Many new research students are unsure of what to expect from their supervisory team and how to maintain the supervisory relationship. Note that you and your supervisory team have specific responsibilities, and it is important that you understand what these are so that your working relationship is effective.
After finishing the registration process, your first key task is to identify and engage with your research supervisors and Head of Department. MPhil/PhD students are required to have a supervisory team, normally comprising of two members:
In addition to the above, the Principal Supervisor or Head of Department can invite other academic colleagues both within and outside the UNIMA to contribute to your research on a collegiate basis. You will generally recognize their support through an acknowledgement in your thesis.
Where an outside body is associated with your research work, the Principal Supervisor or Head of Department can appoint an External Supervisor for you. In such circumstances, the external supervisor fulfils the role of providing a critical commentary on your programme of work, based on periodic reviews of your academic progress and outputs.
If you are undertaking your PhD research work in a setting outside the CoM or UNIMA, you will have an External Supervisor who will take the responsibility of the day-to-day supervision of your research work. The External Supervisor should have qualifications comparable with those required of a University supervisor. Where an external supervisor is appointed, you will still maintain a Principal Supervisor from the UNIMA.
You will have an opportunity to meet with your Supervisory Team, including, where practicable, the external supervisor, at regular intervals (once or more per year) throughout your research programme. You will be required to share an accurate record of all supervisory meetings with all members of the Supervisory Team.
If any of your UNIMA supervisors leaves, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, he/she will be required to inform the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research who will in turn make appropriate arrangements to ensure continuation of supervision.
As a research student you will have ultimate the responsibility of planning and developing your research, responding to any problems you might encounter and ensuring that you deliver a thesis on time and of an acceptable standard. Below, are some of your key responsibilities:
Please refer to the PhD regulations, for more of your responsibilities as an MPhil/PhD student.
The responsibilities of your supervisor(s) include:
You are required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with your supervisors as a formal verification of your mutual commitment to engage you in the MPhil/PhD programme and ensure that you and your supervisors are clear about each others’ responsibilities and expectations. This understanding will provide you with a foundation for building an effective working relationship with your supervisor. The Head of Department hosting your degree programme is required to endorse the MoU.
During the course of your PhD studies, you need to record dates, summary discussions and action points of your meetings with your supervisors in the supervision logbook.
It is your responsibility to initiate discussions with your principal supervisor on any problems arising during the course of your research work. If you consider that your work is not proceeding satisfactorily for reasons beyond your control, you may approach the Departmental Postgraduate Studies Coordinator (or the Head of Department). If the problem remains unsolved at that level, you may contact the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research.
If you consider that you have not established or do not have an effective working relationship with your supervisor, you may initiate an amendment to the supervisory arrangements. In this case, you should initially discuss the matter with Departmental Postgraduate Coordinator (or Head of Department), who may refer you to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research. A supervisor may also initiate an amendment to the supervisory arrangements by following similar consultation procedures.
Occasionally, a situation can arise in which your supervisor retires, transfers to another institution or is absent from CoM or UNIMA for an extended period owing to illness, sabbatical leave or other reasons. In such circumstances, your supervisory team and the Departmental Postgraduate Coordinator (or Head of Department) will make alternative arrangements to ensure continuity of supervision. The Head of Department will then appoint a replacement Principal Supervisor until such a time that the original supervisor is able to resume his/her role.\
The facilities made available to research students will inevitably vary from one department to another depending on a number of factors, including the nature of the research undertaken. Your department will provide appropriate information on the types of facilities available to support your research work.
At the beginning of your studies, the Postgraduate Executive Officer will take you on a tour of the College of Medicine to enable you to familiarize yourself with key facilities outside of your department that you may wish to utilize. These include:
library resources, including the use of the Inter-library loans system and access to internet-based and CD-ROM databases;
relevant information technology resources, including word processing facilities, spreadsheet packages, statistical and graphics packages, electronic mail and access to the Internet;
working space including a desk and associated storage facilities
photocopying facilities and, where directly relevant to the research project, appropriate internal and external telephone networks. Unless specified otherwise, the department will charge students for using any of these facilities, in full or in part. The department will provide information about the actual amounts charged prior to registration.
laboratory facilities, laboratory consumables, scientific instrumentation and photographic services commensurate with the nature and possible scope of your research;
At the beginning of each year of your study, your supervisors will develop jointly with you a “Training Needs Analysis”. This is an assessment of your current skills levels and knowledge and will be used to develop your research training programme for the year. Before the end of the academic year, as part of the annual progress assessment, your supervisor will review the outcomes of your training programme. You are required to record any training that you receive in each year of your research programme in section III of the Annual Progress Report Form (Appendix 7.4).
The CoM is committed to the principle that all research students should have the opportunity to attend an appropriate programme of training in research-related and personal skills during their research programme. You are required to attain some core research-related competencies, including critical appraisal of literature, application of study design concepts, presentation skills, scientific writing etc. You can attain these by attending a number of modular courses provided by the School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Research Support Centre and various CoM research affiliates. Such courses include:
Full details of the courses offered are available from the Office of the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research. You may claim appropriate credits from these courses towards your Postgraduate Research Training Record (PGRTR). Note that each research student should accumulate a minimum of 10 credit hours by the end of the first year of study.