Teaching and supervision

Supervision of PGR students 

Supervising post-graduate research (PGR) students can be an important first step towards career development, showing willingness to take on extra responsibilities and contribute to citizenship in your place of work. Being a supervisor can be challenging as it requires you to begin the process of helping to manage other people's work, but it is immensely rewarding and also provides a great opportunity to embark upon research independence.

The Doctoral College support for PGR supervision webpage contains the Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students which is essential reading for all members of staff involved in student supervision.  

Support for PGR supervision

Getting involved in supervision

It is possible for post-docs and ECRs within the college to be formally recognised as a co-supervisor as part of a wider supervisory team. To be a principle supervisor it is expected that you have a substantive post that exceeds the duration of the students study period, and in practice most principle supervisors in the college are expected to be at UoE Grade 8. Note that the principle supervisor role has an additional administrative role within the supervisory team, and does not always reflect the ownership of the research project.

All new supervisors are expected to complete the online course Fundamentals of PhD Supervision. This should also be renewed every five years by continuing supervisors. The course can be accessed through the Institute for Academic Development (IAD) pages 

Fundamentals of PhD Supervision online course - find out more 

Gaining accreditation for supervision

To be accredited on EUCLID as a supervisor you will need to contact your local PGR administrator or contact the main CMVM PGR administration office: cmvmpgr-examinations@ed.ac.uk

You will also have to undertake some mandatory training modules:

• Equality and Diversity Essentials
• Challenging Unconscious Bias
• Introducing Equality Impact Assessment
• Recruitment and Selection Essentials

These are available online and you can self-enrol for these courses directly from the Learn channel in MyEd, or login at www.learn.ed.ac.uk

For additional information for both supervisors and that may be relevant to the student you may be currently supervising, see the CMVM postgraduate research Wiki.

CMVM PGR wiki

University level support and resources for supervision   

The Institute for Academic Development (IAD) has many additional pages for postgraduate research supervisors with excellent resources and training. 

Information and resources for supervisors 

Getting involved with teaching

Many academic careers will require some element of lecturing, at undergraduate and taught post-graduate levels, and gaining experience in this area can be essential when crafting a career within the university or beyond. To get involved with teaching within the college it may be worthwhile asking colleagues who you know currently have lecturing commitments, or contacting the administrative centres that manage teaching. 

Opportunities may periodically be available in the Biomedical Teaching Organisation (BMTO), including lecturing, tutoring, and demonstrating.  Please contact Kevin McArthur or Philip Larkman: Kevin.Mcarthur@ed.ac.uk or P.Larkman@ed.ac.uk with "seeking teaching responsibilities" in the subject title, and include a brief summary of area of expertise and any previous experience in teaching in your email.

There are also possibilities to get involved in teaching undergraduates at the Vet School on Easter Bush Campus. Please email Lindsay Dalziel (lindsay.dalziel@ed.ac.uk) if you are interested.

Gaining accreditation for teaching

Information on how to ensure you are accredited for your teaching can be found at the Research Staff Hub Training, Accreditation & Resources page.

Training, Accreditation & Resources