The Medical School.
Postgraduate Research Handbook 2014 - 2015
1 The Medical School.
WELCOME TO THE MEDICAL SCHOOL
May we take this opportunity of welcoming you to the University of Sheffield and in particular to the Medical School in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health. This is the beginning of what we hope will be an exciting and successful career and our aim is to help you to access the many and varied activities which are available to you.
We would like you to take a little time to read through this Handbook, which contains information that you should find helpful now, and during the course of your studies. The handbook is divided into 6 sections.
Section 1 briefly provides a brief introduction to the departments in the Medical School, the staff involved in supporting you through your postgraduate research programme, and the various Medical School and Faculty committees that oversee postgraduate research provision. In section 2, you will find useful information required to start your studies. You are strongly advised to read through this and pay particular attention to the forms which need to be authorised and returned immediately.
Section 3 contains information relating to the ongoing progress monitoring requirements, the confirmation review that will take place at the end of year 1, the thesis plan that you will be expected to submit at the end of your second year and some information that you will need to bear in mind when you are planning your thesis write up.
You will find information about the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP) in Section 4, including details of the DDP modules that you are required to complete during your first year. Section 5 explains the procedures that you should follow when you wish to take some holiday or if you are absent due to sickness. Finally, section 6 contains some other more general information that you will find useful to read.
For further information for current postgraduates in the School please visit: www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/current/postgraduates
Once again, welcome to Sheffield and we hope you will enjoy your studies with us.
2 The Medical School.
CONTENTS
Assistance with any of the information below should be provided by your Supervisor/Tutor.
1. Organisation of PGR Provision Departments Year Tutoring Team & Support Staff Supervisory Team Graduate Research Committees Medical School Postgraduate Society (MPGS)
2. Important Information & Forms* to be completed within Month 1 Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment Research Governance Ucard information Computing Information Postgraduate Research Student Care Policy Medical School Plagiarism Policy Medical School Copyright Policy Statement of Probity* Statement of Intent* Project Registration* Progress and Attendance Monitoring Progress and Attendance Compliance Agreement*
3. Student Monitoring Information Student Monitoring Information Supervisory Meeting Report Personal Tutoring Report Writing up Report 2nd Year Thesis Plan
4. Research Training & Sheffield Doctoral Development Programme (DDP) Doctoral Development Programme, ePortfolio& PebblePad Training Needs Analysis: further information, the Faculty TNA & Examples of training needs Postgraduate Induction Course Information DDP Requirements in the Medical School DDP Modules offered by the Medical School Joint Statement – Research Councils
5. Sickness and Annual Leave Reporting Sickness & Annual Leave Procedure Personal Sickness/Self Certification Form Holiday Form Leave of Absence
6. Other Useful Information Guide for PhD Students Campus Map Well Connected Counselling Service Careers Service Vitae Staff & Responsibilities 3 1. Organisation of PGR Provision
o Departments o Year Tutoring Team & Support Staff o Supervisory Team o Graduate Research Committees o Medical School Postgraduate Society (MPGS)
4 The Medical School.
Departments The Medical School is composed of five Faculty departments and the Academic Unit of Medical Education (AUME).
Cardiovascular Science The Department is led by Professor Sheila Francis and comprises three research themes; Cardiovascular Biomechanics, Inflammatory Mechanisms and Thrombosis & Haemostasis. The Department is home to 27 academic, clinical and research faculty. We are based at The University of Sheffield Medical School.
Infection & Immunity The Department of Infection and Immunity is led by Professor Ian Sabroe and combines basic science research in molecular cell biology, with a particular focus on innate immunity in Respiratory Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Renal Medicine, Rheumatology and Dermatology. The department is based within the Medical School and the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. There is access to core facilities in proteomics and genomics, high quality Cell Biology, Containment Level 2 and 3 laboratories. Our clinical base is at both the Royal Hallamshire (Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Medicine, Rheumatology, Dermatology) and Northern General (Renal Medicine) Hospitals.
Human Metabolism Our research here at the Department of Human Metabolism encompasses the life course. We have specialists in conception and reproduction, through childhood and adolescence, and into old age. With access to world class facilities, our researchers study human processes from the level of basic biology through to diseases such as osteoporosis and diabetes. We focus on translating scientific discoveries into meaningful advances in the clinic that can benefit our patients and the general population. Our research strengths are in the fields of Musculoskeletal Research, Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes.
Neuroscience The Department of Neuroscience comprises multidisciplinary groups from the units of Neurology, Neuropathology and Psychiatry working in both basic and clinical neuroscience. Clinical and non- clinical researchers combine to investigate the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease and major psychoses, with the goal of translating novel insights into new therapeutic approaches.
Oncology The Department of Oncology provides a dynamic, exciting research environment with an internationally important portfolio of basic, clinical and translational cancer research. We receive substantial competitive funding from all the major research bodies and charities, including major contributions from Cancer Research UK and Yorkshire Cancer Research. Our scientists are engaged at the cutting-edge of oncology research, and their findings are disseminated through publication in a wide range of national and international forums. Our major areas of interest are genome stability, the cell cycle and signal transduction, tumour vascularisation and microenvironment and bone oncology. We have major research programmes in breast, urological and haematological oncology. Our collaborators include scientists in Sheffield, the UK and across the international scientific communities.
Academic Unit of Medical Education As an Academic Unit in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sheffield, Medical Education is a significant university-based concentration of medical education resources and one of the most important in the UK.
5 University of Sheffield The Medical School Graduate Research Team
Year Tutor Teams and Support Staff for the 2014-15 Academic Year:
Year 1 Tutor Dr Peter Grabowski: [email protected] Department of Human Metabolism
Deputy Year 1 Tutor Dr Chryso Kanthou: [email protected] Department of Oncology
Further Members of the Graduate Research Team
Faculty PGR Lead for Dr Martina Daly [email protected] Postgraduate Department of Cardiovascular Science Research Programmes
To be Confirmed Chair of the Graduate Research Committee
Dr Victoria Ridger: [email protected] Cardiovascular PGR Department of Cardiovascular Science Lead
Human Metabolism Dr Colby Eaton: [email protected] PGR Lead Department of Human Metabolism
6 University of Sheffield The Medical School Graduate Research Team
Infection & Immunity Dr Mark Thomas: [email protected] PGR Lead Department of Infection & Immunity
Neuroscience PGR Dr Andy Grierson: [email protected] Lead Department of Neuroscience
Oncology PGR Lead Dr Mike Barker: [email protected] Department of Oncology
John Wood: [email protected] Year 2 Tutor Department of Neuroscience
Lynne Prince: [email protected] Deputy Year 2 Tutor Department of Infection & Immunity
Dr Victoria Ridger: [email protected] Year 3 Tutor Department of Cardiovascular Science
Dr Phil Watson: [email protected] Deputy Year 3 Tutor Department of Human Metabolism
7 University of Sheffield The Medical School Graduate Research Team
MD Contact Dr Lynda Wyld: [email protected] Department of Oncology
Senior Selector Dr Mike Barker: [email protected] Department of Oncology
Unfair Means Officer Dr Alison Gartland [email protected] & Staff Student Department of Human Metabolism Liaison
Support Team The following members of staff are here to support you.
School PGR Jodie Burnham: [email protected] Administrator Responsible for all administration of the Graduate Research Committee, student recruitment & scheduling of DDP modules.
Postgraduate Louise Goss: [email protected] Programme First point of contact for all registered PGR students. Administrator Includes induction, processing of Leave of Absences, Extension requests, appointment of examiners & time limit checking.
Postgraduate Carol Fidler: [email protected] Programme Responsible for the monitoring of registered PGR students. Administrator Includes administration of MED6950 & MED6960, FCM6100, Confirmation Reviews & Student Attendance Monitoring.
Postgraduate Paula Blackwell: [email protected] Admissions First point of contact for pre-registered PhD/MD students. Administrator
8 Your Supervisory Team Personal Tutor Primary Supervisor Your personal tutor is somebody who is not directly concerned with your research, but Your primary supervisor is responsible for the day to day supervision of your research. does have some understanding of the area. Their role is mainly to provide pastoral care They will provide guidance on the nature of the research project and the standard and to be someone independent with whom you can discuss, in confidence, non‐technical expected, the planning and timing of the successive stages of the research project, issues relating to your project or your supervision, or other personal problems that might literature and sources, research methods and techniques. They will also guide you as impact upon your experience as a student. You may also wish to discuss your training to appropriate courses to attend to meet your training needs and offer guidance and needs with your personal tutor. You must meet twice annually with your personal tutor, advice on the preparation of your thesis. In addition to the informal chats and lab or once in each semester, and a record of the meetings should be made using the personal team meetings that you will have with your supervisor, you are required to have at tutoring meeting form which should be returned to the PGR Secretary after the meeting. least nine formal, documented meetings with your supervisor(s) per annum, solely You are expected to contact your personal tutor to arrange these meetings. Some focussing on your progress. You will receive reminders about these meetings but will students may be assigned a personal tutoring team comprising an academic member of be expected to arrange them yourself. The aim of these meetings will be to discuss staff and a senior postdoctoral researcher. In such cases, students will be expected to your progress, the problems you have faced and the objectives to be reached before meet twice annually with both members of their personal tutoring team. Students should the next meeting. A record of the meeting should be made using the supervisory feel free to meet with their personal tutors at other times if required. meeting form, which should be returned to the PGR Secretary after the meeting.
Second Supervisor PGR Tutors All students will have a second supervisor, and in some cases a third You will be assigned to a team of two PGR Tutors who will be your first point of supervisor may also be appointed. The role of the second supervisor contact for any queries you may have relating to your doctoral development and their input into the day to day supervision will vary from one programme and who, usually, remain with you throughout the course of your student to another. However, in all cases, the second supervisor will act research programme. Your PGR tutors will be responsible for delivering the two as the monitor of the student’s training plan and will be responsible for research training modules that all PGR students are expected to complete in their commenting on their training progress and for formally approving their first year. These are the generic research training modules MED6950 –Literature portfolio as part of the transfer process. The second supervisor will also Review and MED6960 – Techniques, Safety and Report. They will also organise the comment on the student’s personal development plan during formal annual research presentation meetings, where you are expected to present a supervisory meetings as part of the annual progress report. While the summary of your research over the previous year. Your PGR Tutors will also highlight primary supervisor will be closely involved with the development of a any issues relating to progress with your research, particularly during your first year. student’s training plan, it is the second supervisor who will hold primary You are encouraged to approach your PGR Tutors for advice if you have any responsibility for monitoring its implementation. You are required to difficulties that you feel unable to raise with your supervisors or personal tutor. meet with both supervisors at least 6 times annually.
The Chair of the School Graduate Research Committee (SGRC) is Departmental PGR Lead responsible for overseeing the procedures for monitoring the progress Each of the five departments in the Medical School has a PGR Lead. The PGR Lead is responsible for and supervision of all PGR students. They also work with the assigning your personal tutor and approving all paperwork relating to your candidature. They are also Departmental PGR Leads and with the Heads of Department to deal responsible for approving the appointment of examiners at the stage when you are expected to with issues relating to lack of progress that arise at the time of transfer registration from MPhil to MD, or PhD and they will approve the selection of examiners for transfer, and other times during the course of the research degree your finished MD or PhD thesis. The PGR Leads will also deal with any issues that arise relating to your programme and provide cover for the PGR Leads when they are not progress at the time of transfer of registration or at other times during the course of your research available. The Chair of the SGRC also deals with issues relating to fees, programme. In some cases, your departmental PGR Lead may also act as a PGR Tutor. Each PGR Lead and staff candidate applications. also represents their department on the Medical School and Faculty Graduate Research Committees. 9 PGR Student Staff Student Liaison Supervisory team Committee Committee PGR Student Supervisors Representative
Departmental School Graduate Faculty Graduate PGR Tutors PGR Lead Research Committee Research Committee Student Personal Faculty Director of tutor Head of Research and Department Innovation
Organisation of PGR Provision
10 THE GRADUATE RESEARCH COMMITTEES
Issues relating to the development, monitoring and assessment of postgraduate research (PGR) students are dealt with by the Medical School Graduate Research Committee and the Faculty Graduate School Committee. The PGR students are represented on each of these committees. In addition, the Medical School Postgraduate Society (MPGS) and the Staff Student Liaison Committee provide a forum for students to discuss issues relating to the PGR experience. The roles and responsibilities of each of these committees are outlined further below.
The School Graduate Research Committee
The remit of the School Graduate Research Committee (SGRC) is to develop, administer and monitor the assessment of graduate research student progress in the Medical School. The Committee meets regularly to discuss ongoing matters and changes to procedure. Problems are discussed and recommendations for action are made as appropriate. Your PGR tutors and PGR Leads attend the SGRC meetings.
The Faculty Graduate School Committee
The SGRC Chair and the PGR Leads from the Medical School also attend meetings of the Faculty Graduate School Committee which considers matters relating to PGR degree programmes and research training within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health. It also considers matters relating to PGR student progress, supervision and support and advises the Faculty Research and Innovation Committee accordingly.
The Medical Postgraduate Society
Having at least one PGR student representative from each of the Departments in the Medical School, the PGR Student Committee meets regularly to discuss issues relating to the postgraduate student experience in the Medical School, which may then be raised for discussion at the Staff-Student Liaison Committee. Representatives from the PGR Student Committee are also responsible for representing the students at meetings of the School and Faculty Graduate Research Committees. The Student Committee sets the primary agenda for meetings of the Staff-Student Liaison Committee and is responsible for feeding back the outcomes of meetings with academic staff. The Committee also runs a Facebook-led forum for interaction between PGR students in the School and organises regular social events for the student body. The student reps are there to make PhD life a little easier and should also be considered a resource if you have any social or pastoral issues arising during the course of your studies.
Staff Student Liaison Committee
At regular intervals the Medical Postgraduate Society meets with a small number of academic members of the SGRC and the PGR Administrator to form the Staff Student Liaison Committee. Here students can raise any issues arising from Medical Postgraduate Society meetings, or highlighted by the student reps, directly with academics with the aim of improving the student experience in the Medical School. Issues are either discussed, and resolved, or the SSLC takes issues forward to be addressed at SGRC.
11 Upcoming Meetings: Tuesday 04.11.14 DU32 4-5pm Tuesday 02.12.14 DU32 4-5pm
Come along and give it a try! oMeet new people o Improve your CV oMake a difference
Contact us: The Medical Post-Graduate [email protected] Society (MPGS) is a committee open to all postgraduate research students shef.ac.uk/medicine/pgsociety within the five Medical School facebook.com/MedicalPost Departments. It is run for students, GraduateSociety by students, and aims to develop and improve the post-graduate student 12 @ShefUniMPGS experience. 2. Important Information & Forms* to be completed within Month 1
o Health and Safety o Display Screen Equipment & Research Governance o Ucard information o Computing Information o Postgraduate Research Student Care Policy o Medical School Plagiarism Policy o Medical School Copyright Policy o Statement of Probity* o Statement of Intent* o Project Registration* o SAM Compliance Agreement*
* These forms should be completed within month 1 and returned to Louise Goss, [email protected]
13 Health and Safety
The Medical School Management Committee (SMC) is committed to safeguarding the health, safety and welfare at work of all its staff and students. We consider safety an essential component of all activities within the School. The SMC is responsible for ratifying policy on safety matters, acting on advice from the Health & Safety Committee, which is also charged with implementing this policy. We regard legally required levels of practice as being the minimum acceptable. We believe that the measures contained within the School manual have already led to a safer working environment for all. The policy will be continually reviewed and developed as we strive for progressively higher standards of health and safety in the School. Please see the Medical School’s Health and Safety webpages for further information http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/medicine/staff-info/healthandsafety
The Medical School Health and Safety Manual is available to download http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.336684!/file/Manual2013.pdf
The following people are responsible for the day-to-day management of Health & Safety in the Medical School. You should contact the appropriate person (below), who will introduce you to the mechanisms in place in your department to promote a safe working environment.
Remember IF IN DOUBT – ASK!
Cardiovascular Science Dr Mark Ariaans M Floor, [email protected], Ext: 68969
Neuroscience Ms Anne Gregory, Lead Technician SITraN, [email protected], Ext: 22270
Infection & Immunity Mrs Yvonne Stephenson, Lead Technician L Floor, [email protected], Ext: 13696
Human Metabolism Mrs Susan Smith, Lead Technician D Floor, [email protected], Ext: 13337
Oncology Miss Carmel Nichols, Lead Technician F Floor, [email protected], Ext: 13134
14 Extract from the University Health & Safety Code of Practice
Postgraduate Students shall ensure that they conduct their duties in a safe manner, in accordance with the University Health and Safety Code of Practice and any specific Codes of Practice relating to their particular activities and all relevant safety legislation and guidance.
In addition they shall:
Ensure that before commencing any experimental research work, health and safety requirements and precautions and any special hazards are discussed with their supervisors Ensure that their supervisor checks and countersigns CoSHH and other risk assessments prior to commencing practical work; Unless specifically authorised to do so, not attempt to repair or modify any electrical equipment or other apparatus belonging to the department. Not to interfere with or misuse, intentionally or recklessly, anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare. Complete all mandatory safety training
Induction Checklist for New Students As part of your induction into your Department you will be made aware of the following;
General lab safety / Safety manual http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.336684!/file/Manual2013.pdf
Fire exits, call points & evacuation procedure - see lead technician Out of hours training & fire lectures Accident / Incident reporting & location of accident report book First Aid boxes Safety Services website http://shef.ac.uk/safety/ Health & Safety Induction training accessed on line from http://shef.ac.uk/safety/ COSHH forms (mandatory) – locate, read, understand and sign all appropriate forms before starting procedure SOP’s / risk assessments http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/staff-info/h&s Lab coats, gloves & other personal protective equipment – when and where it is worn Waste disposal training (mandatory) https://www.waste.shef.ac.uk/ Oxygen depletion monitors Equipment training & safety Hepatitis B immunisation if applicable http://www.shef.ac.uk/health/information/charges UV safety awareness http://safety.dept.shef.ac.uk/ir/uvsafety.pdf Genetic Modification – must be approved and personnel trained before starting work Radioisotope work – must undergo training before starting work Biological services – must hold a home office licence before starting work
Name of worker…………………… Inducted by…………………….. Signature…………………………… Signature………………………… Date…………………………………. Date………………………………..
15 Safety Services
Use of Display Screen Equipment No matter how good your typing skills (or lack of them), you can suffer serious ill effects if you use display screen equipment without a few sensible precautions.
1. Make sure that your equipment is properly adjusted
Ensure that your lower back is well-supported by adjusting the seat back height Adjust your chair seat height so that your forearms are level when using the keyboard Make sure that the leading edge of the keyboard is at least 8-10 cm away from the edge of the desk If you use a mouse, have it far enough away from the edge of the desk so that your wrist is supported whilst you use it. If you can learn to use the mouse with either hand, so much the better.
2. Do not have your screen positioned in such a way that there is glare from the windows or room lights.
3. Maintain good posture - do not lean to one side or the other.
4. Take regular breaks away from display screen work. The experts recommend that you should take at least 10 minutes off every hour.
Most departments will have a Display Screen Trainer and/or Assessor who will be able to offer you specific advice if you use a display screen on a regular basis. https://hs.shef.ac.uk/subject_areas/display-screen-equipment-dse
More information on working with DSE's can be found at the Health and Safety Executive Web site.
______
Research Governance and Research requiring a Home Office Licence
Research governance is a process that applies to all ‘health care’ research in the UK, and ensures that research involving patients, data or human tissue is scientifically sound, properly financed and ethically approved. If you think your project requires research governance approval, speak to your supervisor. If it has already been granted approval, ask to see the protocol and approval letter. If an application is required, contact [email protected] for advice. Further information is also available on the University and Medical School webpages.
All procedures with living animals are regulated under a UK Act of Parliament and must be covered by a Home Office Project Licence. To work under the project licence, you will require a personal Home Office licence, which will not be issued until you have completed formal training courses and the appropriate written and practical tests. Your supervisor will advise you whether this is necessary for your project.
16 All students must have a Ucard
UCard issuing points are at: Student Services Information Desk University Computing Centre Level 4, Students Union Building 8-20 Hounsfield Road Western Bank Sheffield Sheffield S3 7RF S10 2TG
Telephone: (0114) 222 1299 Telephone: (0114) 222 3055
Opening Times 9:00am to 5:00pm Opening Times 9:00am to 5:00pm
About your UCard
All students must have a UCard. You should carry it with you at all times
Your new Ucard has many uses:
Proof of your identity for all University services Union of Students membership card. Library card. Electronic key to gain access to some buildings. Pre-pay photocopying and printing card. Proof of your identity for examinations. Proof of your identity when collecting cheques/payments. Join USport/S10 Health
Obtaining your UCard
If you have returned your application form and photograph before arrival, your Ucard should be ready for you to collect at Registration.
If you are unable to attend your Registration event you will be able to obtain your card from SSiD or CiCS once you have registered. You will be required to show your Registration Statement and some form of personal ID
Remember that we cannot issue your Ucard unless you are fully registered as a student. It is therefore important that your return your registration documents and Ucard application form at least two weeks before the start of your course.
17 What to do if you lose your UCard
Notify the Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) immediately, located on level 4 of the Student’s Union Building. Check with the Union Reception in case it has been handed in there. If you left your UCard in an exam contact Registry Services (Edgar Allen House, 241 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2TG).
If your lost UCard is handed in to SSiD we will email you notification to collect it.
If you lose your card during Intro Week, you will not be able to get a replacement until the following week, so look after it carefully. What to do if you find a UCard
If you find a UCard you should take it immediately to SSiD or the Computing Centre. What to do if your UCard is Stolen
If you suspect your UCard has been stolen, it is very important to notify the Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) immediately. If your card is stolen with other property, (wallet etc), you will not be charged for a replacement, but you must report the theft to the Police and bring a letter issued by the Police detailing your Police Crime number when you collect your replacement UCard. Replacement Ucards
SSiD will issue a new UCard for a replacement fee of £5.00. The following exceptions may apply:
The card has been stolen and a Crime Reference Number can be provided (this must be on paper with a Police Force letterhead) The card is over 2 years old and is worn or damaged through reasonable wear and tear The card is faulty or badly printed The cardholder's appearance has altered significantly The cardholder changes department The cardholder's name changes The cardholder's dates of study change
Please note: once a new Ucard has been issued, we cannot reactivate any previous cards.
SSiD does not issue Staff or External Ucards.
Please note: free card holders are available from SSiD for Medical students ONLY. This does not include Nursing and Midwifery students
18 The Medical School.
Corporate Information & Computing Services (CiCS) Network accounts
To access University computer services, you will need a username and password to log into the network. Registering for your account
New students will receive their account details when they register at the University. If you are unable to attend your Registration event you will be able to obtain your account details from CiCs once you have registered. You will be required to show your Ucard.
If you don't have a UCard you'll need to bring your registration statement to get your UCard and computer account.
Student Computer Rooms - Sites There are over 1600 fast computers in rooms around campus. http://www.shef.ac.uk/cics/computers/sites
Student Computer Rooms Arts Tower - 48 PCs Bartolomé House - 49 PCs Crookesmoor Building C26 - 41 PCs Dainton Building - 23 PCs 8 iMacs Elmfield - 40 PCs Firth Court - 40 PCs Geography and Planning - 40 PCs Hicks Building - 87 PCs The Information Commons - 500 PCs 9 Mappin Street - 20 PCs Perak - 91 PCs Portobello Building - 40 PCs Royal Hallamshire Seminar Room 10 - 15 PCs Sir Frederick Mappin Building (F110) - 54 PCs Sir Frederick Mappin Building (ME03/ME04) - 188 PCs Sir Robert Hadfield Building - 32 PCs
Libraries St. George's Library - 57 PCs Western Bank Library - 69 PCs Royal Hallamshire Health Sciences Library - 31 PCs Northern General Hospital Library - 18 PCs
Access to Printing Facilities
You will have access to printing facilities within your department. Please see your Departmental Print Champion. For further information on the University print services see: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cics/printing
19 Research & Innovation Services.
Postgraduate Research Student Care Policy
The University’s postgraduate research students are customers of Research & Innovation Services. We aim to meet their needs with efficiency, effectiveness, fairness and courtesy.
We aim to meet our customers’ Establishing high standards and regularly needs by: monitoring our performance. Providing a wide range of advice and Valuing the expertise of colleagues and support services to past, present and enabling them to develop their experience future postgraduate research students; and skills. Listening to the changing needs of postgraduate research students and adapting our service accordingly, wherever We aim to be fair and courteous possible; by: Maintaining and developing effective links Treating all our customers justly and with with all areas of the University, the Union of respect and sensitivity, irrespective of race, Students, and external organisations and, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, age, where appropriate, referring our gender, sexual orientation, marital or customers to the relevant area. parental status, disability, political or religious belief, or socio-economic class. Holding information securely and not We aim to offer a quality service releasing it to unauthorised persons. by: Providing accurate and appropriate advice and support to our customers. In return: Welcoming customer feedback on our We expect our customers to treat us with service and suggestions for improvement courtesy and respect. and development.
20 Medical School Graduate Research Committee Plagiarism Policy Document for Postgraduate Research (PGR) in the Medical School
The Medical School is committed to training PGR students to the highest standards and in line with skills and attributes as identified in the Researcher Development Framework (for more information see http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1218/Postgraduate-researchers.html). The ability to produce a piece of academic work (for assessment or publication) without the use of unfair means is one of the ways in which students can demonstrate that they have acquired and applied these skills and it encompasses all 4 domains of the Framework. Any use of unfair means in this process is dishonest and means that the student cannot demonstrate that they have acquired these skills.
The University of Sheffield defines unfair means as follows: “The basic principle underlying the preparation of any piece of academic work is that the work submitted must be your own work. Plagiarism, submitting bought or commissioned work, double submission (or self plagiarism), collusion, facilitating the use of unfair means and fabrication of results are not allowed because they violate this principle. Rules about these forms of cheating apply to all assessed and non-assessed work.
Plagiarism (either intentional or unintentional) is the stealing of ideas or work of another person (including experts and fellow or former students) and is considered dishonest and unprofessional. Plagiarism may take the form of cutting and pasting, taking or closely paraphrasing ideas, passages, sections, sentences, paragraphs, drawings, graphs and other graphical material from books, articles, internet sites or any other source and submitting them for assessment without appropriate acknowledgement.”
(For more information about other forms of unfair means and further advice to students please see http://www.shef.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.40934!/file/student_guidance_on_unfair_means.pdf )
In order to help PGR students acquire the appropriate academic skills when producing their written work and to avoid unintentional plagiarism the School Graduate Research Committee (SGRC) has developed the following Policy:
Training and Detection 1) All students in the Medical School will receive compulsory training as to what constitutes plagiarism as part of the Postgraduate Induction Course (PIC). A copy of the policy will be included in the Induction pack provided to new students so that they are aware of the School Plagiarism Policy and its guidelines.
2) All Supervisors will be made aware of the School Plagiarism Policy.
3) Students will be advised to avail of the opportunity to self-submit key pieces of work (i.e. literature review, transfer report, final thesis) once to Turnitin, or an equivalent software in draft form without records being created so that they can decide for themselves whether they have plagiarised in their work based on the Turnitin report and the School Policy guidelines.
4) All final submitted documents will be submitted to Turnitin by the PGR Programme Administrator prior to release for marking. The technical plagiarism highlighted/statistics generated by Turnitin will be used as an indicator rather than a definitive test to define whether plagiarism has occurred or not, and will not be used to steer actions. Subsequent analysis of the report and the piece of work by the PGR Tutors and Unfair Means Officer will determine whether a case of potential plagiarism needs to be investigated. 1
21 5) The following will be exempt from charges of plagiarism: Sections of Materials and Methods descriptions where strings of reagents/materials are listed. In Methods sections, where protocols are reproduced verbatim from another source, which may or may not be previously published, the sections should be prefaced with the statement: ‘The following method was taken from …….. (reference).’ These statements will be scrutinized to ensure attribution has been adequately made. Statements of fact such as ‘disease x is the 2nd leading cause of death in the UK’ will not be subject to plagiarism charges provided they do not constitute more than 10% of the entire document as identified by Turnitin and are properly referenced.
6) The main use of Turnitin will be to identify plagiarism of ideas: regions of similarity in text will be scrutinized for content to determine whether ideas have been taken from published work and presented as the student’s own.
7) The ownership of work cited as one’s own and therefore not subject to plagiarism assessment in respect of new submissions will have to be justified by students to the Head of Department. This may arise in the case of multiple authored published work being used by a single author (i.e. a student) as a direct source for a submitted piece of work. The judgment as to the contribution made by a student in this situation will be made by the Head of Department and the document would then carry a statement verifying that the Department was happy that the uses made of previously published documents were commensurate with the contributions made by the student to those works.
Procedure when Use of Unfair Means is suspected If there are concerns that a submitted piece of work may have been prepared using unfair means based on the above criteria and after thorough scrutiny of the document against sources highlighted by the Turnitin report, assessment of the piece of work will be delayed. The student will be informed of the concerns and invited to an informal meeting with a members of the SGRC (PGR Tutor, Unfair Means Officer and PGR Programme Administrator) to discuss the piece of work. The student may be accompanied by their Personal Tutor, or a friend if they wish, for moral support only. The aim of the meeting will be to discuss the work and decide on whether plagiarism has occurred or not. The tone of the meeting will be educational and non-punitive.
At the end of the meeting a decision will be made between the student and members of the SGRC on whether plagiarism has occurred or not.
If it is agreed that i. plagiarism has not occurred: the meeting will be recorded only and the piece of work will be released for assessment. ii. plagiarism has occurred: the meeting will be recorded and a formal warning issued to the student. The student will also be expected to resubmit the piece of work, free from plagiarism, in a timely fashion. OR iii. If no agreement is reached, the student will be issued with a formal warning and the failure to reach an agreement is recorded. The student will also be expected to resubmit the work, free from plagiarism, in a timely fashion.
The student’s supervisors will also be informed of the outcome of the meeting.
2
22 If the outcome of the meeting is option ii or iii above: In addition to discussing what plagiarism is during the meeting with the Unfair Means Officer and the PGR Tutor, the student will be advised to discuss any concerns they may have about plagiarism with their supervisors, PGR Tutors or Personal Tutor. In addition, the student will be expected to undergo remedial training. This could comprise one or more of the following: Attendance at the plagiarism awareness session delivered as part of the PIC; Completion of the online plagiarism awareness module offered in Information Skills Resource.
The student should record in PebblePad the training they do as well as a reflective entry on how they view their submission/Turnitin report in light of their new training.
In addition, students will be advised in writing that if they do not admit using unfair means and/or do not accept the Medical School’s action, they may submit an academic appeal to The Student Conduct and Appeals Office within 14 working days of the date of the letter confirming the action to be taken. This course of action does have serious implications to the student eg that if referred to a Discipline Committee, a higher penalty could be imposed.
If a student is suspected of plagiarism a second time If a student has received a formal warning as a result of the meeting above, and then submits a piece of work which raises concerns about plagiarism again, they will be informed of the concerns and invited to attend for a meeting as above. In this second meeting, the PGR Lead will attend along with the Unfair Means Officer. Where the outcome of the discussion is that plagiarism is judged to have occurred on a second occasion, this will trigger disciplinary action via central University and Student Services.
The School’s general approach to this Policy is one of education, but with a firm stance of non- tolerance for the use of unfair means and repeat offenders once the issues have been fully explained to students in feedback sessions. The emphasis is on the best interest of the PGR student experience in the School, avoiding students pointlessly rewriting documents to avoid plagiarism charges and at the same time providing information concerning the real dangers in this area.
Useful sources
Tutorial on Plagiarism awareness in Information Skills Resource (University login required): https://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/info_skills/plagiarism.html
Plagiarism quiz http://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/showcase/quizzes/mc_plag_quiz.html
Citing in a literature review http://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/research/lit_review.html
3
23 Medical School Graduate Research Committee Copyright Document for Postgraduate Research (PGR) in the Medical School
The Medical School is committed to training PGR students to the highest standards and in line with skills and attributes as identified in the Researcher Development Framework (for more information see http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1218/Postgraduate-researchers.html). The ability to produce a piece of academic work for publication (be it a full manuscript or eThesis) is one of the ways in which students can demonstrate that they have acquired and applied these skills and it encompasses all 4 domains of the Framework. In producing a piece of work for publication, including the eThesis, students must comply fully with UK copyright law.
Detailed explanations of UK copyright law and acceptable code of practice can be found on The University of Sheffield’s Library webpages. For further information, see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/services/copyrigh
With respect to producing a thesis, it has always been good academic practice to acquire permission for use of third party material in anticipation of future publication of all or part of a thesis. With the introduction of eThesis this is now required within the Medical School. Thus, students must have permission to include any third party copyright material in their thesis, and could be asked to produce evidence of this at the time of thesis submission or during a viva voce.
Advice from The University of Sheffield Library is as follows:
What constitutes third party copyright material?
Third party material is copyright material such as lengthy quotations and extracts from publications such as books or journals; illustrations such as images, maps, graphs, photographs (even when posted on the internet see http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/nov/26/news-photography-medialaw ), tables or models; music scores; sound recordings; entire photocopies of published articles and film.
Third party copyright in unpublished material
Unpublished material may attract copyright in manuscripts, accounts, minutes etc. If the author, artist or creator has been dead for more than 50 years, and the work is over 100 years old, it is probably out of copyright. However, most unpublished works will still be in copyright until 2039 and this includes photographs.
Including third party material in an online thesis under Fair Dealing
Short quotations from third party material in a published work may be included under the Fair Dealing exceptions under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act, 1988. Such extracts 7/21/2014
24 must be "insubstantial", although this is undefined under the law. Fair dealing is an undefined term that only applies to specific purposes: research for a non-commercial purpose or private study; criticism or review; or news reporting. Non-commercial is undefined, but is likely to mean the non-commercial nature to which the copy is used rather than the status of the organisation or individual making the copy. Extracts should be no longer than necessary for conveying the author´s ideas and provide the basis for the quoting author´s comments on those ideas. If in doubt you should ask yourself whether you would consider your rights had been infringed if someone else used a similar quotation from your own work. An image is normally considered a piece of artistic work in itself and requires permission for use.
Seeking permission
If you judge that the extract you are including falls outside the defence of Fair Dealing (i.e. an image) you should seek permission for the inclusion of that material in your thesis and acknowledge this accordingly. If you decide upon this course of action you will need to identify the rights-holder. This can be difficult if they have died and you cannot contact their estate or relatives. The first port of call would usually be the publisher of a published work. Either they will be able to give permission or advise you that the author is the rights-holder and pass on any relevant contact details. Publishers often have Rights and Permissions sections with contact details that can easily be found from their websites. You will need to get written permission, although email can be acceptable provided you keep evidence of all your correspondence. You will need to be precise about the details of the material, such as the page numbers or figure numbers. You will also need to be specific about how and where the requested material is to be used, indicating that it will be included in a repository and published on the Internet. Please be aware that illustrations in books often have a rights- holder of their own, who will probably need to be contacted separately.
25 How to get copyright permission to use an image from a published manuscript: (N.B. this is much quicker and easier than re-drawing a figure – which is still a violation of copyright!)
Most journals have a direct link on the article’s web page to seek permission (see red circle)
26 Which when clicked will open up a dialogue box
Select “post on a website” and the form is further populated – answer the questions appropriately to get a price:
27 28 29 For this use and this journal the permission is not granted immediately – it needs to be reviewed first and you will receive email notification.
30 Subsequently the permission is granted and it is free of charge – BUT you still have to actually obtain a license through Rightslink (register as a user for Rightslink/Copyright Clearance Centre at www.Copyright.com ).
31 Again follow the instructions and obtain the license which can then be printed off and is also stored in your Copyright.com account.
32 Proforma for seeking permissions if the publisher does not have a permissions link:
This is a suggested wording you can use when contacting publishers:
“I am a postgraduate research student at the University of Sheffield working towards my thesis on (insert title of thesis). I wish to include the following extract in my thesis which and am contacting you as the author or rights-holder:
[Provide a full citation for the work or specific item e.g. an image that you wish to include e.g.
Norman, Sandy (2004) Ch.2 Exceptions and limitations:statutory permissions to copy in Practical copyright for information professionals: the CILIP handbook. Facet Publishing, p.16- 36 Fig.5 The golden torques of Rhenen, Achterberg (photograph Centraal Museum) in Besteman. J. C. et al. (eds.) (1990) Medieval archaeology in the Netherlands: studies presented to H.H. van Regeren Altena. Van Gorcum, p.15] I wish to include this work within the print and electronic version of my thesis, which I am required to deposit in White Rose eTheses Online repository (http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/). The repository is non-commercial and openly available to all. I would be grateful if you could advise if this will be acceptable.”
What to do if permission is not granted
If you cannot trace the rights-holder or they do not reply then you cannot make your thesis available electronically without further action. The options are to remove the extract fully and replace with a reference or reduce its size to what would be considered within `fair dealing´. If you wish to retain the original material in full then you may submit your thesis in print and either embargo your eThesis fully or edit it to remove the third party material and provide suitable annotations. It is further possible that the rights-holder will give permission but make a charge and, if you are unwilling to pay, the options above can be considered.
I have published my work BEFORE submitting my Thesis – can I use the same images/text?
Although as the author of the work you initially own the copyright – when you publish the material you normally transfer your rights to the publishers of the journal. In which case, the wording on the copyright transfer agreement should be looked at very carefully. For example, FASEB Journal states on its website that it will not charge authors to reuse their own material, including republishing in not-for-profit organizations. HOWEVER, you still need to obtain permission. The university offers advice about copyright transfer agreements here (http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/services/copypub), and you should be aware of what you are signing and that you have the right to ask for a different agreement (doesn’t mean it will be granted though!)
33 Useful resources
on Sheffield on iTunes U can be found at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/itunes- u/clare-does-copyright/id895395998?mt=10
Before completing any academic writing for publication, please watch the lectures Copyright for eTheses and go over the scenarios and answers at http://www.librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/research/etheses.html (University log in required)
For more extensive information regarding copyright, including your own copyright work, please see http://www.shef.ac.uk/copyright
34 The Medical School.
Statement of Probity
Project Title:…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
I confirm that I shall abide by the University of Sheffield’s regulations on plagiarism and that all written work produced shall be my own and will not have been PLAGIARISED from other paper-based or electronic sources.
Where used, material gathered from other sources will be clearly cited in the text.
Signature: …………………………………………. Date: …………………
Name: (Print): …………………………………………………………
Please return to: Louise Goss, PGR Programme Administrator, Room LU116, Medical School
35 36 Statement of Intent for Part -Time Research Students and University Staff Candidates Applying to Study for Research Degrees
Supervisor I have discussed with the applicant the specific requirements of part-time research students and university staff candidates for studying research degrees.
Name …………………………… Signature ……………………………….. Date ………………………
Student I have been made aware of the demands of a research degree whilst studying in this non- full time mode. As the time-limits are up to twice those for full-time students, I understand that I have to work a minimum of half that of a full-time student (average 40h/week).
Name …………………………… Signature ……………………………….. Date ………………………
Line Manager I have discussed how the student’s mode of study should be organised so as not to impinge on their employment activities. I am supportive of their research study intentions but have made it clear that they may have to find the time to do their research outside normal working hours such as in the evenings, weekends and holidays.
Name …………………………… Signature ……………………………….. Date ………………………
Company name: ………......
Head of Department
Name …………………………… Signature ……………………………….. Date ………………………
Please return to: Louise Goss, PGR Programme Administrator, Room LU116, Medical School
37 38 Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health
PROJECT REGISTRATION FOR A RESEARCH DEGREE Student’s details Name: Signature: Correspondence address: Degree studying for
------MPhil PhD MD DDSc ------PhD with Integrated Studies ------Registration number: Department: Date of entry: full time part time staff candidate
Project details Title of proposed project:
Does the research require human ethics Does the research require animal ethics approval? approval? Yes No Yes No If yes, has this been If yes, has this been Applied for Granted Applied for Granted (please attach evidence) (please attach evidence) Does the research require NHS Trust For office use Governance approval? PaSS check Yes No Does the research involve handling Does the Research involve direct contact unfixed human tissue? with patients in an NHS Trust? Yes No Yes No If yes, has the candidate had necessary If yes, has the candidate had Hepatitis B immunisation a heaf test for TB Hepatitis B seroconversion test test for antibodies to Rubella, measles (required before work can commence) & mumps (please attach evidence) (please attach evidence)
Supervisory team details Primary Supervisor: Signature: Second Supervisor: Signature: Third Supervisor: Signature: Name of Personal Tutor Departmental PGR Tutor: Signature:
Please return to: Louise Goss, PGR Programme Administrator, Room LU116, Medical School
39 40 The Medical School.
Progress and Attendance Monitoring
As a student it is most important that you attend regularly all the scheduled sessions (e.g. supervisory meetings, DDP modules) that are listed in your timetable or that are communicated to you as the year proceeds. It is only by doing this that you will be able to engage with your research and progress effectively.
Meetings between research students and supervisor(s) to review progress should normally take place at least every four to six weeks and it is essential that formal records be made of these meetings. Students away from the University, e.g. on fieldwork, should agree special arrangements with their supervisory team for maintaining an appropriate level and form of contact whilst they are away from Sheffield.
For further information relating to the responsibilities of the student, the supervisor and your Department in terms of supervision, please refer to the Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes 2012-2013 available to download from http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/code
All students will receive regular email reminders to meet with their supervisor(s) and personal tutor but will be expected to arrange the meetings themselves.
Agreement to Comply with the Medical School Progress and Attendance Monitoring Scheme
Student
I, [name of student], agree to attend formal meetings every four to six weeks with my supervisor(s), to discuss my progress, and to make formal records of these meetings. I will also meet with my personal tutor when requested to do so.
Signature:
Supervisor(s)
We each agree to attend at least 6 formal meetings per annum with [name of student] to discuss his/her progress, and to make formal records of these meetings.
1st Supervisor: Signature:
2nd Supervisor: Signature:
Please return to: Louise Goss, PGR Programme Administrator, Room LU116, Medical School
41 42 3. Student Monitoring Information and Milestones after Month 1
o Student Monitoring Information o Supervisory Meeting Report (PebblePad) o Personal Tutoring Report o Writing up Report o 2nd Year Thesis Plan
43 Monitoring of Research Student Attendance and Progress, and Milestones after Month 1
Introduction
Being a research student is a different experience to being a taught student, or even being in full time employment and for many students, the first time that they are expected to work independently is during their postgraduate research degree programme. For this reason, it is important that you discuss your expectations with your supervisor, and discuss their expectations of you, from the start. From time to time, difficulties can arise. These can be relatively minor and easily resolved, but occasionally you will require support from other members of the supervisory team, the Postgraduate research tutors, or other members of staff in the Department or elsewhere in the University. The main thing to remember is to ask questions and ask for support when you need it. Never feel like you are on your own.
Over the course of your research programme, your attendance and progress towards completion will be monitored at regular intervals using documented reports of meetings with your supervisors and your personal tutor. You will also be expected to give an oral or poster presentation about your work each year which will be assessed by an academic panel. Your progress will also be assessed at the end of year 1, when you will be required to participate in the confirmation review process, and at the end of year 2 when you will be required to submit a thesis plan.
Further information about the above progress monitoring, and assessment milestones is presented below and in the following pages.
Student attendance and progress monitoring
As a postgraduate research student, it is most important that you work steadily to achieve the goals of your work. In order to identify any problems relating to your supervision or progress at an early stage, in sufficient time to allow appropriate support to be offered, the attendance of all postgraduate research students will be monitored at a minimum of 12 compulsory interactions throughout the year. These will include 9 documented meetings with your supervisors and 2 documented meetings with your Personal tutor. Forms to record these meetings are available on the School’s website http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/current/postgraduates/forms.html and sample forms are included in this section of the induction pack. Those students who are in the final year of their students should use the form for “Writing Up Students” to record supervisory meetings. The supervisory meeting form is also available in PebblePAD.
Your attendance at other events (e.g. Annual research meeting, research presentation days, research seminars) will also be monitored. All students are obliged to adhere to University guidelines with regard to monitoring.
1. Supervisory Meeting Reports
The importance of having regular meetings with your supervisor(s) to discuss your progress cannot be over emphasised. You are required to have at least 9 documented meetings with your supervisor per annum and at least 6 of these meetings should be with both supervisors. Meetings should be spaced out evenly across the year, and the maximum time between meetings should not normally exceed six weeks. You will receive email reminders about these meetings, but it will be your responsibility to contact your supervisor(s) to arrange the meeting. You and your supervisor should complete the report form after each meeting on PebblePad, which are to be submitted to the PGR Administrators.
44 .
Use of these forms could be advantageous in student appeals and/or disputes.
2. Personal Tutor Reports
You will meet with your personal tutor in the first month of registration. Thereafter, you are required to meet at least twice per annum with your personal tutor. You will receive email reminders about these meetings, but it will be your responsibility to contact your personal tutor to arrange the meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to allow you to reflect, in confidence, on your work and progress, and other issues that may arise with someone not directly concerned with your research. It is not the role of the personal tutor to recommend a change in project direction to the student. In the unusual event of a significant problem being identified, the personal tutor will draw this to the attention of the supervisor, unless this is considered inappropriate in which case the PGR tutor or PGR Lead will be informed. Records of these meetings are required. In most cases completion of the tick boxes on the Personal Tutoring Report Form with comments, if appropriate, will be adequate. The completed form must be returned to: Carol Fidler, PGR Programme Administrator, Room LU116, Medical School; Email: [email protected].
3. Annual Supervisor´s Progress Report
Your supervisors are required to complete an Annual Progress Report for Research and Innovation Services each year. This report should be completed in addition to the Supervisory Meeting Reports (see above), and you should retain a copy of the report.
Annual Presentations
You will be approached to give a talk or poster presentation on your PhD or MD work once per year. Students who commence in October will probably give their first talk in April. In year 1, talks are of 10 minute duration and students submit abstracts in advance. The talks are presented in a lecture theatre and presentations are assessed by an academic panel.
In year 2, students give a poster presentation of their work. Students are expected to attend and give a brief summary of their posters to an academic panel, and to take questions on their work. All students will receive some feedback from the panel about their posters.
In year 3, students are required to give a 15 minute oral presentation. All presentations will be judged by an academic panel and prizes will be awarded to the students judged to have given the best oral presentations. The panel will assess student performance in terms of presentation skills, analysis of results, perception and understanding of the project and its direction and handling of questions. The programme for the 3rd year research presentation day will be circulated in advance to everyone in the School to encourage attendance on the day.
Confirmation Review
Towards the end of year 1 (or year 2 for part-time candidates) you are required to participate in a Confirmation Review, when a formal assessment of your progress will be made. The assessment will be based on satisfactory progress as indicated by your supervisors, the production of a mini- thesis, and a satisfactory performance at an interview with two examiners about the mini-thesis. You must also have achieved agreed development needs and produced a clear and credible development plan for the succeeding two/three years.
45 The Confirmation Review process will commence approximately 9 months after beginning registration when you will be requested to submit your mini-thesis title to Carol Fidler (PGR Programme Administrator, LU116). This will allow time for examiners to be appointed for the review. The mini-thesis and accompanying DDP documents should be submitted to Carol Fidler (PGR Programme Administrator, LU116) no more than 10 months after commencing.
The interview will be organised by one of the examiners and take place in the month following submission of the mini-thesis. The purpose of the interview is to allow the examiners to clarify any ambiguities in the mini-thesis, to satisfy themselves that it is the student´s own work, that the student is familiar with the relation of his/her work to the field of study and that his/her knowledge of the field is of the standard one would reasonably expect of a student at this stage of their doctoral studies. The interview should last for 30-60 minutes.
After the interview, the examiners will prepare and sign a report either recommending the confirmation of doctoral status, or referring the student for consideration by an academic panel. In the latter case, the panel will make a recommendation to either ‘confirm doctoral status’ or not which will be based on the performance of the student during the first year (i.e. e-Portfolio, laboratory notebooks, mini-thesis, supervisor´s assessment, interview of the student). The student will be given the option to revise their mini-thesis before consideration by the academic panel if desired. The review will take place no later than month 11 in the first year of registration.
Further details of the Confirmation Review process, including guidelines for the preparation of the mini-thesis, and details of the documents that should be submitted along with the mini-thesis are available on the Medical School’s PGR webpages at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/current/postgraduates/procedure
2nd Year Thesis Plan
All full time PhD students are required to complete a 'Thesis Plan' form within 12 months of completing the confirmation review. Part-time candidates should submit the form at the end of Year 4. MD candidates are requested to complete and submit the thesis plan at the same time as their confirmation review. Students will be contacted by the PGR Administrators when the plan is due to be submitted, which will be due within a month of it being requested. This form is designed to encourage students to consider how they are progressing towards completion, and prepare an outline plan for their thesis. A copy of the form is included in this section of the induction pack.
Completion and Submission of your PhD
The degree of PhD requires the presentation of a thesis and an oral examination. A candidate is required to satisfy the examiners that his or her thesis ‘is original work which forms an addition to knowledge; shows evidence of systematic study and of the ability to relate the results of such study to the general body of knowledge in the subject; and is worthy of publication either in full or in an abridged form’.
The normal period of registration for a full-time PhD is 3 years, and the maximum period of registration is 4 years. Students become liable for continuation fees if they go beyond their normal period of registration and require a further period of registration. The continuation fee is charged on a pro-rata basis starting from the end of the normal tuition fee paying period of registration until the submission of the thesis or the end of the registration period, whichever is earlier.
Continuation fees are collected at the start of the additional year of registration and adjusted accordingly if a student submits before the end of the 12 months. In order to encourage students to
46 submit their theses in good time, the continuation fee is waived within the first three months of the end of the tuition fee paying period if students submit within this period.
The continuation fee for 2014/2015 is £384.
The normal period of registration for a part-time PhD is 6 years, and the maximum period of registration is 8 years. Part-time students are liable for continuation fees in the seventh year.
Ideally, a full-time PhD student will complete writing and submit their thesis within 3 years, and a part-time student within 6 years. Year 4, for full-time students, or year 7 for part-time students, should not be seen as a writing up period.
47 Supervisory Meeting Report (PebblePad)
The supervisory Meeting Report form is now completed via PebblePad.
48 Supervisory Meeting Reports User Guide
PebblePad
Step by Step Guide to submitting your Supervisory Meeting Report For all PGR Students & Supervisors within the Medical School
Version 1 13/10/14
49 Student Step by Step Guide
1. To complete a supervisory meeting report firstly log into PebblePad via the University’s portal, MUSE (www.shef.ac.uk). Login to MUSE via the link at the top left hand side of the web page.
2. Once logged into MUSE choose ‘My Services’ from the top menu and then ‘View all services’. A link to PebblePad can be found under ‘P’ on the service A-Z.
3. When you have successfully logged into PebblePad, please select ‘view’, then ‘assets’:
4. Select the ‘Resource Centre’ tab, ‘For Me’, then select the ‘Monthly Supervisory Meeting Report’, then select ‘use’:
50 5. Complete the report (ensure you scroll down to complete all sections). When completed click on the dropdown arrow on the E tab at the top left of the form, and click on submit:
6. Select ‘SMR Medical School’, then the relevant SMR deadline, and then click ‘submit’:
7. Agree to ‘usage statement’ and click continue – your SMR will now be sent directly onto your Supervisor(s) for completion of the supervisor section.
You will then receive an email to say ‘Your Asset has been accepted’. 51 Supervisor Step by Step Guide
1. You will receive an email to say ‘An Asset has been submitted’
2. Open the email and click on the link ‘SMR Medical School‘ and PebblePad will launch and ask you to log in. Select the ‘guest account’ and enter your University username and password:
3. PebblePad will open and take you to the ‘Submissions’ page:
4. Click on the latest ‘Supervisor Meeting Report’ form which you haven’t completed (you can identify this from the last column on the right hand side).
5. Scroll down to the supervisor section and complete the form. Once complete click ‘save’. This will automatically submit to the PGR Admin Team and a copy will go back to the student’s PebblePad account.
52 The Medical School.
Personal Tutoring Report
Research student ………………………………………………………………………….
Personal Tutor(s) ………………………………………………………………………….
Date of meeting ………………………………………………………………………….
Yes No 1. From discussions with the student, does he/she appear to have a clear understanding of what their research project is about? If No, please elaborate below. 2. Is the student making sufficient progress? If No, please elaborate below.
3. If the student is in their 3rd or 4th year, when will they be in a position Date: to submit their thesis? 4. Are you aware of any practical factors which are currently limiting, or could in the future limit, progress with the research project? If Yes, please elaborate below. 5. Have you identified any specific training needs that should be addressed? If Yes, please elaborate below. 6. Is the supervisor developing a satisfactory working relationship with the student? If No, please elaborate below. 7. Is the supervisor giving adequate support and guidance on the project to the student? If No, please elaborate below. 8. Has the student raised any other problems (e.g. finances, accommodation, health, personal issues) that may impact on their current or future progress? If appropriate, please comment below.
* Please elaborate
Additional Comments
Student signature ……………………………………………………………….
Personal tutor signature(s) ………………………………………………………………..
Note for students: Personal tutoring meetings should take place every six months. Please remember however, that students can contact their personal tutor at any time and it is not necessary to wait for the next six monthly meeting. Should you wish to contact a different personal tutor, please inform the PGR Secretary on L floor. Completed forms should be returned to Mrs Carol Fidler, LU116, L Floor [email protected] This form is available for download from the School Postgraduate Research website: www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/current/postgraduates/ongoing.html 53 The Medical School
MPhil/PhD/MD Monitoring Form
WRITING UP STUDENTS
Please submit this form to your supervisor and Mrs Carol Fidler LU116, L Floor [email protected]
NAME:
SUPERVISOR:
PERSONAL TUTOR:
DATE:
I HAVE COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY …………% OF MY THESIS
THE CURRENT WORD COUNT OF MY THESIS IS ……………………….
Work to be completed:
I PLAN TO SUMBIT MY THESIS ……………………………………
SUPERVISOR STATEMENT Following receipt of this report from your student please complete the box below with any additional comments and return to Mrs Carol Fidler, LU116, L Floor, [email protected]
Note about Continuation Fees
Candidates are required to pay a continuation fee for additional periods of registration. This fee is charged on a pro-rata basis from the end of the normal period of registration, until the submission of the thesis. To encourage submission of the thesis within three months of the end of the full-fee paying period, the continuation fee is waived if you submit within this period.
The continuation fee for 2014-15 is £384.
54 The Medical School.
Thesis Plan and Preparation for Submission For completion by full‐time PhD students at the end of year 2, or at the end of year 4 by part‐time PhD students. Students on 4 year programmes (e.g. MRes/PhD) should complete this form at the end of year 3.
Name
Department
Supervisors Please indicate the primary supervisor with an asterisk
Title of Thesis
Today’s Date Start date Time limit for submission of thesis (date) Thesis Plan Provide below (i) a table of contents for your thesis; (ii) your “Aims and Objectives” section (at least one A4 page, this will appear at the end of the Introduction in the final thesis); and (iii) a brief summary of each of the chapters you propose to include in your thesis under their chapter headings (maximum two A4 pages).
Progress against timeline
Start Conf. Review Thesis plan Submission
0 12 24 36 Month Above is an approximate timeline for a full‐time PhD programme. The times expected to reach programme milestones should be doubled for part‐time candidates. Where do you think you are with reference to your expected thesis submission date? Are you behind, or on, or ahead of schedule? Give reasons to support your answer and explain what you are doing to catch up if you are behind schedule (500 words).
55 Progress towards producing a defensible thesis? The following relate directly to the aspects of your work that your examiners will be required to assess in their joint report on your thesis/viva.
a. Will your thesis contain novel data that represents an addition to knowledge, and is worthy of publication either in full or in abridged form (such as a paper or papers in an appropriate journal)?
b. Please list outputs (i.e. abstracts, publications) from your research since commencing registration, and any manuscripts that are currently in preparation.
c. What proportion of the work that you propose to include in your thesis has been carried out by yourself?
d. Briefly summarize the impact of your studies and state how they relate to the general body of knowledge in the subject area (350 words)
How do you propose to prepare for your viva voce exam? (100 words)
Supervisors comments (100 words)
Name of Student Signature of Student Date
Names of Supervisor(s) Signatures of Supervisor(s) Date
Read & Approved Name of PGR Lead Signature of PGR Lead Date
Comments (if applicable)
56 4. Research Training and the Doctoral Development Programme
o Doctoral Development Programme, ePortfolio & PebblePAD o Training Needs Analysis: further information, the Faculty TNA & Examples of Training Needs o Postgraduate Induction Course (PIC) o DDP Requirements in the Medical School o DDP Modules offered by the Medical School o Researcher Development Statement
57 Doctoral Development Programme (DDP), ePortfolio & PebblePAD
Important – please note
You are advised to read the following pages carefully as they contain important details about the training opportunities that are on offer within the Medical School, including a number of compulsory training modules.
This information should be read alongside the pages relating to the Doctoral Development Programme that are contained within the Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes (2014-2015) which is available to download from http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/code
What is the Doctoral Development Programme?
All postgraduate research students participate in the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP). This is a flexible, ongoing training plan that is an integral part of your research degree, and is tailored to your individual needs. It helps you progress through your research studies by identifying the skills you already have and providing opportunities to improve these and to acquire new skills and experience. The aim of the DDP is to provide you with a range of skills and competency-based training opportunities orientated both towards your specific study and towards future employment, equipping you with transferrable skills that will make you not only a successful researcher, but also able to easily assimilate skills that have wider utility, thus extending your employability to other professions. In particular, as an outcome of engaging with the DDP, during your research studies, you should possess advanced skills in inquiry, communication and organisation. You should also be able to reflect critically, and take a creative approach to issues in and beyond your field of research expertise.
The DDP is student-specific, designed to complement your individual research project and is carried out in agreement between you and your supervisory team. Your agreed training plan should reflect four skill areas, enabling you to:
Acquire the necessary generic skills to become a high-level professional; Undertake subject-specific advanced training; Acquire subject-specific craft skills; Experience broad scholarship and wider engagement within the University and the wider community of scholars.
The DDP is designed for all research programmes offered by the University, and is accessed by students on conventional 3 year programmes, 4 year programmes, as well as students on part-time programmes, and staff candidates. Remote location and joint location students are also expected to undertake skills training units that are available online at any time during their study, and will be able to access provision that is delivered at times when they attend the University.
Inherent in the DDP is an understanding that different students will have different backgrounds and different needs: a student who has just completed a first degree is likely
58 to have a more limited skill set than, for example, one who has spent time working in industry before starting their research degree.
Training Needs Analysis
You should complete a draft of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Training Needs Analysis (TNA) before your first supervisory meeting. This will allow you to conduct a self-reflective assessment of the training needs that the Faculty and your supervisors consider critical to your area of study. The TNA should form the basis for discussion during your meeting with your supervisors who will help you to decide what research training is most appropriate to help you develop throughout your time with us. Modifications will be made to it as necessary and an initial development plan agreed. Your TNA will be reviewed annually, so that as your skill level changes and your research develops you can tailor your further training accordingly. In the Medical School, your second supervisor is responsible for overseeing all aspects of your DDP throughout your postgraduate research programme.
You will find further information about the Training Needs Analysis, a copy of the Faculty TNA and also examples of training needs and how a student might demonstrate their ability, in this section of your handbook.
Undertaking Training Modules
To achieve training, you can select modules or skills training units available within the University as well as accrue relevant experiences that are not formally taught or that are gained outside the University. Arrangement for attendance of any training module or skills unit will be your responsibility, even though their selection will be in consultation with your supervisors.
You will most likely find that many of the subject-specific craft skills that you are expected to gain during the course of your research programme will be acquired by engaging in research over the course of your programme. In contrast, many of the generic skills are best acquired early on in the course of your studies. Within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health the Postgraduate Induction Course (PIC) has been designed to introduce you to many of the generic skills that you are expected to gain during the course of your research degree. It is essential that you attend some elements of the PIC, and indeed you are strongly advised to consider attending the entire course. In addition, there are three DDP modules that are compulsory for all students in the Medical School to complete: MED6950 Research Training – Literature Review; MED6960 - Research Training; FCM6100 Research Ethics & Integrity You will find further information about the PIC, the compulsory DDP modules and other training modules offered by staff within the Medical School in the following pages.
You will need to ensure that you register for taught modules through Research and Innovation Services. The DDP modules/training information is outlined on the DDP portal (http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/ddpportal/home), and you are expected to keep a record of all training in your e-Portfolio using PebblePAD.
We would also encourage you to avail of the wide range of training opportunities that are offered by the Faculty Think Ahead programme, which is a comprehensive blend of training workshops, career mentoring and carefully selected work-based opportunities. The Think Ahead programme aims to ensure that early career researchers like you, have a
59 career trajectory and access to tailored development activities. The programme is continually updated to reflect the current needs of researchers and the employers of researchers. You will find further details of the Think Ahead programme including how to go about registering for different training opportunities on the Faculty webpages.
Evidencing the DDP: TNA, e-Portfolio and PebblePad
Attendance and completion of training units will be recorded by module providers and submitted to Research and Innovation Services for inclusion in your record.
Evidence of development will be gained from the log of activity that you are expected to maintain in an e-Portfolio. The latter will be a reflective record of evidence of achievement that you could give to prospective employers. Students in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health will use PebblePAD, a web-based platform specifically developed for higher education, to gather, reflect upon and produce evidence of training and development. Everything that is created in PebblePAD can be kept private or be shared with others such as peers, supervisors, PGR tutors or potential employers. The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health TNA, the development plan form, and the supervisory meeting form are available for use in PebblePAD. You will receive easy to follow written instructions for using PebblePAD which will allow you to develop your e-Portfolio. Training in the use of PebblePAD will also be provided.
You are expected to take ownership of your development through the TNA, from which your development plan is devised and the e-Portfolio which is a reflective record of evidence of achievement that can be given to prospective employers.
In your final year of research, prior to submission of your thesis, you will be required to complete and submit a “DDP ePortfolio Summary” documenting your engagement with the DDP to the DDP team. Failure to submit this form could result in your award being withheld. For further information and the “DDP ePortfolio Summary” form please visit: http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/ddpportal/about
For further information relating to the DDP, training opportunities and development of your e-Portfolio we recommend you visit the following webpages:
Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes - www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/code DDP Portal - http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/ddpportal/home The Medical School PGR Webpages - www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/current/postgraduates and links from this page. Faculty PebblePad Information - www.shef.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry- health/graduateschool/currentpg/pebblepad E-Portfolio - www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/ddpportal/eportfolio Think Ahead - www.shef.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/thinkahead/ta
60 The Training Needs Analysis
The training needs analysis (TNA) is part of the doctoral development programme, which has at its heart, the requirement that doctoral graduates of the University of Sheffield should have the demonstrable capacity to be a high level professional in any field. With that in mind, we take the view that students require an à la carte training that is unique to themselves. A PhD programme used to be the apprenticeships that all budding academics undertook, but now there are more doctoral students than academia requires, and it is also true that many students do not necessarily want to be university academics. It is therefore important that students have an awareness of their abilities in order to sell themselves in a very competitive employment market.
The TNA is split into four sections. Since the PhD is a research degree, there are some skills that are appropriate for research and these can be made available through specific training materials provided at the University of Sheffield or elsewhere. You may find useful modules yourself or your supervisor may find them for you. Similarly, specific craft skills are appropriate to your project, and may be learnt on courses, or from your peers. The level of skill required in these areas will be established in discussion with your supervisory team. You should have a good feel for your current level, but if you are unsure, then discuss it with your supervisor.
This document is specifically about the final two sections of the TNA. Some aspects of these sections may seem a little confusing or unfamiliar and so a little bit of explanation may be helpful as to why we believe the skills identified are relevant and important.
A good commitment to the TNA will help you realise the skills that you have, and when your prospective employer is sitting in front of you asking you why you are the candidate his firm should hire, you will have an understanding of your skills, why they are important, and what you have to offer. If you know why you want to work for that company and you can articulate why you are the right candidate, you are more than half way to getting that job.
Experience of broad scholarship Have some knowledge of the public understanding of research and the ability to communicate the benefits of research to others at all levels. Encouraging people to become involved in or familiar with scientific or other types of research is worthy, because it enables others to understand what the relevance is of the work you and your peers are undertaking, explains what peoples’ tax is being spent on and to choose careers relevant to national economies. In addition it provides knowledge of where academia sits with respect to other aspects of society . Think of how you sell a technical project, be it financial, scientific, or logistical to a manager ill-versed in your technical skills. You will have to communicate the matter in a way that (s)he can comfortably understand. Furthermore, you will have to convince him or her that this is a project worth supporting. You will have to convince him or her that what you are requiring to do is a good use of resources. Maybe your activity is outreach in a school, from which you get a great deal of satisfaction and it makes you want to communicate your enthusiasm through teaching after your PhD. Whatever the outcome, the skills required are not trivial, and an opportunity to communicate your area to others is well worth taking.
Publication of research work in international journals. Perhaps more than any other skill, this one is one your supervisor will relate to, because published work is an academic’s currency. However, virtually all professionals spend rather too much time writing reports. Concision, precision, and good English are incredibly important in communicating technical skills to a technical audience.
Conference presentation and attendance. Conference attendance is a great opportunity. You will listen to people give technical presentations on areas not close to your own. Can you assimilate difficult information quickly? Can you listen to a presentation from a peer and assess the important information you require? Often the significance of results will be overplayed by academics wanting to impress the audience. Can you assess the real quality of someone’s work? This will be valuable in later life if you are dealing with sales staff giving you a punchy presentation of their products.
61 Presentation is a fine art. You have an audience, but not all of them will have a significant attention span. Can you hold their attention long enough to give them the take-home message of your work? If they remember that, your presentation was already fit for purpose. As you climb the career ladder, most of you will find yourselves giving presentations. Presentations should be clear, concise, and the take-home message must be memorable. These skills you learn at conferences.
Conferences are also a great opportunity for networking. They give you the opportunity to make new friends and meet interesting people. The best contacts are those you would like to spend time with and not talk about work. Can you make the most of a conference in this way?
Have an ability to network with individuals from other institutions and industry. Here we relate to the skills gained at conferences. Are you the sort of person that others will want to work with? Can you seek out the people you need to help you, or must your supervisor/line manager do that? Networking brings with it an important cohort of supporters and collaborators. This may come naturally to you, but you might equally be shy. Networking skills are rarely on job descriptions, but they are valuable.
Ability to explain and demonstrate techniques and to support the learning of others when involved in teaching, mentoring or demonstrating. Communicating to others the techniques required to do tasks effectively is an important element of productivity. Can you pass the information and skills that you have learnt to others? A technical sales person will want to make people see that their product is the easiest to use. A line manager will want the people under him or her to spend less time learning and more time doing.
Generic skills to become a high level professional in any field Ability to convert a research topic into a testable hypothesis. More simply put; what is the real question? Can you take a problem and see it for what it really is? And once you have identified the underlying problem; can you see a way to solve it? Multifactorial problems very often have a single solution; if the right question can be identified. In this context the testable hypothesis represents the bigger picture.
Evidence of own innovative approach to a research question. Are you a leader or a follower? If you cannot communicate or demonstrate what you did to solve a problem then it may well be thought that it was someone else’s idea, or the solution could be obtained by standard procedures. Did you think things through yourself? There are two aspects here; one the solution that you derived, and the second is that your colleagues and peers associate you with your solution. This is an interesting challenge to a PhD student. Supervisors try to help you develop as an independent thinker and will certainly give you the credit when you come up with useful ideas and execute them effectively.
Identify, gather, critically appraise and synthesise research literature, identifying gaps and prioritising research in those gaps. Critically appraise own work given this knowledge. One of the biggest tasks that a student faces is to be able to see the “bigger picture” in the area of their research. To do this you need to read a lot, be able to sort the good from the bad and see where there are holes in the knowledge base. There are two basic reasons why this is an important skill; 1) so that you can actually do your own research most efficiently and not waste time on irrelevancies, and 2) if you think you will be busy being a PhD student, just wait until you have more and greater responsibilities! You will have a lot to read and you will need to do it quickly. A lot of information means a lot of unimportant information. Your productivity is high if you can throw away the trivial quickly, and take out the important points. Prioritising based on these points is crucial and you would not want to be making decisions based on irrelevant or less important facts. This is a skill that is transferable to many types of work.
Ability to keep good records of own research. This much neglected skill is crucial in all aspects of professional life. You make a decision and a year later you need to revisit that. Maybe someone has made a complaint about you? Maybe you need to repeat an action that worked ages before in
62 order to make something work correctly? This would require you to keep detail of what you did. Do you keep proper records, or are you regretting that scrap piece of paper that was so much more convenient than your notebook? Has your computer been stolen leaving you with no backup while you are writing your thesis? Did you leave the backup next to the computer, or did you leave it off site?
Evidence of good scientific writing, including an understanding of plagiarism, why it is wrong, and how to avoid it. The ability to be convincing and articulate what you mean clearly in writing is a great skill and is highly transferable. Also, very often ideas need to be included in a relatively short space, so concision, coupled with clarity is important.. This must, however, be your own work and not take from that of others and dressed up as yours: that is plagiarism. Plagiarism is such bad practice on so many levels. It highlights an individual’s laziness, ineptitude, and lack of innovation. This is not the place to explain plagiarism, but if nothing else you might want to consider what plagiarism did to the career of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg who had to resign as a very successful politician in the face of discovery and widespread criticism of extensive plagiarism in his doctoral thesis.
Understanding of meaning and importance of research ethics. A failure to understand the importance of ethics is equivalent to the sanctioning of inappropriate practices, which are at worst criminal. To deceive people about the quality of your results is not just about lying to yourself, it could be about wasting other people’s time and money as they spend time working on your topic, basing their work on your results. Ethical questions also refer to our treatment of volunteers and animals and transcend research; they embody our values and principles that are for the good of the wider community.
Ability to manage the research process - time management skills; working with and respecting colleagues and understanding how the team works together. Time management skills are always an issue at every level. Of course a PhD is not a linear process. Sometimes your apparatus is being serviced and you cannot perform experiments. Can you use that time effectively? Maybe you could start writing chapter 1 of your thesis a little earlier? Would it be possible to bring your holiday forward a few weeks? Can you plan your work with respect to your colleagues upon whom you rely? When they work in collaboration with you, why are they doing what they are doing? Are your colleagues benefitting from their efforts in the same way as you are, or are they doing their tasks largely as a favour to you? Are you going to return the favour later on? Can you deal with these interactions on a personal level rather than just accepting that the line managers of all parties agreed to you working together? Treating others with respect, recognising what they are doing for you, and asking yourself what you can do for them are all part of effective team work at any level in professional life.
Ability to write a good CV, and highlight employability through, for example, a cover letter which demonstrates the transferable nature of skills gained to other work environments. You’ve read this far, so this is already a good start. Can you succinctly articulate the skills that you have learnt and have developed from the TNA in a one page cover letter? Does the output from the e-Portfolio provide an accurate representation of your skills. The CV and cover letter is the first thing your prospective employer will see of you. Will it be the last, or will it have the necessary impact to grab the reader’s attention and want to find out more about what you have to offer.
Knowledge and experience of health and safety in the workplace. This includes understanding COSHH, the process of risk assessment, the employer’s and employee’s responsibilities and what needs to be considered. Do you know what your legal and moral responsibilities are with regard to health and safety? Not all legislation is good legislation, but it is there for a reason. While you might take a risk with something, it may put others at unacceptable risk. If you are responsible for others can you communicate the reason for safety policies so that they will take it seriously?
63 TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS FACULTY OF MEDICINE, DENTISTRY & HEALTH
[Skills and experiences that a PGR student should obtain by the end of their higher degree studies]
Student:
Supervisor:
Second supervisor:
Year of Study:
For each applicable skill below, please indicate the extent of your experience and ability by placing an “X” in the most appropriate box where 1 = I have no knowledge or experience of this 2 = I have some knowledge, but no experience of this 3 = I have done this only occasionally 4 = I do this regularly, but require more experience to become proficient 5 = I have extensive knowledge and experience of this 6 = I consider myself highly proficient at this and could train others in the area
“Not applicable” is an acceptable response in some cases, perhaps for some subject specific skills. Experience and abilities should be justified in the evidence/comments column.
Subject specific advanced training is normally Masters Course units, but needs should be identified, with the appropriate level of experience marked.
Extent of experience/ability Evidence of ability Training Needs Skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 (complete with supervisor) Generic skills to become a high level professional in any field. Ability to convert a research topic into a testable hypothesis
64 Ability to demonstrate an innovative approach to a research question
Ability to Identify, gather, critically appraise, synthesise and identify gaps in research literature Ability to successfully present and defend own research to peers in both written and verbal presentations without resorting to plagiarism Have an understanding of the principles of good research practice including an understanding of plagiarism, why it is wrong, and how to avoid it Ability to keep good records of own research Ability to critically evaluate own work Ability to manage the research process - including time management skills; working with and respecting colleagues Ability to work independently and be adaptable to new situations and ideas Have an understanding of health and safety issues (including COSHH and general risk assessment), how these are applied and what implications there are for your research and that of others Development of interpersonal skills - giving and receiving feedback to facilitate productive interactions in the workplace
65 Understanding the transferable nature of research skills to other work environments, particularly in the context of career planning Ability to appreciate the skills a PhD provides, and to be able to demonstrate these in a CV to improve employability Subject specific advanced training (e.g. Masters training)
(To be decided after consultation with supervisor)
Subject specific craft skills.
Have an understanding of the meaning and importance of research ethics Have knowledge of statistics at an appropriate level for your study To appreciate the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods and when each is required. Have sufficient computer literacy to be able to perform a systematic review of the literature Have sufficient computer literacy to query biological or other databases relevant to your general research specialty (e.g. bioinformatics databases) Ability to use some form of reference manager software
66 Ability to use word processing and spreadsheet software Ability to use common equipment expected to be found in a biological or clinical laboratory and ability to troubleshoot methodological problems Ability to design experiments, studies or trials with appropriate use of qualitative and/or quantitative methods, and the inclusion of relevant controls
Experience of broad scholarship and wider engagement within the full University Community of Scholars, e.g. networking, dissemination of knowledge, conferences, demonstrating impact and public value of research Have some knowledge of the public understanding of science and ability to communicate translational benefits of research to others at all levels Ability to develop knowledge beyond your current research area by assimilating ideas, concepts, techniques and methods from other disciplines Have an ability to network with other specialists and non-specialists Ability to support the learning of others when involved in teaching, mentoring or demonstrating
Student signature: Date:
Supervisor signature: Date:
67 Examples of Training Needs and how a student might demonstrate their ability
Generic skills Example ability Level of ability Ability to deconstruct a general Independently developed a research proposal Threshold: needs leading through the general question into a researchable question for the PhD – summarising literature and research question but can acquire and and to generate and test a hypothesis identifying research questions understand relevant background information and begin to formulate a testable hypothesis. However, requires help to identify and devise investigative methods to test the hypothesis Competent: can acquire and understand relevant background information on a general question, from this formulate a hypothesis and can identify some aspects of investigation to begin to test the hypothesis Proficient: can identify an area of scientific enquiry, acquire and understand relevant background information and from this formulate a hypothesis. Then identify a series of linked questions and devise investigative methods to test the hypothesis without assistance
Ability to successfully present and The student does a good job of organising their Threshold: can report technical information defend own research to peers in both first year review presentation and interview using a structure and language of an acceptable standard. Acceptable presentation written and verbal presentations, Effectively presented their work at internal of the technical information relevant to the without resorting to plagiarism seminars and/or conferences, congresses, etc. research Clearly expressed their ideas and results (orally Competent: can report technical information and in PowerPoint), gathered feedback and using an appropriate structure and clear demonstrated how they have improved their language. Can select an appropriate form and presentation skills based on this feedback level of delivery Written well structured, highly effective Proficient: can report technical information reports/papers and indicated their attempts to using a structure and language which makes improve their writing skills. the material interesting, accessible and easy to understand. Can integrate presentational techniques for maximum impact
68 Ability to identify, gather, critically The student has interpreted literature and its Threshold: can collect and review material with appraise and synthesise research meaning in a well constructed, relevant and reference to limited range of scientific literature, identifying gaps and comprehensive review principles. prioritising research in those gaps Produced an up-to-date, comprehensive data Competent: can collect and review material with base of relevant literature reference to a range of scientific principles relevant to the particular topic and draw limited conclusions. Proficient: can collect and review material in a critical manner, drawing on a wide range of scientific principles relevant to the particular topic and draw comprehensive conclusions Have an understanding of ethics, Attended appropriate Research ethics Threshold: has some knowledge of the confidentiality and principles of good training general principles of research governance but lacks knowledge of its research practice Constructed a study protocol that takes applicability to own research into account one or more of:- participant’s consent, personal and identifiable data Competent: has knowledge of both the relevant to confidentiality, data security general principles of research and anonymisation, safety for participants governance and the practicalities of the Research Ethics Approval Procedure Written a piece of work that does not resort to plagiarism Proficient: has full understanding of the applicability of governance principles procedures and specialist issues relating to research, including archival research, research involving principled deception, the use of external research organisations, personal data, confidentiality, and human tissue research
Ability to keep good records of own Student maintains a clear, well organised Threshold: can record details of investigative research laboratory book or record of research effort methods and data obtained but lacks organisation and reflective comment.
Competent: can keep a well structured record of the aims of individual investigations, details of
69 methods employed and data obtained. Each entry is dated and neatly maintained
Proficient: can keep a well structured and maintained record of the aims, investigative methods and data obtained from each investigation with dates. Includes conclusions arrived at, identification of the impact of findings, next stage of investigation and reflective comment
Ability to critically evaluate own work Student has analysed findings and is able to Threshold: can suggest aspects of where recognise and articulate shortcomings or gaps the work might be improved and routes to improve it Competent: can relate achievement to the stated goals, as set out, for example, with the original planning and suggest how shortcomings might be addressed Proficient: has full understanding of how a reviewer might perceive the work, and recognises the measurements or analyses required to address the shortcomings Ability to demonstrate an innovative Explored how the ideas, concepts, and methods Threshold: can formulate a route to solving a approach to a research question from other disciplines fit into their research research problem. Recognises the experimental project or other techniques that need to be applied to solve a given problem Competent: aware of non-standard routes to solving a problem. Proposes different techniques that might be applied, limitations might include not all ideas being feasible due to a lack of awareness or literature searching Proficient: independently finds solutions to a problem, perhaps by involving external collaborators. Able to make a
70 case for the proposed solution and arrange for it to be achieved
Ability to manage the research Student has been proactive in requesting Threshold: punctual. Can state what was process - time management skills; meetings with advisors and given information to required and what has been achieved. advisors by email prior to meetings working with and respecting Competent: asks questions which can Attends meetings very well prepared and lead a research discussion colleagues structures their communication Produce quality outputs to meet project Proficient: independently recognises the deadlines. This includes completion of the PhD next step and is one step ahead of what within a certain timeframe. is expected from a meeting Prepared project management documents and other timelines to organise their projects
Understanding of health and safety Attended recognised safety training course (e.g. Threshold: has attended required safety issues, how these are applied and University out of hours course) courses. what implications there are for your Has knowledge of COSHH and has completed Competent: has attended a more research a COSHH form advanced course and entrusted with appropriate responsibility for the safety of him or herself and colleagues (e.g. laser or ionising radiation) Proficient: can be trusted to use very dangerous material (e.g. hydrofluoric acid) having been on the relevant courses. Can be trusted to train others in various safety aspects. Might hold an externally approved certificate, such as one from the Royal Society for Promotion of Health, or be an approved first aider Development of interpersonal skills - The student has worked effectively in a team or Threshold: shown some ability as part of a team giving and receiving feedback to an environment requiring effective and recognises the importance of team work communication with others facilitate productive interactions in Competent: has also led a small team. the workplace This might only be through a collaboration with someone in a different department to perform complementary
71 measurements etc. Proficient: can enlist support of others external to the immediate research environment to provide help for a given task. Sees possibilities for helping others and able to convince project leaders that they are a valuable addition to a team Ability to work independently and be The student has demonstrated the ability to Threshold: can assimilate how to perform a task adaptable to new situations and work without close supervision and then execute measurements etc. alone The student has demonstrated originality of ideas Competent: can recognise what thought, constructed appropriate investigations experiments might be useful for a given and adapted these according to information problem and can learn and use them, accrued from elsewhere including some experiments not originally envisaged . Proficient: leads investigations. External collaborations are formed. Recognises when to stop; i.e. when the project is essentially complete Understanding the transferable Participated in an industry/professional Threshold: aware of what is required for given nature of research skills to other organisation career paths and why transferable skills are work environments, particularly in the Communicated their work to the industry or the necessary. Completed a training needs profession (e.g. given presentations at an analysis! context of career planning and industry or professional event) Competent: has attended University careers improving employability; ability to Participated in University Careers events (e.g. events and can articulate advantages and interview skills, CV writing) write a good CV disadvantages of different career paths. Has shown some thought into different careers and is clearly thinking about a future beyond the doctorate, if this is not known already Proficient: identified a preferred career path and has made steps to achieve this by attending industry events, or (for prospective academics) held presentations at different institutes. Collaborated with industry or at an industrial site at a level beyond what
72 would be expected given the research project. Use common computer programmes Threshold: familiarity with common IT tools for writing, recording and presenting such as a word processor, powerpoint, the web, data email. Competent: a broad understanding of common IT tools. Proficient: comprehensive knowledge of the functionality of common IT tools and ability to use less common tools. Subject specific craft skills Ability to design experiments, Evaluated several research methodologies and Threshold: can conduct prescribed experiments qualitative and quantitative studies, justified selection of the preferred methodology. and draw limited conclusions. Can collect data including the use of appropriate but lacks confidence in estimating errors/accuracy of measurements. Can relate controls conclusions to a limited range of relevant scientific principles. Competent: can select and conduct appropriate experimental procedures from a standard range in order to generate appropriate data. Can collect and interpret data with reference to a particular scientific principle and draw conclusions. Proficient: can adapt experimental procedures to novel/unfamiliar situations. Can analyse data in detail, drawing on a range of relevant scientific principles and draw comprehensive conclusions. Ability to use equipment or employ The student can adapt equipment and Threshold: can use appropriate equipment with techniques effectively techniques for novel or unfamiliar situations supervision. Competent: can select and use appropriate equipment for a particular task safely and effectively with limited supervision
73 Proficient: can adapt equipment and techniques for novel or unfamiliar situations safely and effectively without needing supervision Other items will be judged according to experience or attendance at training courses and may include such skills as use of reference manager software, use of specialist software e.g. querying biological databases, appropriate knowledge of statistics etc. Experience of broad scholarship and wider engagement within the full University Community of Scholars Have some knowledge of the public The student has participated in events that Threshold: can give and acceptable understanding of science and ability involve the dissemination of research presentation largely based on technical to communicate translational benefits information to a non-specialist audience e.g. information but without ability to modify for a Café scientifique, school outreach programmes, non-specialist audience of research to others at all levels science week etc. Competent: can present information in a simple form using non-specialist language and selecting an appropriate form of delivery for the audience Proficient: can present information in a simple form using non-specialist language, employing a range of presentational techniques for maximum impact and putting across how the research fits within the overall scope of research for the benefit of the community Threshold: participated in “journal clubs” or Ability to develop knowledge beyond The student shows an ability to discuss aspects written assessments on other subjects as might your current research area by of contemporary research outside their specific be common in Masters level projects assimilating ideas, concepts, project. Competent: demonstrated a recognition techniques and methods from other Have participated in “forum” type activities with of the importance of own research within disciplines non-specialists. a broader area by answering questions at Enrolled in interdisciplinary and disciplinary a conference or seminar that refer to a courses good understanding of other areas or other groups’ work Sought the possibility to work with others from a different professional background Proficient: leads interdisciplinary discussions. Written broader review articles, perhaps with
74 the supervisor Ability to support the learning of Passed on craft skills to other students Threshold: Performed lab supervisions etc. Shown other students how to operate relevant others when involved in teaching, Received tutor training and been involved in mentoring or demonstrating apparatus or to perform a given procedure or teaching analysis Demonstrated the ability to plan and organise Competent: participates in assessment of teaching or training sessions and developed other students’ work. Participated in and delivered effective training materials and training sessions and put what was learnt activities into practice in a real world environment. Proficient: selected for outreach events. A clear path of mentoring and supervision that was instigated by the student or by others (recognising the student’s abilities) outside of the supervision team Threshold: worked in a team with an other Have an ability to network with other Shown ability to perform collaborative research group from outside of the immediate research specialists and non-specialists through approaching other researchers environment independently Competent: ability to perform directed Actively participated in meetings and seminars collaborative tasks such. An example showing that they understand other people’s might be where the student is asked to perspectives contact a given team and arrange and perform experiments. Proficient: ability to link different expertises within a broader team. Demonstrated the ability to cross boundaries and explain a task (that is subsequently executed) to a colleague of very different background
75 The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Postgraduate Induction Course (PIC)
The Postgraduate Induction Course (PIC) is open to all postgraduate research (PGR) students commencing research in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health.
When you commence your PGR programme, you will undertake a training needs analysis with your supervisors to identify gaps in your skills and knowledge, and to agree on a training programme that will allow you to acquire the generic and subject-specific skills that are considered essential in a researcher. Many of the subject-specific skills will be acquired by engaging in research over the course of your programme. In contrast, several of the generic skills are best acquired early on in the course of a research programme. This is why the PIC has been developed. Delivered over 7 working days from Monday 6th October to Tuesday 14th October 2014, the PIC is compatible with the Doctoral Development Programme and has been designed to introduce you to many of the generic skills that you are expected to gain during the course of your research degree.
Students who attended the PIC in 2013, said they enjoyed the course, learned a lot from it, that they had acquired and developed skills that would be useful to them in the future, and would recommend the course to other students. Some of the comments from previous PIC participants were:
“PIC gives an idea about the PhD course for new students, how to start and how to continue – it is very helpful for new students”
“I was pleasantly surprised how useful the scientific thinking modules were; they helped me understand more how I can convert my work into publishable papers with good hypotheses”
“It was great to meet new people outside of my department, learn how to search the literature and how to effectively banish bullet points! I thought the sessions dealing with how to approach a research hypothesis were incredibly helpful, as was the intro to lab skills.”
“Meeting more students and staff. Group discussions were good and interesting. Lots of information on broad range of things which was helpful. Good blend of core skills and PhD specific skills.”
To give you an idea of the content of the PIC, here is a list of course topics:
1. Faculty Induction, Networking 2. DDP Information Session 3. Transition to Postgraduate Studies in Sheffield: Working in a Professional Multicultural Environment 4. MPGS Social Event for new PGR Students 5. Plagiarism & Unfair Means 6. Introduction to Research Ethics and Integrity module (DDP module FCM6100; Compulsory) 7. Introduction to Scientific Thinking (DDP module MED610) 8. Department Information Sessions 9. Data handling for laboratory based students 10. How to be an Effective Researcher 11. Introduction to Statistics 12. Use of Endnote 13. Introduction to PebblePad 14. Think Ahead: Starting with the end in mind
76 15. Introduction to Reading Scientific Papers & Abstract Writing 16. Literature Searching for the Literature Review
At the end of the course, you will be better adapted to the research environment, and will have developed basic research skills such as how to do a literature search, or use Endnote. You will also have developed key skills (e.g. scientific thinking, critical appraisal, awareness of plagiarism, data handling) and understanding appropriate for your research programme. In addition, you will have received information about health and safety in the workplace. Intensive English language training will be provided for those international PGR students requiring this support (see below for further details).
The PIC is recommended for all new PGR students, and we would suggest you opt out of only those parts of the course which are not relevant to you. If however, you wish to attend selected sessions, this is also possible. Attendance at certain sessions is compulsory for all students. For example, the introductory session of the DDP module on Research Ethics and Integrity, which is compulsory for all students, has been incorporated into the PIC.
For further details and information about the course content, please visit: www.shef.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/graduateschool/currentpg/pic/index.html
For further information about the PIC, please do not hesitate to contact either Dr Martina Daly ([email protected]) or Mrs Louise Goss ([email protected]).
77 MED6950 – Literature Review
Tutorials: Round 1: Thursday 23rd October 2014, 11.00-12.00 – LT3, F Floor, Medical School Round 2: Wednesday 7th January 2015, 11.00-12.00 – SR9, C Floor, Medical School Round 3: Monday 13th April 2015, 11.00-12.00 – SR8, C Floor, Medical School Round 4: Wednesday 1s July 2015, 11.00-12.00 – SR1, B Floor, Medical School
Lit Review Deadline: Round 1: Thursday 8th January 2015 Round 2: Wednesday 8th April 2015 Round 3: Thursday 9th July 2015 Round 4: Thursday 1st October 2015
MED6960 – Research Training
Round 1: Tutorials: 1st Tutorial: Thursday 30th October 2014, 11.00-12.00 – LT3, F Floor, Medical School 2nd Tutorial: Thursday 29th January 2015, 11.00-12.00 – LT3, F Floor, Medical School
Assessments (training logs & lab books): ePortfolio submission deadline - Wednesday 3rd December 2014 1st Assessment: Monday 8th December 2014 – SR 9, C Floor, Medical School ePortfolio update deadline – Tuesday 24th March 2015 2nd Assessment: Friday 27th March 2015 – SR 9, C Floor, Medical School
Oral Presentation: Thursday 16th April 2015 – LT3, F Floor, Medical School Wednesday 29th April 2015 – LT3, F Floor, Medical School
Round 2: Tutorials: 1st Tutorial: Thursday 7th May 2015, 11.00-12.00 – SR9, C Floor, Medical School 2nd Tutorial: Thursday 9th July 2015, 11.00-12.00 – SR8, C Floor, Medical School
Assessments (training logs & lab books) ePortfolio submission deadline - Monday 8th June 2015 1st Assessment: Thursday 11th June 2015 – Heritage Room, B Floor, Medical School ePortfolio update deadline – Tuesday 28th July 2015 Final Assessment: Friday 31st July 2015 – Heritage Room, B Floor, Medical School
Oral Presentation: Tuesday 8th September 2015 – LT2, B Floor, Medical School
79 FCM6100 – Research Ethics & Integrity
This unit is to encourage PGR students to critically analyse/reflect on their own actions and behaviours in conducting research and in their interactions with research participants, supervisors, and co-workers and to heighten PGR students' ethical sensitivity and reasoning, enabling them to plan and prepare for challenges they may face and to be able manage challenges in an ethical way.
Students will be required to attend or view online the module's introductory lecture. Following this throughout the first year there will be 4 sessions. After each session students will write a reflective statement. Minimum entries for this module are 2. Students will submit their reflective entries and feedback forms in PebblePad.
The minimum requirement for this module is: attendance at 3 out of the 4 sessions submission of 4 reflective statements (You are encouraged to write a reflective entry for each session. The minimum entries for this module are 2.) submission of any feedback forms received from facilitator and students
These should be submitted within 3 weeks of your final session.
This module will start in October each year. Cross-sessional students will start the module in either the following March or October, depending on their start date. The PGR Administrator will contact you via email with your time- table.
80 Training & Development Opportunities available in the Medical School
Below is a list of DDP modules that are available in the Medical School. For more information about any of these, or to register on a course, please visit http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/current/postgraduates/ddp
DDP TITLE LEAD ACADEMIC EMAIL ADDRESS CODE MED601 Neuroanatomy Dissection Dr Tom Farrow [email protected] MED605 Effective Presentation and Seminar Participation Dr Alison Gartland [email protected] MED610 Introduction to Scientific Method and Experimental Design Dr Colby Eaton [email protected] MED640 Critical Review of Research Papers Dr Dan Hampshire [email protected] MED650 Visualising & Analysing Biomedical Datasets with R Dr Simon Cross [email protected] MED6050 Vascular Cell Biology Dr Pat Lawford [email protected] MED6051 Experimental Models of Vascular Disease Dr Pat Lawford [email protected] GEM6040 Automated Sequence Analysis Professor Jon Sayers [email protected] MED6052 Vascular Disease Therapy & Clinical Practise Dr Pat Lawford [email protected] MED6950 Literature Review COMPULSORY 1st Year Tutors [email protected] MED6960 Research Training COMPULSORY 1st Year Tutors [email protected] MDN6002 Presenting Yourself and Data at Conferences Dr Sheila Francis [email protected] FCM6100 Research Ethics and Integrity COMPULSORY Dr Pirashanthie Vivekananda-Schmidt [email protected] & Dr Francois Guesdon
81 Researcher Development Framework Researcher Development Statement
The UK is committed to enhancing the higher-level capabilities of the UK workforce including the development of world-class researchers. Researchers are critical to economic success, addressing major global challenges, and building a leading knowledge economy.
The Researcher Development Statement (RDS) sets out the The RDS is structured in four domains encompassing the knowledge, behaviours and attributes of effective and highly knowledge, intellectual abilities, techniques and professional skilled researchers appropriate for a wide range of careers. standards to do research, as well as the personal qualities, knowledge and skills to work with others and ensure the The RDS is for policy makers and research organisations wider impact of research. Within each of the domains are Engagement, Knowledge and which provide personal, professional and career three sub-domains and associated descriptors, which influence and impact intellectual abilities development for researchers in higher education. describe different aspects of being a researcher. The knowledge and skills to The knowledge, intellectual work with others and ensure abilities and techniques the wider impact of research. to do research. The Researcher Development Statement is derived from The Researcher Development Statement is an evolution the Researcher Development Framework (RDF), a major Domain D Domain A of the Research Councils’ Joint Skills Statement (JSS)4 and new approach to researcher development, which aims to replaces the JSS as the key reference statement for the Domain C Domain B enhance our capacity to build the UK workforce, develop development of postgraduate researchers’ skills and world-class researchers and build our research base. Research governance Personal attributes and researchers employed in higher education. and organisation effectiveness All the skills and attributes of the JSS have been The knowledge of the The personal qualities and The RDS and RDF will contribute to researcher training e s standards, requirements approach to be an effective u incorporated into the RDS and their distribution is identified V f it o and development in the UK by providing a strategic a s e and professionalism to do researcher. n ® io in the table below. A two-way mapping of the RDS and the , it statement (RDS) and operational framework (RDF) to © research. d 2 n 0 o 1 c JSS is available on the RDF section of the Vitae website. 0 F support the implementation of the Concordat to Support C D a /R re uk 1 e c. the Career Development of Researchers , the QAA Code rs .a Re tae For more information and to comment on the Researcher se .vi 2 ar ww of practice for research degree programmes and the ch . w and ited Development Framework and associated Statement go to Advi ) Lim 3 sory Centre (CRAC ‘Roberts’ recommendations for postgraduate researchers www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf and research staff.
1 www.researchconcordat.ac.uk 2 www.qaa.ac.uk 3 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/set_for_success.htm 4 www.vitae.ac.uk/jss
Researcher Development Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. To ensure that this is the latest version of this document please go to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf For conditions of use please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfconditionsofuse Framework ISBN 978-1-906774-23-3 May 2011 82 Domain A: Knowledge and intellectual abilities This domain relates to the knowledge and intellectual abilities needed to be able to carry out excellent research.
Sub-domain Sub-domain summary JSS
1. Knowledge base Knowledge of: A3 1. Subject knowledge The area of research, the advances within it and its relationships with other research areas A4 2. Research methods – The methods and experimental techniques appropriate for research design B6 theoretical knowledge Sources of information, bibliographic software and other information technologies C2 3. Research methods – Literacy and numeracy skills and language abilities appropriate for research C3 practical application C4 4. Information seeking Behaviour: Makes original contributions to knowledge E1 5. Information literacy and management Identifies, applies and develops methods and experimental techniques appropriate for research projects 6. Languages Conducts effective and comprehensive information searches 7. Academic literacy and Records, manages and handles information/data using appropriate bibliographic software and other information technologies numeracy
2. Cognitive abilities Behaviour: A1 1. Analysing Analyses and evaluates findings using appropriate methods A2 2. Synthesising Thinks originally, independently and critically; develops theoretical concepts A5 3. Critical thinking Critically synthesises information from diverse sources A6 4. Evaluating Evaluates progress, impact and outcomes of research 5. Problem solving Recognises and validates problems; formulates and applies solutions to a range of research problems Attitude: Willing to give and receive constructive criticism
3. Creativity Behaviour: D1 1. Inquiring mind Develops new ways of working; has novel ideas and realises their potential D2 2. Intellectual insight Identifies new trends; creates new opportunities D3 3. Innovation Develops convincing and persuasive arguments to defend research D7* 4. Argument construction Takes intellectual risks; challenges the status quo E3 5. Intellectual risk Attitude: Takes a creative, imaginative and inquiring approach to research Is open to new sources of ideas
*Denotes where a Joint Skills Statement (JSS) descriptor has been incorporated into different descriptors within the RDF
Researcher Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. To ensure that this is the latest version of this document please go to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf For conditions of use please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfconditionsofuse Development Framework ISBN 978-1-906774-23-3 May 2011 83 Domain B: Personal effectiveness This domain contains the personal qualities, career and self-management skills required to take ownership for and engage in professional development.
Sub-domain Sub-domain summary JSS
1. Personal qualities Attitude: B3 1. Enthusiasm Approaches research with enthusiasm, passion and confidence D5 2. Perseverance Is resilient and perseveres in the face of obstacles D6 3. Integrity Is self-reflective; seeks ways to improve performance and strives for research excellence D7* 4. Self-confidence Is pro-active, independent, self-reliant and takes responsibility for self and others 5. Self-reflection Shows integrity 6. Responsibility
2. Self-management Behaviour: 1. Preparation and Anticipates and responds to directions and trends in research prioritisation Plans, prioritises and conducts research in proactive way 2. Commitment to research Delivers research projects and results on time and effectively 3. Time management Develops awareness of, and helps to achieve, work-life balance for self and colleagues 4. Responsiveness to change Attitude: 5. Work-life balance Has a strategic approach to research Has focus, commitment and ambition Is flexible and responsive to change
3. Professional and career Knowledge of: D4 development Career and employment opportunities inside and outside academia F1 1. Career management Behaviour: G1 2. Continuing professional Takes ownership of and manages professional development G2 development Shows commitment to continuing professional development and enhancing employability G3 3. Responsiveness to G4 opportunities Maintains and develops relevant skills set and experience in preparation for a wide range of opportunities within and outside academia 4. Networking Actively networks for professional and career purposes and seeks to enhance research reputation and esteem 5. Reputation and esteem
*Denotes where a Joint Skills Statement (JSS) descriptor has been incorporated into different descriptors within the RDF
Researcher Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. To ensure that this is the latest version of this document please go to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf For conditions of use please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfconditionsofuse Development Framework ISBN 978-1-906774-23-3 May 2011 84 Domain C: Research governance and organisation This domain relates to the knowledge of the standards, requirements and professional conduct that are needed for the effective management of research.
Sub-domain Sub-domain summary JSS
1. Professional conduct Knowledge of: B2 1. Health and safety Health and safety issues, confidentiality and ethical requirements of his/her research field B4 2. Ethics and principles and The legal requirements and regulations relating to the area of research and the research environment sustainability The principles of intellectual property rights (IPR) and copyright issues, as they relate to research, its commercialisation and dissemination 3. Legal requirements Organisational and professional requirements and environmental impact of research 4. IPR and copyright The concept of corporate social responsibility 5. Respect and confidentiality Behaviour: 6. Attribution and co-authorship Respects, acknowledges and attributes the contribution of others 7. Appropriate practice Seeks to protect, where appropriate, the intellectual assets arising from research and to maximise the wider value of research findings Acts with professional integrity in all aspects of research governance Uses institutional/organisational resources responsibly and appropriately Seeks ways of working in a sustainable manner Attitude: Respects, upholds and meets professional standards and requirements
2. Research management Knowledge of: C1 1. Research strategy The contribution of research to the health of disciplines and institutional missions 2. Project planning and Project management tools and techniques delivery Behaviour: 3. Risk management Applies appropriate project management tools and techniques Sets goals and plans and manages resources to deliver results Effectively assesses and manages risks Evaluates the effectiveness of research projects
3. Finance, funding and Knowledge of: B5 resources The requirement for research income generation and financial management 1. Income and funding Mechanisms for funding, the range of funding sources and the processes for making applications generation Local administrative systems, reporting procedures and infrastructure processes 2. Financial management Behaviour: 3. Infrastructure and resources Responsibly manages finances, resources and infrastructures related to research
Researcher Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. To ensure that this is the latest version of this document please go to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf For conditions of use please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfconditionsofuse Development Framework ISBN 978-1-906774-23-3 May 2011 85 Domain D: Engagement, influence and impact This domain relates to the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage with, influence and impact on the academic, social, cultural, economic and broader context.
Sub-domain Sub-domain summary JSS
1. Working with others Behaviour: E5 1. Collegiality Actively works in an inclusive, respectful and constructive way with colleagues, stakeholders and research users F2 2. Team working Recognises and acknowledges the contribution of others and own part in team success F3 3. People management Builds relationships in academic and commercial contexts; approachable and interacts constructively with others; manages expectations and resolves conflict 4. Supervision Supervises, mentors and develops the potential of less experienced researchers and colleagues through support and advice 5. Mentoring Leads, motivates and influences where appropriate; persuades through listening and convincing discussion 6. Influence and leadership Builds and sustains collaborative relationships and works pro-actively to create and develop knowledge with a range of stakeholders, including researchers, funders and users 7. Collaboration of research 8. Equality and diversity Attitude: Respects the inclusive and collegial manner in which researchers conduct relationships within and beyond academia Recognises the potential for working in sustained partnerships with a range of stakeholders to generate new ideas, insights and maximise the potential for wider societal and economic impact Respects individual difference and diversity
2. Communication and Knowledge of: E2 dissemination Appropriate communication and dissemination mechanisms for different audiences 1. Communication methods The importance of engaging in the processes of publication and dissemination of research results and impacts 2. Communication media Behaviour: 3. Publication Communicates effectively in both written and oral modes with a range of audiences formally and informally through a variety of different techniques and media Actively engages in publication and dissemination of research results and impacts
3. Engagement and impact Knowledge of: B1 1. Teaching Global, organisational, cultural, economic, and environmental contexts, and the wider impact of research B7 2. Public engagement The social and ethical implications of research, and public attitudes to these issues E4 3. Enterprise The range of mechanisms to support knowledge transfer and maximise the impact of research in academic, economic and societal contexts 4. Policy Behaviour: 5. Society and culture Engages with and shares research through research-informed and student-focused teaching 6. Global citizenship Contributes to increasing public awareness, engagement and understanding of research and associated impacts Identifies innovative trends, ideas and applications; is enterprising and entrepreneurial within and beyond academia Works collaboratively with all stakeholders to create, develop and exchange research knowledge to influence and benefit policy development, society and the economy; seeks new outlets and promotes the application of research in innovative ways Appreciates and works with diversity and difference in research and education Attitude: Values the contribution of research to teaching and teaching to research Recognises the importance of accountability of research with regard to social and economic impacts, internationalisation and global citizenship
Researcher Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. To ensure that this is the latest version of this document please go to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf For conditions of use please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfconditionsofuse Development Framework ISBN 978-1-906774-23-3 May 2011 86 Endorsers of the Vitae Researcher Development Statement at 15 August 2011 are:
Vitae Research Staff Development Advisory Group
Researcher Development Framework
Vitae works with UK higher education institutions (HEIs) to embed professional and career development in the research environment. Vitae plays a leading role in innovating, sharing practice and enhancing the capability of the higher education sector to provide Vitae is supported by Research Councils UK (RCUK), professional development and training for researchers. managed by CRAC: The Career Development Organisation and delivered in partnership with regional Hub host universities Our vision is for the UK to be world-class in supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers.
Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. To ensure that this is the latest version of this document please go to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf. For conditions of use please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfconditionsofuse ISBN 978-1-906774-23-3 May 2011 87 5. Sickness & Annual Leave Reporting
o Sickness Leave Procedure o Self Certification Form o Annual Leave o Leave of Absence
88 SICKNESS AND HOLIDAY REPORTING
There are very simple recording procedures for postgraduate students who are absent due to sickness or wish to take some holiday time.
Sickness:
Where a student is absent due to sickness they should, wherever possible, inform their supervisor and the PGR Programme Administrators on the first day of their absence, stating when they became ill, brief details of the illness/injury, whether it occurred due to an accident or injury in the Medical School, whether they are seeking medical attention and their likely date of return (if known). A Doctor’s certificate will be required for continuous absence of more than 7 days and should be forwarded to Carol Fidler, PGR Programme Administrator, LU116, L Floor, [email protected]
Holiday:
Full-time PGR students are entitled to take up to 30 days as holiday in each academic year, excluding bank holidays and closure days. The academic year commences on 1st October, and students will be notified of the dates of the closure days each year. It is recommended that students take no more than 4 weeks holiday at any one time. Students are expected to provide their supervisors and the PGR Programme Administrators with reasonable advance notice of the dates when they plan to take holiday, which is subject to their supervisors’ approval.
Students commencing registration at times other than the beginning of the academic year are entitled to holidays on a pro rata basis until the commencement of the next academic year.
Students should agree on periods of holiday time with their supervisor before returning the completed notification of holiday form to:
Carol Fidler, PGR Programme Administrator, LU116, L Floor, [email protected]
Longer periods of absence should be discussed with the supervisor and/or the PGR Lead. In some cases, a period of leave of absence may be required, perhaps on personal, financial or medical grounds. The application for a ‘Leave of Absence’ form, available from Research and Innovation Services, should be completed jointly with the supervisor in the first instance and returned to:
Louise Goss, PGR Programme Administrator, Room LU116, Medical School [email protected]
89 The Medical School.
PERSONAL SICKNESS/SELF CERTIFICATION FORM
Please complete and return to Carol Fidler, LU116, L Floor, Medical School, [email protected]
Personal Details: Name:
Section:
Details of Sickness/Injury:
Accident /Injury in School: Yes/No
Date Commenced:
Date Returned to School:
Sickness Recorded by:
Administration Only: Date Absence Commenced:
Date Absence Ceased:
Number of Days Absent::
SICKNESS POLICY
Where a student is absent due to sickness they should, wherever possible, inform their supervisor and the PGR Programme Administrators on the first day of their absence, stating when they became ill, brief details of the illness/injury, whether it occurred due to an accident or injury in the Medical School, whether they are seeking medical attention and their likely date of return (if known). A Doctor’s certificate will be required for continuous absence of more than 7 days and should be forwarded to Carol Fidler, PGR Programme Administrator, LU116, L Floor, [email protected]
90 The Medical School.
HOLIDAY NOTIFICATION
Please complete and return to Carol Fidler, LU116, L Floor, Medical School, [email protected]
Name: ______
Department: ______
Dates (inclusive)
From: ______
Return: ______
Number of days:
Number of Days entitled to: Number of days taken so far Number of days remaining (inclusive): (inclusive): 30 Please see note below
Student Signature: Date:
Supervisor Signature: Date
If refused, pleased state reasons why:
HOLIDAY POLICY
Full-time PGR students are entitled to take up to 30 days as holiday in each academic year, excluding bank holidays and closure days. The academic year commences on 1st October, and students will be notified of the dates of the closure days each year. It is recommended that students take no more than 4 weeks holiday at any one time. Students are expected to provide their supervisors and the PGR Programme Administrators with reasonable advance notice of the dates when they plan to take holiday, which is subject to their supervisors’ approval. Students commencing registration at times other than the beginning of the academic year are entitled to holidays on a pro rata basis until the commencement of the next academic year.
Students should agree on periods of holiday time with their supervisor before returning the completed notification of holiday form to: Carol Fidler, LU116, L Floor, [email protected]
91 Application for Leave of Absence Postgraduate Research Students For guidance on completing this form, please see: www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/code/loa
SECTION 1: TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT
Family Name First Name
Registration Number Department
Are you studying in the UK on a visa? Yes No
Registration start date: DD MM YYYY Current time limit: DD MM YYYY
Date your leave of DD MM YYYY Date your leave of DD MM YYYY absence will start absence will end
Reason for the leave of Medical* Personal Academic Financial absence request *medical certificate must be provided Supporting statement. Please provide a brief explanation of the reason for your request - attach additional sheets if necessary
Student signature: Date:
Confirmation of the outcome of your leave of absence request will be sent to your University email account.
SECTION 2: TO BE COMPLETED BY THE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
Additional details: - please add any comments/information relevant to the student’s application
Do you support the student’s application for a leave of absence? Yes No
92 I confirm that the above information is accurate and that this application has been considered and approved by the Department
Supervisor Name: Signature: Date:
HoD/PG Tutor Name: Signature: Date:
Please email the completed form to [email protected]. PLEASE NOTE: To avoid processing delays, please start the subject line with the appropriate Faculty code, e.g. FCA, FCE, FCM, FCP, FCS
SECTION 3: TO BE COMPLETED BY RESEARCH & INNOVATION SERVICES
Approved by ISS? Yes No Does this Leave of Absence Yes No (overseas students only) require reporting to the Home Name: Office?
Has the student Yes No If yes, how many months have previously had Leave of previously been granted? Absence?
Is this LOA request Yes No Notes: (please record any amendments, notes or approved by the Faculty? comments here):
Approved on behalf of the Faculty by:
Name: Signature: Date:
Revised end date for DD MM YYYY Revised time limit for DD MM YYYY payment of tuition fees: submitting the thesis:
October93 2013 APPLYING FOR A LEAVE OF ABSENCE: POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS
Leave of Absence form can be downloaded from http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/code/forms
Overseas students only: RIS sends request to ISS for consideration/advice in line with immigration regulations
Student discusses Supervisor completes PG Tutor/HoD RIS arranges Faculty Following Faculty request with section 2 of LOA countersigns section 2 consideration and approval, RIS notifies supervisor and application form and of LOA application updates the student the following: completes Section 1 forwards to PG Tutor/ form and forwards to record Student of the Leave of HoD RIS Department Absence Application Other relevant form and forwards to departments supervisor Home Office (where required)
94 Leave of absence
Students sometimes find themselves facing difficulties that affect their ability to undertake their research, for example if they are ill or undergoing serious personal problems. A leave of absence enables a student to take an authorised break from their studies in order to overcome the difficulty, without losing valuable time from their registration period, which will be suspended for the duration.
Students must apply for permission from their Department and Faculty to take a leave of absence, using the Leave of Absence (PGR) form. Please be aware that once an application is received in Research & Innovation Services it will normally take up to 2 weeks for Faculty consideration and processing. Students can apply for LOA on the following grounds:
• Medical • Personal • Academic • Financial*
*Requests for LOA on financial grounds are not normally approved, but may be considered if a student's financial situation changes due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances.
When applying for a leave of absence, appropriate documentary evidence must be supplied in order for the Department and Faculty to consider whether to approve the request. For a leave of absence on medical grounds, a medical or doctor’s note is required and an application made on these grounds will not be considered without one. Similarly, a student returning from a leave of absence on medical grounds must provide a medical note confirming that s/he is fit to return to the degree programme before they will be allowed to recommence research.
It is essential that students notify their supervisor/department as soon as any difficulties arise that might affect their research and that applications for leave of absence are made promptly and, wherever possible, not retrospectively. Requests for retrospective leaves of absence will not be approved if they date back further than 30 days. During the period of leave of absence, the student will temporarily leave their programme of study and their registration will be suspended. No supervision will be received.
Students should be aware that requests for indefinite leave of absence will not be considered. It is unlikely that a request for more than 12 months at a time will be approved and requests to further suspend a lengthy leave of absence will be carefully reviewed and may be rejected. There are a number of reasons why lengthy periods away from research are not recommended, e.g. the possibility that the research will lose currency and/or originality and changes to departmental structures and staffing.
Students who receive financial support to undertake their research degree, i.e. those funded by Research Councils or by an employer or overseas government, should notify their sponsor when applying for a leave of absence.
Leave of Absence for International Students
In addition to the above guidance, international students who are studying in the UK subject to immigration regulations (e.g. those on a Tier 4 student visa) should note the following. Students must be fully registered and attending in order to meet the requirements of their student visa. Students considering applying for a leave of absence should contact International Student Support and Guidance for further information and guidance on the implications of applying for a leave of absence. Retrospective leaves of absence dating back longer than one month cannot be approved. More detailed information is available from the 'See Also' box on the right of this page.
International students should note that the University is required to report Tier 4 visa holders who are on a leave of absence to the Home Office. Depending on the circumstances of the leave of absence the Home Office may expect such students to return to their home country for the duration of the leave of absence and may curtail the Tier 4 visa. Such students will need to re-apply for a new visa when they are ready to recommence their studies. International Student Support & Guidance will inform students of the immigration implications of their leave of absence.
Student pregnancy
Students who are pregnant, or whose partners are pregnant, can apply for a period of leave of absence. As a result of the Equality Act 2010, the University has developed a Student Pregnancy and Maternity Policy, along with advice pages aimed at both students and staff.
95 6. Other Useful Information
o Guide for PhD Students o Campus Map o Well Connected o Counselling Service o Careers Service o Vitae o Staff & Responsibilities
96 The Medical School.
With acknowledgements to the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia
A Guide for PhD students (and post-docs) aiming for a successful career in science roughly in order of importance, and with apologies to those who have worked these things out for themselves!
This is not an official QIMR document and does not represent the views of QIMR or its committees. It does, however, reflect the collective view of some senior QIMR researchers who manage to enjoy very productive and intellectually rewarding careers in medical research, and who wish to pass on some tips to those who are considering a similar career.
Doing a PhD should be fun, rewarding and be seen as a privilege. It's the only time in your life that you can spend 100% of your working time learning to do research, finding out new things, having freedom to pursue new areas and getting paid for it, without any administrative or other responsibilities. Those who stick it out do so because, despite the relatively poor pay, long hours and lack of security, it is all we want to do because of the intellectual satisfaction it brings, the excitement of discovery, the freedom to make your own work schedule, the opportunities for travel, the pleasure of being in an international community of like-minded people and (for some people) the possibility that we might actually help the human condition!
1. Choose a supervisor whose work you admire (find out first what work they have done and are doing, and search PubMed to see how productive they are!), located in a department or institute with good infrastructure (equipment, patient samples, seminar series etc), and who has enough grant funding not to limit your project too much.
2. Get involved and take responsibility for your project. This is probably the most important transition from the Honours year. To be successful in research you need to develop strong skills in independent and effective thinking, critical analysis, problem-solving, and time management. The only way to develop these skills is to take responsibility for your project. You need to immerse yourself in your research and exercise your mind with every experimental plan and every experimental outcome, including failures. Embrace failures as challenges and training exercises for future successes, rather than looking around for people to blame. If you simply follow directions and close the door behind you at the end of the day you will never progress in research. Tenacity is essential!
3. Work hard. Don’t think you can get away with a 38-hour week. You will need to work long days all week, and for part of most weekends. That gets you to closer to a 50-60 hour week, which is what you need if you want a successful career in academia (or indeed in any professional career). If research is your passion, this is actually easy to do, and if it isn’t your passion, then you are probably in the wrong field. You should be going to work because you want to, not because you have to. Of course, ultimately, the number of hours doesn’t matter - the only thing that matters is productivity, but unless you are a genius, and very organized, and very lucky, you will need to work this hard to get out enough good papers to make a good start in a scientific career. A three year stipend might seem like a long time at the start of a PhD but three years goes very, very fast and it might be difficult or impossible (depending on its source) to get an extension into a 4th year. The people who go home with a full briefcase of work to do at home are the ones most likely to succeed. Note who around you does this – aren’t they the ones who have ‘made’ it? The extra hours are the cause, not consequence of success!
97 4. Play hard. Take some weekends off, and reasonable holidays, so you don’t burn out. But if your work is very dependent on people around you, don’t plan to work over Christmas and New Year and then take your holidays when your colleagues are all hard at work. On the other hand, if you are totally autonomous and not using equipment that is liable to break down, the holiday season is a great time to work in peace, and without competition for equipment. If you're stuck with a problem in late afternoon or early evening it might be more productive to go home and tackle it fresh the next day.
5. Read the literature, both in your immediate area, and around it; both the current and the past. You can’t possibly make original contributions to the literature unless you know what is already in there. See it as a challenge to put an interesting paper on your supervisor’s desk before they put it on yours! The best time to read papers is between experiments, or in the evenings or weekends. Reading papers at your desk instead of doing experiments is a poor use of time. Most people find it challenging to understand some papers when they start out. Don’t let this put you off. Instead, go back to the earlier literature or text books, ask questions and discuss the papers with your supervisor or other colleagues. Use this as an opportunity to spark thought-provoking scientific discussions. Your supervisor will be busy, but should always make time for these discussions (if not, find another one!).
6. Plan your days and weeks very carefully. If you are in the lab, begin the week, and each day, by carefully dovetailing experiments so that you have the minimum of down time. Make lists of what you have to do tomorrow at the end of each day while today’s work is in your mind. This also allows your mind to think about the next day’s work while you sleep. Unless you have domestic constraints, be flexible about what time you go home to cope with unexpected changes to this schedule (and remember, this is probably the most flexible part of your life – once you have children, this goes out the window, so make the most of it).
7. Keep a good lab book, and write it up every day. It will make thesis writing much easier, and will also help to protect any intellectual property that might one day make you rich. In particular, write up the details of your methods as you go along. They will easily convert to chapters in your thesis, and also to laboratory protocols which is useful for everyone.
8. Be creative. Think, think, and think some more about what you are doing, and why, and whether there are better ways to go. Don’t just see your PhD as a road map laid out by your supervisor. Talk to your supervisor, and others around you, about alternatives and watch the literature for new discoveries and ideas that are pertinent to your project. Probably the toughest challenge for a successful scientist is to be creative, while keeping a sharp eye on feasibility. It is never too soon to start working on this aspect of your PhD, and at the end of the day probably the single thing that most distinguishes a great scientist from work horse. Ask Big Questions, and be sceptical about 'conventional wisdom', even if it comes from your supervisor. Don’t be afraid to argue with your supervisor on scientific grounds – they are not always right and should appreciate the debate.
9. Be active, not passive, in your approach to research. Seek information and advice, and don’t assume that it will just diffuse into your head. Your supervisor won’t know everything (and may be technically less than competent anyway!), so find the right people for advice and don’t be afraid to ask for it. Don’t go for weeks without talking about your research with your supervisor and other members of the lab. If your supervisor doesn’t seek you out regularly, go and talk to him/her. When you are inexperienced it is very easy to get off track and waste valuable time and resources. Those students and post-docs who sit back and wait for the magic to happen, or work in a vacuum, never get anywhere.
10. Try to keep a three-part portfolio of sub-projects that are ‘safe’, moderately safe, and challenging (could this be a Nature paper if it works out?). That way you are pretty certain to get a PhD, but might hit the jackpot, and have the thrill of a really exciting discovery.
11. Go to as many seminars as you can and all of them in your general area. But don’t just sit at the back like a sponge, or fall asleep; sit up the front and ask questions of the speaker 98 in question time, or afterwards, and of your supervisor and others in the lab. Students who speak up in this way gain a much better understanding of their field and are the ones who are really noticed. Remember that at this point in your life it is difficult to make a fool of yourself. Just having the courage to speak up is really applauded!
12. Make the most of any opportunities to attend a conference or workshop. If you are lucky enough to do so, don’t treat them like a holiday; they are work. Make sure you go to every talk, no matter how relevant you think it is, or isn’t. You will always learn something. Between talks, use every minute to meet new people, find out what they are doing, tell them what you are doing, and remember that this is where you are most likely to find a good post-doc lab. Don’t spend all the time speaking only to people you already know or socialising with your lab; you can do that when you get back. Receptions and dinners are not optional; these are where most networking takes place and you need to be there mixing with new people, not hanging around the ones you already know. Likewise, don’t take your partner with you and spend all the free time with them; they can join you before the meeting starts, or after it finishes, but during the meeting, including the social events, you are at work. If you are hung over from all of the socialising, don’t miss the next morning’s session, just take a bucket in with you. And when you come back, tell your supervisor (who has probably paid for all or some of it out of their hard-won grants), and others in the lab, what you got out of the meeting.
13. Take a notepad and write down the action items when you meet with your supervisor, unless you have a perfect memory, and make sure they get done – or go back to explain why they can’t be done.
14. Practise your writing in any way you can. Most students with a recent Australian education have very poor writing skills, and this will severely impact on your ability to write a satisfactory thesis, get a grant, and get a paper accepted. Do a course in writing (if you can find a good one), use the grammar and spell checks on Word, try to learn from people around you who write clearly and concisely, and get feedback on everything you write from colleagues or even friends and family. Plan your project so you can get at least 3-4 good (or 1-2 extremely good) papers out of your PhD. Don’t leave thesis writing until after your scholarship or candidature has expired. Start writing from Day 1, even if nothing you write in the first or second year ends up in your thesis, the experience will be invaluable. It will help to broaden and deepen your knowledge, prioritize experiments, and significantly increase your chances of publishing during, rather than after, your PhD. It will also make writing your thesis much, much easier. In addition, a good literature review is often publishable, so that can be another option that will help to make your name, particularly since reviews get good citation rates.
15. Buy yourself a lap top if you can possibly afford it, even if the lab is well supplied with computers. That way you can work easily between work and home, and if the lab gets busier you are still independent.
16. Make the most of any opportunities to talk about your work. Use it as an excuse to read additional papers and to think long and hard about what you have (or haven’t!) achieved and where your project is going. A shoddy presentation, even at a lab meeting, makes you look bad and is a wasted opportunity. Try your hardest to pre-empt questions that you might get and try to have prepared answers. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so; people will invariably see through a ‘bullshit’ answer! Talk about your work with family and friends – they sometimes have useful insights (and as tax payers are ultimately your employers).
17. Appreciate that most biomedical research is very expensive and is mostly funded by taxpayers’ money or private donations. You therefore have a responsibility to use these funds carefully and not to waste them on ill-conceived or poorly-performed experiments. Think carefully about everything you do and always seek advice if you are uncertain. Be
99 aware that your productivity also has implications for others in the lab. If you take it easy and are unproductive this will affect the productivity of the lab, which in turn will affect the chance of the lab getting grants that support your research and pay the salaries of your colleagues.
18. Look ahead. What are you likely to be doing 3, 6 or 12 months from now, and are there any steps you can take now to pave the way (e.g. HREC applications, collection of biospecimens or reagents, learning new techniques)?
19. Set yourself deadlines and try to keep them – it is good training for the days when you have to adhere to grant application deadlines etc.
20. Plan to work abroad at some point, not because Australian science isn’t world class, but because of all the benefits of working with some real stars (it is a fact that the USA has more Nobel Laureates than any other country), and to get a better perspective of where you fit into world science. If you end up in the lab where the head gets more invitations to speak than he/she can cope with, some might be passed on to you, which is a major advantage for career advancement.
21. Think very early and very carefully about what you plan to do after your PhD. If you hope to stay in research you should be aware that you will be judged almost exclusively on your publication record. This judgement includes the number of papers, your position in the author list and the quality of journal in which the work is published. Without a good publication record your chances of getting a fellowship, or even a grant funded position, in research are remote. Salaries are hard to come by and are therefore very competitive. If there is one job and six (or more!) good applicants, the job will always go to the person who has achieved the most.
22. Start collaborations. Don’t wait for your supervisor to start them for you. It only takes a conversation or an email to someone else who is working on a very similar topic to you, to start the ball rolling. Whether it is the Nobel prize-winning lab head, or a PhD student or anyone in between, you can talk or write to them and see if they are interested in collaborating by sharing samples or ideas. It is probably best to discuss this with your supervisor first, not least because a joint email is more likely to bear fruit, but there may be occasions when you want to at least initiate the discussions alone. In addition to external collaborations, collaborate with your lab colleagues. PhD students who seek collaborations with their lab colleagues often get more publications, and finish their project much earlier than those who work by themselves. We are all very protective about our projects but sometimes we can't do everything. It may be helpful to get someone in the lab (who may be expert in a specific technique) to do an experiment for you which saves lots of time.
23. Talk to Sales reps. They can sometimes bother you when you are busy doing something, but if you make appointments to talk to them, you might learn something new, like a new method or a new reagent that will make your life much easier and maybe even make the lab head’s budget look much healthier. Conferences are a good place to talk to them, and don’t forget to pick up the free pens.
24. Look for opportunities to write small grants, such as travel grants, and small society grants as you gain more experience. You will learn a huge amount, and you might even get lucky. Nothing impresses more than your ability to get your own funding (well, except Science or Nature papers I guess).
25. Join professional societies. They all have very cheap student subscriptions, and you will gain something by being involved at any level (cv-building, cheaper registrations at conferences, getting to know who else is working in your field, a society journal, newsletters etc).
100 26. Take courses, in statistics, bioinformatics, English or whatever you think you need extra help in. They take extra time and extra effort, but it is time and effort well spent.
27. Get involved in institute or department events, such as organising student seminar series or conferences, though not at the expense of your project. It is all good experience, and looks good on your cv.
28. Work out if you are a good collaborator, or more suited to working alone. Both are perfectly acceptable, but plan your career accordingly. Good collaborators (particularly in large consortia which are all the rage now) need very good communication skills, as well as diplomacy and patience, but if you are naturally rather non-communicative or anti-social (or paranoid or selfish!) it might not be for you.
29. Ultimately, to be a successful research scientist (e.g. join the NHMRC Fellowship scheme) you need to be at least four of the following:
extremely motivated creative very smart very hard working very skilful in the lab (or at the computer) very lucky
Since you can’t depend on luck, you’d better focus on the others. If you don’t think you can meet most of the expectations above, this is the wrong career path for you, so think again!
Georgia Chenevix-Trench Emma Whitelaw Melissa Brown James Flanagan Nick Martin Rajiv Khanna Peter Visscher February 3rd, 2006
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Australia www.qimr.edu.au/research/labs/georgist/Guideforphds.doc
101 6 5 4 3 2 1
REDCAR ROAD CONDUIT ROAD CONDUIT KEY AND BROOMHIL L ST Bus stop To Cashpoint Ca fe F Pu University parking (permit only) Fo Supe rt U ood venue ilet otpat blic car park DENT VILLAGES A A ra h MAXFIELD AVENUE 22 m stop 23 28 WHITAM ROAD
BEECH HILL ROAD HILL BEECH SEVERN ROAD
40 NORTHUMBERLAND ROAD NORTHUMBERLAND 31 SHEFFIEL D SPOR 94 CROOKESMOOR ROAD BROOMFIELD ROAD
B B
REE ROOT WALK ROOT REE T T
HARCOURT ROAD 41 SHEFFIEL D 86 SPOR 33 30 T
WELLESLEY ROAD 34 88 ECCLESALL BO 46 37 A TING LAKE 87 47 35 35 50 44
VA
S
RO E C R
E C
N
T
T CROOKES N CROOKES
C C
O
M
E LLEY PA
CLARKEHOUSE ROAD R A
L
AD C
DAMER STREET 58 ROAD VALLEY CROOKES RK
PALMERSTON ROAD CLAREMONT ROAD CLAREMONT 85 64 72 MUSHROOM LANE 92 71 76 66 93 WE ST
75 SHEARWOOD ROAD SHEARWOOD PA 77 96 74 a RK
GLOSSOP ROAD ON
65 DORSET STREET STREET WINTER D D 74 102 106
CLARKSON STREET P OND DURHAM 107 118 108 105 RO 141 AD 138
GLOUCESTER STREET 101 140 114 109 DART SQUARE
113 WILKINSON STREET WILKINSON 103 WESTERN BANK Underpass
112 BROOMSPRING LANE BROOMSPRING 149 120 110 BROOMHALL HAVELOCK STREET 151 111 104 143 139 119 E E 117 121
BROOK HILL BRUNSWICK STREET BRUNSWICK 127 125 124
WESTON STREET
BOLSOVER STREET BOLSOVER
GLOSSOP ROAD WILKINSON LANE WILKINSON 128 122 126 145 116
136 FILEY STREET FILEY 127
LEAVYGREAVE ROAD FAVELL ROAD FAVELL HOUNSFIELD ROAD HOUNSFIELD 134
133
135
UPPER HANOVER STREET HANOVER UPPER HANOVER WAY HANOVER (INNER RING ROAD) RING (INNER NE OF SHEFFIELD T UNIVERSI TY HE RTH OR PE RO F AD F
184 (INNER RING ROAD)
19 19 OPAL 2 6 5
183
REET ST GELL GELL STREET GELL 188
LEAVYGREAVE ROAD 154 156 158 17 159 160
4
REET ST ORIA CT VI VICTORIA STREET VICTORIA 161 STREET BEET 19
7
GLOSSOP ROAD GLOSSOP
ST. GEORGES TERRACE GEORGES ST.
CAVENDISH STREET CAVENDISH SIDDALL STREET SIDDALL REGENT TERRACE REGENT
UPPER ALLEN STREET
155 REGENT COURT REGENT
G BROAD LANE G
SOLLY STREET 166 163 164 165
PITT STREET
169 FITZWILLIAM STREET FITZWILLIAM
167 MAPPIN STREET MAPPIN 168 19 0 CITY CENTRE CITY 17 17 0
5 DEVONSHIRE STREET DEVONSHIRE NORTH CAMPUS 17 6 17 9 19 2 182 19 17 17 1 8
7 ELDON STREET ELDON
173 WEST STREET HILL RED 17 102 1 H H
180 ORANGE STREET ORANGE
PORTOBELLO STREET GARDEN STREET GARDEN 172 WE ST 17 4 19
Q PARK STREET
3 NEWCASTLE STREET NEWCASTLE 6 5 4 3 2 1 A B C D E F G H 1 1 CROOKES CROOKES VALLEY ROAD NORTH CAMPUS 101 192 193 GARDEN STREET CROOKESMOOR ROAD (INNER RING ROAD) UPPER ALLEN STREET 2 BOATING LAKE WINTER STREET WESTON STREET D 190 2 A HARCOURT ROAD O R DART SQUARE E P R 102 BEET STREET O RED HILL H 104 T 191 R OPAL 2 CONDUIT ROAD E H CROOKES SOLLY STREET T VALLEY PARK E N
MUSHROOM LANE 103 SIDDALL STREET NEWCASTLE STREET 169 151 BOLSOVER STREET 174 170 30 117 REDCAR ROAD POND 22 109 108 110 183 BROAD LANE 171 31 MAPPIN STREET WESTON 116 111 23 114 164 172 35 PARK ST. GEORGES TERRACE 33 107 113 112 133 37 173
PE HANOVER STREET UPPER 3 NORTHUMBERLAND ROAD FAVELLROAD Q PARK 3 28 BROOK HILL 126 184 SPORT 124 165 PORTOBELLO STREET MAXFIELD AVENUE SHEFFIELD 34 197 175 125 Underpass 188 121 127 176 ORANGE STREET 127 35 LEAVYGREAVE ROAD 106 105 WESTERN BANK 166 167 177 128 LEAVYGREAVE ROAD SPORT 195 158 REGENT COURT 168 WEST STREET
SHEFFIELD 134 159 182 180
REGENTTERRACE VICTORIASTREET 64 196 STREET GELL 155 119 PITT STREET 120 135 HOUNSFIELD ROAD 178 179 UNIVERSITY 154 118 OF SHEFFIELD 163 41 136 WEST STREET DAMER STREET
161
44 C 160
L DURHAM ROAD
A GLOSSOP ROAD
R
E STUDENT VILLAGES M 65
ELDON STREET O GLOSSOP ROAD
N 139 TREE ROOT WALK 46 T C 149 174
AND BROOMHILL R 47 E 138 S WILKINSON LANE
C
50 HANOVER WAY E
BRUNSWICK STREET WELLESLEY ROAD CLARKSON STREET N 66 40 T
4 VI CT 4
71 STREET CAVENDISH 58 75 DEVONSHIRE STREET
156 ORIA ST 74a
122 GELL ST 72 140 FITZWILLIAM STREET WHITAM ROAD PALMERSTON ROAD SHEARWOOD ROAD 74 REET WILKINSON STREET REET 86 87 141 143 (INNER RING ROAD) CLAREMONT ROAD76 SEVERN ROAD CITY CENTRE 77 FILEY STREET GLOSSOP ROAD BROOMSPRING LANE BEECH HILL ROAD 88 92 96 DORSET STREET 5 KEY 94 5 HAVELOCK STREET GLOUCESTER STREET University parking (permit only) 85 93 BROOMFIELD ROAD Public car park CLARKEHOUSE ROAD Food venue 145 Cafe Cashpoint Toilet ECCLESALL ROAD BROOMHALL 6 Bus stop 6 Supertram stop Footpath A B C D E F G H 103 Student Services Department. Well Connected A new online mental health and wellbeing resource for students www.sheffield.ac.uk/wellconnected
Sleep
Food & Anxiety mood Wellbeing Confidence & self esteem
Depression
Academic difficulties Eating Exercise disorders Transitions
Struggling, shining or simply surviving?
For further information. Email us at [email protected] Tweet us @wellconnectd or find us onFacebook 104 http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/counselling
105 University Opening Hours Counselling Term time Service Monday 9:00am—4:00pm Tuesday 11:00am—4:00pm Wednesday 9:00am—4:00pm Thursday 9:00am—6.30pm Friday 9:00am—4:00pm
Times vary during holidays and busy periods. Please contact us or check our website for further details. Useful Links University Counselling Service help Information one Counselling one
www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/counselling - to - - Self Twitter Groups and Workshops and Groups One @Sheff_UCS
Well Connected Self-help guides, advice & info www.sheffield.ac.uk.eresources.shef.ac.uk/ssid/well-connected About UCS Contact Us An Introduction
Grid ref: E4, Campus Map no. 122 University Counselling About This Leaflet: Making an Appointment B u i l d i n g Service Services for Students Confidentiality E m o t i o n a l Staff Concern for Students 36 Wilkinson Street Opening Hours R e s i l i e n c e Sheffield Useful Links T o g e t h e r S10 2GB Contact Us 0114 222 4134 0114 222 4134 [email protected] Accessible entrance to the rear of the building UCS make reasonable adjustments for all individuals [email protected]
106 4 2014/15 2014/15 University Counselling Service www.shef.field.ac.uk/ssid/counselling [email protected] 0114 222 4134 @Sheff_UCS Making an Appointment Services for Students
Register with UCS by completing It will last betweenbetween 2020-30minutes. Self-help Tools and Resources our online registration form on The aim is to give you an Our Waiting Room is equipped with modern furnishings and iPad technology, an ideal campus or in person at 36 Wilkinson opportunity to talk briefly about quiet space to use recognised online sites. Our growing list of therapy books, mini-guides Street, just off Glossop Road. This your situation in confidence. This and cd resources are available to borrow on two week loan cycles. will take less than one minute to may be sufficient in itself but if you complete. A Triage is a private one- need further support we can Groups and Workshops to-one assessment session between identifyidentify whatwhat isis availableavailable withinwithin thethe - We organise an inclusive groups and drop-in workshops programme. Themes often you and a counsellor. Service, the University or externally. include stress management, assertiveness, confidence building, relaxation and relieving exam stress. Online Registration—3 simple steps One-to-one Counselling Visit: www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/counselling/register If recommended following your Triage, a short series of counselling appointments will enable you to work through your presenting issues. Please note that registrations outside the University depend on a Virtual Private Network Consultation—Concern for a Friend 1 2 3 DoneDoneDone! (VPN) being set-up via CICS.. If you are concerned about a friend, housemate or student colleague you can contact us to discuss further. We can offer advice and guidance on dealing with your query.
Register UCS process your We email you—then you contact us online record to book next available Triage Confidentiality The Data Protection Act 1998 requires UCS to get consent for client record keeping. Outcomes and Ongoing sessions Our team will not pass on personal data without a client’s permission. Two exceptions are where the counsellor believes the client or a third party is in serious danger or if our UCS may suggest undertaking a short series of self-help, attending a group or workshop or counsellor would be liable to civil or criminal court procedure (if the information were pursuing further one-to-one counselling (or a mix of these offers). not disclosed). For more information visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/counselling/about. Access and Waiting times Staff Concern for Students Students are assessed as quickly as possible. In the rare event our service exceeds All of our clinical staff are fully qualified and work within ethical guidelines. All are capacity, UCS will be transparent about the situation and temporarily decline new members of professional organisations (UKCP or BACP). A Mental Health Support registrations. We do short-term not long-term counselling work. UCS is not a crisis Coordinator also works within UCS and can assist students that have more frequent service but we do comply closely with Duty of Care guidelines to ensure students are welfare support needs. It may be possible for staff to speak briefly with a Duty Counsellor wholly supported at this University. for any complex student issues. 107
2 Images courtesy of Nick Frost—http://pixelbuddha.net http://www.shef.ac.uk/careers/postgraduates/research
108 109 www.vitae.ac.uk
110 THE MEDICAL SCHOOL - POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH STAFF & RESPONSIBILITIES – October 2014
Name Surname Department Responsibilities Other Information Email To be confirmed School GRC Chair Jodie Burnham (non academic) School PGR Administrator PGR Administrator & SGRC Secretary [email protected] Carol Fidler (non academic) PGR Programme Administrator Current MPhil/PhD/MD Students [email protected] Louise Goss (non academic) PGR Programme Administrator Current MPhil/PhD/MD Students [email protected] Paula Blackwell (non academic) PGR Admissions Administrator MPhil/PhD/MD Admissions [email protected] Peter Grabowski Oncology PGR Tutor Lead Yr 1 Team SGRC Member [email protected] Chryso Kanthou Oncology PGR Tutor Deputy Yr 1 Team SGRC Member [email protected] Jon Wood Neuroscience PGR Tutor Deputy Yr 2 Team SGRC Member [email protected] Lynne Prince PGR Tutor Deputy Yr 2 Team + PGR Infection & Immunity Selector (Infection & Immunity) SGRC Member [email protected] Victoria Ridger Cardiovascular PGR Lead – Cardiovascular Science + Science PGR Tutor Lead Yr 3 Team SGRC Member [email protected] Phil Watson Human Metabolism PGR Tutor Deputy Yr 3 Team SGRC Member [email protected] Mike Barker Oncology PGR Lead – Oncology + PGR Selector SGRC Member [email protected] (Oncology) Denise Bee Medical Education PGR Lead – Medical Education SGRC Member [email protected] Andy Grierson Neuroscience PGR Lead – Neuroscience + PGR SGRC Member [email protected] Selector (Neuroscience / Radiology) Colby Eaton Human Metabolism PGR Lead – Human Metabolism SGRC Member [email protected] Mark Thomas Infection & Immunity PGR Lead – Infection & Immunity SGRC Member [email protected] Martina Daly Cardiovascular Faculty Lead PGR Programmes SGRC Member [email protected] Alison Gartland Human Metabolism School Unfair Means Officer SGRC Member [email protected] Neil Chapman Human Metabolism PGR Selector (Human Metabolism) [email protected] Lynda Wyld Oncology MD Selector SGRC Member [email protected] Alison Gartland Human Metabolism Staff/Student Liaison SGRC Member [email protected] Cyril Sanders Oncology Progress Monitoring SGRC Member [email protected] Karen Sisley Oncology PGR Selector (Oncology) [email protected] John Sanders Medical Education PGR Selector (Medical Education) [email protected]
111 112