to be announced.
Supervisor mentoring circles
As part of the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), we are piloting supervisor mentoring circles which are open to all PGR supervisors at York. Mentoring circles provide an alternative approach to professional development with participants collaboratively agreeing on topics to be discussed, sharing their experiences and reflecting on approaches through facilitated collegial conversations. The circles require a commitment to meet with a group of 6-8 supervisors from diverse disciplines on a regular basis over an agreed period of time. The purpose is to support each other in further developing supervisory skills and confidence, gain new perspectives and build networks.
Find out more about mentoring for PGR Supervisors at York
Information sessions
If you would like to find out more about this new scheme before applying including how it works and how it can help you, you can join one of our information sessions. Available dates:
- Tuesday 28 January 2025, 12.30pm to 1.30pm, Berrick Saul Treehouse (BS/104)
- Wednesday 29 January 2025, 12 noon to 1pm, Online (Zoom)
Register for an information session
How to apply
To join a peer mentoring circle, please fill in the application form to help us match peer mentors based on their needs, experience, and areas of interest.
Apply for supervisor mentoring circles
Apply by Monday 3 February 2025 to be part of Cohort 1 which will run from February 2025 to July 2025. Group allocations for this cohort will be confirmed in mid February 2025.
Any applications made after Monday 3 February 2025 will be considered for Cohort 2 which will run from September 2025 to February 2026.
Communities of Practice Meetings
Communities of Practice discussions are an opportunity for all those involved in supervision or supporting the supervisory process to meet face to face as a community of practice and discuss important topics in supervision. Topics will be shared in advance of these bimonthly meetings and you are welcome to come to any that interest you.
New dates for 2024/25 to be announced.