Supervisory team and meeting expectations
You can usually expect a supervisory meeting at least monthly if full-time, or every six weeks if part-time. Remote meetings can take place by mutual agreement. Meet the whole team regularly even when some meetings involve only one supervisor.
Your team
Normally there are two supervisors, including a Director of Studies. Three require an exceptional, convincing rationale. Normally at least two, including the DoS, are Edinburgh Napier staff. An external supervisor cannot be DoS. Temporary specialist support can be recorded as an additional adviser using RD11b.
Your Independent Panel Chair is separate from day-to-day supervision.
What supervisors should provide
- Project-specific and procedural guidance, progress monitoring and training-needs advice.
- A feasible project suited to the award, available resources and time.
- Guidance on ethics, hazards and safety.
- Review preparation and thesis content, presentation and scholarship advice.
- Prompt, constructive feedback within the schedule in your Supervision agreement.
- Cover during significant absences and timely examination arrangements.
There is no single framework-wide number of days for feedback: agree the schedule explicitly.
Qualifications and capacity
At least one supervisor must have a doctorate and at least one must have a UK research-degree completion at the target level or above. Supervisors need relevant research/professional expertise, induction and biennial updates; §4.7 also specifies designated EDI training including Supporting Disabled Students. Staff currently studying for a research degree cannot supervise.
New supervisors may supervise up to three students with experienced mentorship; experienced supervisors up to seven at the relevant level. An IPC should have no more than three students. The School approves team arrangements.
If a supervisor leaves, a limited exception to the two-internal-staff requirement is possible when you are less than 12 months from expected completion and the SRDL approves. See Changing supervisors or IPC.
Sources: Framework §§4.6–4.9, pp. 45–50. Read the source.