Achievements

A brief round up of what the committee did each academic year.

2018/19

Excellence in Doctoral Education and Career Development: approved a framework for career and professional development to support postgraduate research supervisors.
Go Abroad opportunities for postgraduate research students: supported Edinburgh Global in promoting and communicating Erasumus+ opportunities for postgraduate research students.
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES): consulted on and approved optional institutional questions for PRES 2019.
Electronic thesis submission: supported a Library proposal on electronic only submission for final PhD thesis submission.
PhD and MPhil criteria: advised on amendments to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations clarifying the criteria for the award of PhD and MPhil degrees.
Early Career Researchers (ECRs): supported IAD proposals to develop an information hub and specialist careers support for ECRs.

Excellence in Doctoral Education and Career Development: final recommendations from task group on professional and personal development record sent to Service Excellence Programme. Work continues on supervisor training and support and mentoring and well-being.
Review of the Code of Practice for Tutors and Demonstrators: completed with new policy replacing the Code of Practice.
Review of Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students: new, streamlined Code to be published in August 2018.
Enlightenment Scholarships: proposed changes to scholarship documentation and agreed oversight management group to report annually to the Committee.
Support for Early Career Researchers: endorsed "Taking Control of your Research Career" framework. Continuing to explore support options.
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES): reviewed institutional results and facilitated a Graduate Schools' meeting to discuss themes.

Excellence in Doctoral Research and Career Development Programme: undertook scoping for workstreams - Supervisor training and support; Mentoring and well-being; and the development of a personal and professional development record.
Enhanced tutoring and demonstrating: established a task group to review the Code of Practice for Tutors and Demonstrators.
Implement recommendations of task group on Flexible/Distance PhDs: agreed an action plan to enable the University to make distance PhD study a normal part of the University’s offerings.
MSc by Research programmes: clarified how the University’s assessment regulations apply to MSc by Research programmes for implementation in 2017/18.
Enhanced support for Early Career Researchers: continued to guide activities relating to support for Early Career Researchers.

Enhanced annual progression review process: oversaw implementation of the new EUCLID system tools for supporting the online annual progression review.
Developed a clearer idea of what an Edinburgh PhD should be: benchmarking, consultation, and alignment with broader thinking in the University.
Explored concept of Distance and Flexible Learning PhDs: Task Group’s final report and recommendations were approved and recommendations communicated to key stakeholders. Updates on progress with implementation will be sought during 2016/17.
Supported and promoted career development planning for Early Career Researchers: paper submitted to People Committee.
Doctoral Training Centres: monitored development of new centres and input to the development of proposals for central coordination and support.
Postgraduate Research Space: identified priorities and recommendations for policy development by Space Enhancement and Management Group (SEMG).
Regulations review: provided steering for the Postgraduate Degree Regulations and Assessment Regulations for Research Degrees .
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES): maintained institutional oversight and received College responses to survey results. Contributed to consultation on future PRES development.

This article was published on 9 Sep, 2019