Key People

The primary responsibility for supervision of your postgraduate studies lies with your supervisor. Your supervisor is responsible for overseeing your progress during your studies, ensuring that you undertake appropriate training courses, follow safety guidelines and making funds available for you to successfully undertake your studies. Further supervision may also be provided by one or more co-supervisors - typically where your research involves collaboration with another research group, or where your primary supervisor is a new member of academic staff. You can find further guidance on working with your supervisor and expectations of students.

Postdocs play an important role in helping to supervise many postgraduate students on a day-to-day basis.  Postdocs are staff who will, normally, have a PhD, and be employed to undertake research. They will also undertake a reasonable amount of teaching as part of their contract and will often supervise PhD students. Many students see postdocs as their 'go to person' and as such, they can be an extremely valuable support throughout your studies.   Postdocs who supervise PhD students can be appointed as Assistant Supervisors to help formalise their role as part of your supervisory team.

The Director of Postgraduate Studies (DPS) is responsible to the Head of Department for implementing postgraduate education policy as determined jointly in consultation with the Head of Department, senior officers of the department, departmental committees and staff-student committees.

Your department will have at least one Senior Tutor (PGR) who has overall responsibility for the academic and pastoral care of postgraduate students. The Senior Tutor (PGR) can offer confidential support and advice on a range of issues including any concerns you might have regarding the supervision of your studies. They will have detailed knowledge of the structure of research programmes and will be used to dealing with the various support services in the College (Registry, Health Centre, Disability Advisory Service etc.).

All departments will have an administrator who will be able to advise you on research degree administrative processes.  This person will be a key source of information and help and should be able to help with most practical matters concerning the administration of your studies, including the submission of relevant forms and the payments of bursaries.  You should find out who your Postgraduate Administrator is as soon as you can.

The Faculty Senior Tutors have responsibility for ensuring the delivery of consistent, high quality support for students in their personal, general academic and professional development.  Working with and supporting Personal Tutors and Senior Tutors, they ensure that support systems are effective, that training is appropriate and that College policies in student support are implemented.  In addition, each Faculty Senior Tutor provides support to their senior tutors and directly to students who have more complex concerns or situations.

The Faculty Senior Tutors are available for additional support and guidance, augmenting the support that your department can provide for academic and personal matters. You may find a Faculty Senior Tutor particularly useful if you have a matter which you feel is highly sensitive or complicated and wish to ensure that you will be talking to the right person or team to help you.

Each Faculty has dedicated Liaison Librarians, see the Library Services webpages to find your subject librarian.