Workshops for research supervisors

Find details of our webinars and workshops, designed for new and experienced PGR supervisors, as well as teaching and/or research staff looking to develop supervisory skills.

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About our workshops and webinars

We’ve been working closely with postgraduate research (PGR) supervisors, research staff, and PGRs over many years on various working groups, research projects, mentoring programmes, and researcher-led initiatives.

We have had the opportunity through these, and through the literature related to doctoral supervision, to understand the impact of supervision relationships, tensions, worries and pitfalls on PGR progression, development, and career decisions.

The following webinars and workshops are designed for new and experienced PGR supervisors, as well as teaching and/or research staff looking to develop supervisory skills.

They offer you the chance to hear and discuss some of our insight in relation to your own supervision skills and practices. The SuperVisionaries seminar series is part of SuperVisionaries: University of Sheffield supervisor development offer.

SuperVisionaries one-seven also makes up the ten hours of workshops that new supervisors are required to complete. Multiple dates for each session will be available throughout the year. Other sessions in the series are supplementary to this core provision and do not contribute towards CPD requirements. 


Workshop sessions

SuperVisionaries 1: Postgraduate research (PGR) supervision at Sheffield 

This workshop is a discussion-based introduction to supervision at the University of Sheffield. It will cover the philosophy of PhD study at Sheffield, and the strategic role of supervisors as well as the processes/systems which guide and support you to induct, supervise, develop and ensure progress for postgraduate researchers.  It will signpost resources and guides that you can make use of in your work.

Wed 22nd September 2021 1pm—3pm

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Thurs 25th November 2021 10am—12pm

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SuperVisionaries 2: Supervising new PGRs: Setting up the partnership 

In this webinar you will anticipate ways to support PGRs starting their PhD, and explore how you can work with a new PGR to set and agree the terms for your supervision partnership. Inviting open discussions about expectations, roles, responsibilities, and how you can each work best together can support the building of effective relationships that endure through testing times. The session will also offer you a chance to reflect on pedagogy on research supervision and identify what works in practice. Delivered via Blackboard Collaborate.

Tues 26th October 2021 10am—11.30am

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SuperVisionaries 3: Facilitating progress and supporting stuck thesis writers 

This webinar will explore the barriers to thesis writing, and will introduce practices for effective action planning and writing techniques to help get stalled PGRs back on track. We will share methods for enabling PGRs to take responsibility, plan and monitor their work, and keep up momentum. Delivered via Blackboard Collaborate.

Wed 10th November 2021 1pm—2.30pm

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SuperVisionaries 4: Supporting PGR wellbeing 

Supervising researchers can mean helping to support people who have had acutely stressful experiences to manage their situation. This workshop explores how we as supervisors and colleagues can spot signs of stress and mental ill-health, and looks at approaches to helping PGRs manage their mental wellbeing through supportive conversation, whilst keeping the relationship disciplined and with clear boundaries.

This session will be delivered via Blackboard Collaborate by Professor Martina Daly (Faculty PGR Lead, MDH) and Dr Emma Suret (Lead for PGR Supervisor Development).

Date to be confirmed


SuperVisionaries 5: Having effective careers conversations with your PGRs

Over 70% of our research students will leave academia, so it's key to understand the need for PGRs to develop skills and experiences that complement their career aspirations, whatever sector this may be in. In this workshop, you will explore the concerns and issues PGRs may have about careers both in and beyond academia. You will practice various strategies and techniques to enable you to have effective careers conversations and confidently support PGRs in their research and beyond.

This session will be delivered online by Rachael Roberts, Careers Consultant with expertise in supporting researchers.

Wed 26th January 2022 12pm—1.30pm

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SuperVisionaries 6: Introducing the new TNA 

From the 1st October 2020, new PGRs will be required to complete a new version of the Training Needs Analysis (or TNA) on an annual basis. This webinar will explain how the TNA has changed, what you need to do as supervisors (and when), and why the TNA is important for PGR development. There will also be the opportunity to review some example submissions for the TNA, and learn what kinds of activities work best for PGRs when evidencing different aspects of their development.

This session will be delivered on Blackboard Collaborate by Dr Lucy Lee (Head of Researcher Development) and Dr Emma Suret (Lead for PGR Supervisor Development).

Thurs 30th September 2021 2pm-4pm

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Wed 19th January 2022 11am-12pm

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SuperVisionaries 7: Guiding PGRs through progression milestones 

The confirmation review, the submission process, and the viva represent some of the most significant challenges faced by PGRs, and the degree of preparation and support they receive from their supervisors has a significant impact on their performance. This session will cover the requirements of the major milestones that all PGRs at the University must complete. It represents an opportunity to discuss and reflect on best preparation techniques for the confirmation review and viva, examiner selection, support with corrections, and keeping PGRs calm and focused.

This session will be delivered on Blackboard Collaborate by Professor Renee Timmers (PGR Lead, Department of Music) and Dr Emma Suret (Lead for PGR Supervisor Development).

Tues 1st February 2022 2pm—3:30pm

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SuperVisionaries 8: Open Research for Supervisors

Open Research is a rising priority in many disciplines, among funders, editors and universities (including our own, which has just published a University statement on open research). How can we best help our graduate students navigate the demands of open research, changing standards, new technology and the diversifying range of outputs expected of researchers?

Open Research for Supervisors will signpost essential resources available to PGRs from around the University that can help develop their Open Research practice. There will also be the opportunity to hear from other supervisors from around the University, to share what Open Research looks like in your research area and discuss how to guide new researchers in a world where research training is changing more rapidly than ever.

This event will be led by Dr Tom Stafford (University Research Practice Lead).

This session is supplementary to the core SuperVisionaries provision and therefore does not contribute towards new supervisors' ten hours of mandatory CPD.

Thurs 25th November 2021 3pm—4pm

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Contact

If you have any questions about this programme, email Dr Emma Suret at e.suret@sheffield.ac.uk.