News and blog

On May 1^st 2025, the Co-Chairs of our Research Supervisors’ Network, Dr Nicola Palmer and Professor Craig Martin, held an event where they invited Dr Florence Phua (Associate Professor at the School of the Built Environment, University of Reading) to explore the role of supervisors’ supportiveness, rather than their academic ability, as a key driver of PhD student satisfaction. 

On May 1st 2025, the Co-Chairs of our Postgraduate Education Practitioners’ Network, Susanna Broom and Kerri Gardiner, held a Network Clinic looking at the specific issues and unique challenges which face those working within postgraduate research. Their report on the event is below.

The UK Council for Graduate Education’s UK Research Supervision Survey (UKRSS) went out to institutions nation-wide in Summer 2024, garnering 5,174 responses. Administered online between June 3 and July 16, 2024 and funded by Research SuperVision Project (RSVP) and Research England, the survey received valid responses from individuals involved in the supervision of doctoral candidates across 141 UK institutions.

On April 7^th and 8^th 2025, we ran our 9th International Conference on Professional & Practice Based Doctorates in partnership with Middlesex University, and hosted by the Royal College of Art in London.

On March 19^th 2025, we welcomed Dr Sophie Rutschmann from Imperial College, London, who presented several case-studies around the teaching of critical thinking to students.

Our AGM was held online on March 14th 2025. During the meeting, a report was given on the activities of the year and attendees were informed of the outcome of the recent elections for five places on the UKCGE Board of Trustees.

On March 5^th 2025, the PEP Network held an online workshop for members, led by Co-Chairs Susanna Broom and Kerri Gardiner. There was a discussion about the UKRI Terms and Conditions of Doctoral Training Grants and a new spotlight session on Post-viva support for PGRs.

We met at The Milner Hotel in York on February 27th and 28th 2025, where Professor Jane Wellens and Dr Nigel Eady presented a packed programme of talks and networking opportunities.

We would love to have your input in a survey, managed jointly by UKCGE and University Alliance, which seeks to get a clearer picture of Professional Doctorates. The aim is to gather information as a basis for a UKCGE report — the survey is voluntary, should take approximately 20 minutes to complete, and closes on April 11th 2025.

On February 5^th, we held the last in our series of events on mental health and wellbeing, this time focussing on staff who support doctoral candidates. The event was led by Professor Craig Martin and Dr Nicola Palmer (Co-Chairs of the Research Supervisors’ Network) and held under the Chatham House Rule.