‘How can MRes/MSc project supervisors best be supported?’
Project brief information
Project summary
UKCGE’s recent work (2023) to establish Recognised Associate Supervisor status across early career researchers, postdocs and fellows; sector attention to good practice in building research cultures (e.g. the Wellcome Trust’s review of Research Cultures, 2020); and the professional accreditation of some Masters’ degrees, have highlighted the importance of institutions supporting good supervisory practices for MRes/MSc projects.
Imperial’s Early Career’s Researcher Institute and Research Coach Ltd are conducting a project, through Research England’s Enhancing Research Culture fund, to better understand how MRes and MSc project supervisors across the College are best supported. This study aims to:
- identify how MRes/MSc project supervisors are nominated and supported in their roles and responsibilities
- gather examples of good practice
- develop recommendations for future support and provision for current and aspiring supervisors of MRes and MSc student projects at Imperial
The project will be conducted between September 2024 – February 2025 by an independent team of researchers from Research Coach Ltd.
Help shape project recommendations to inform planning and implementation of future institutional strategies to support MRes and MSc project supervision by getting involved in the project activities (below).
How to contribute
To ensure that the final recommendations reflect the needs of Imperial’s MRes/MSc supervisory community, we are keen to hear from any postdocs, fellows, research staff and academic staff members involved in MRes/MSc project supervision, aspiring supervisors, and staff managing or supporting MRes/MSc project supervision, and any other staff members with an interest in MRes/MSc project supervision. There are a range of ways to contribute to the study and we invite you to participate in as many spaces as you can:
an anonymous questionnaire – to gather examples of existing good practices in recruiting, supporting and recognising supervisors and identify opportunities to enhance College provision and support for MRes/MSc project supervisors. Open until 8 November 2024.
Register your interest now for a 30-minute confidential interview – to tell us about your experiences of supervising MRes and MSc projects/supporting MRes/MSc supervision and your insights and ideas on how Imperial should best support these supervisory role(s).
Register your interest here – an opportunity to join other colleagues to discuss good practice and key issues in MRes/MSc project supervision, and to contribute to the development of the recommendations for supporting supervision into the future. Open until 8 November 2024.
All survey contributors will receive a £2 donation for their response which will be split equally between the project’s nominated charities In2Science and Imperial’s Student Support Fund. £10 charity donations on behalf of all participants in interviews and focus groups will be made to both these nominated charities (with the donation being split equally between them). All participants will be eligible to enter a voucher prize draw to win prizes of up to £100 vouchers for a choice of outlets.
Project Team
Dr Jo Collins (Lead contact, Jo.Collins@researchcoach.co.uk) and Dr Natalie James will conduct the review on behalf of Research Coach Ltd. Our expertise spans academic development, evaluation of professional development provision, supervision and training supervisors, leadership and management development, qualitative and quantitative research methods, sociological and institutional culture research, research funding, equality, diversity and inclusion, and HEI related consultancy.