Structure of PhD Supervision Lifecycle Series

The opening workshop covers the start of the supervisory relationship. Topics include:

• Effective postgraduate research recruitment: approaches to attract high-quality candidates and ethical considerations in the recruitment process.
• Preparation for supervising PhD candidates: skills and knowledge for effective supervision, and creating expectations and boundaries with new candidates.
• Alignment with UL's institutional policies and guidelines: understanding UL policy and navigating supervision requirements set out in the UL Handbook of Academic Regulations and Procedures.
• Mentoring and communication skills: developing mentoring relationships and giving constructive feedback and guidance.

On completion, supervisors will be able to identify recruitment strategies, apply ethical principles to recruitment, set clear expectations with new candidates, and apply UL's regulations and procedures throughout the PhD lifecycle.

The second workshop focuses on creating and maintaining a productive supervisory relationship throughout the PhD. Topics include:

• Peer observation for supervisors: assessing different supervisory styles and adapting your approach to each candidate's needs and preferences.
• Effective communication and feedback: approaches to promote a positive supervisor–candidate relationship and address challenges and conflicts.
• Building a supportive supervisory environment: creating a positive, inclusive research environment and resolving challenges within the supervisory relationship.
• Promoting inclusivity and diversity: understanding diversity and inclusion issues and implementing inclusive supervisory practices.
• Quality assurance and continuous improvement: applying quality assurance measures and reflecting on feedback to improve supervisory practice over time.

The third workshop addresses the final stages of the doctorate and life after the PhD. Topics include:

• Mastering the viva voce process: preparation of candidates for the viva voce exam, approaches to defending and discussing research, and the requirements of different thesis types (monograph, article-based PhDs, professional doctorate and other practice-based theses).
• Choosing examiners: evaluating expertise and experience, UL policy on external examiners, avoiding conflicts of interest, and the standing of the external examiner in their field.
• Role of the Viva Chair: the independence of the Chair, awareness of UL academic regulations and procedures, and the Chair's role as arbiter of fairness to the candidate.
• Enhancing career opportunities for PGRs: helping to prepare candidates for career paths within and beyond academia.

This workshop addresses the challenges and opportunities of supervising PGRs with various learning needs, with an emphasis on inclusivity and tailored support. Topics include:

• Helping researchers with learning needs "find their voice" as PhD candidates and develop a strong researcher identity.
• Collaboration with the Access Office and assistive technology experts, including UL resources and accommodations available to PGRs.
• Creating a supportive environment through adaptations to supervision.
• Funding opportunities and scholarships designed for PGRs with different learning needs.
• Recognising that there exists a wide range of different learning needs, including the distinction between cognitive and physical learning requirements.

Participants will leave with ideas to empower PGRs, knowledge of available assistive technologies and reasonable accommodations, skills to guide PGRs towards appropriate funding, and greater awareness of the different needs of PGRs.

This workshop focuses on supervising international PhD candidates. Topics include:

• Empowering international PGRs to "find their voice" and build confidence in expressing themselves communicating in English.
• Collaboration with UL Global, including guidance on inter-cultural awareness, visas, immigration and integration.
• Addressing taboos and cultural misunderstandings that can hinder supervision.
• Distance-based supervision: maintaining communication, managing expectations and supporting remote PGRs.

Participants will learn ideas on how to mentor international PGRs in communicating their research, become familiar with UL Global's services, recognise potential cultural misunderstandings, and help international PGRs build peer networks.

This workshop situates UL's supervisory practice within the wider policy landscape. Topics include:

• Understanding national and international doctoral education policy, including a comparative analysis of different countries' approaches.
• Ensuring the quality of research degrees: an in-depth look at UL's research degree regulations, recent updates, and integrating the Academic Regulations and Procedures into everyday supervision.
• Enhancing the quality of PhD research outputs and the evaluation methods and criteria used to assess research degree quality.
• Ethical challenges in PhD supervision, including conflicts of interest and issues of authorship and intellectual property.

A half-day online workshop exploring practical ways to develop doctoral candidates' writing skills during supervision. Tips, tasks and resources are provided for use with PGRs, and the session offers an opportunity to share ideas with fellow supervisors. It is led by Dr Daniel Soule of Grammatology, who has delivered research writing training across the UK, Ireland and Norway for more than 12 years.

A one-hour session for any research supervisor on the art of giving effective feedback to PhD candidates. It covers the benefits of positive feedback, different types and formats of feedback (hard copy, tracked changes, audio and face-to-face), adapting feedback to the candidate's stage, providing criticism constructively, reasonable turnaround times, how much to review at a time, and how to respond when writing quality is poor or feedback is not taken on board.

Open to both PhD candidates and supervisors, this workshop explores the principles of high-output, low-stress scholarly writing. Participants learn why it is hard to get started, how distractions slow writing down, the principles of quick starting, how to manage unhelpful internal beliefs, how to set and follow a structured writing plan, how to write in a focused 'silo', and how to increase output while clarifying thinking and improving quality.