Independent Panel Chair
Your IPC is an independent source of advice and chairs your formal progress reviews. The School Research Degrees Leader appoints one at the beginning of your studies, normally for the whole registration period.
What they do
- Chair RD4, RD5 and RD6.
- Read the formal work for those reviews and ensure required processes are followed.
- Offer independent advice to you and the supervisors.
- Participate in significant meetings, including study-break discussions.
- Oversee withdrawal processes.
- Assume examination arrangements if supervisors are unexpectedly unavailable.
They do not supervise your research day to day or routinely read drafts. Arrange opportunities to meet independently of your supervisory team. Each review includes separate confidential conversations with you and with your supervisors, followed by reconvening.
Trauma-informed support
Research with potential to cause trauma should have an appropriately skilled trauma-informed IPC. Raise a concern with your Director of Studies and identify the risk in your RD4 proforma if it has not been recognised.
Later in your degree
Your IPC may become your Exam Panel Chair, but that is a separate examination role with its own training requirements. Changes to the IPC use RD11-IPC: Changing supervisors or IPC.
Sources: Framework §§3.7, 4.6, 4.8, 5.7, pp. 29–30, 46–49, 60–61. Read the role description.