The Postgraduate Newsletter — December 2022

Welcome to the December 2022 issue of UKCGE’s Postgraduate newsletter —

New UKCGE Report — Supporting Excellent Supervisory Practice Across UKRI Doctoral Training Investments

A new UKCGE report — published by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) — examines how UKRI could better support research supervisions.

In April 2022, UKRI commissioned the UK Council for Graduate Education to conduct a series of 6 focus groups involving a variety of different stakeholders involved in doctoral supervision, across all UKRI research disciplines.

The workshops engaged with over 120 people, including:

  • Research Supervisors
  • Doctoral Researchers
  • Directors of Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres for Doctoral Training

A principle aim of the workshops was to establish how UKRI could better support research supervision, and in particular whether it would be helpful for UKRI to publish a statement of expectations for research supervison’.

The commission followed the Economic and Social Research Council’s review of the PhD in the social sciences and contribute to UKRI’s wider work on the New Deal for Postgraduate Research. It also involved participants from across UKRI’s research portfolio.

Read the Report

We’re Hiring! UKCGE Vacancy — Communications Officer

UKCGE is seeking to recruit a new team member to help us support our work across the postgraduate sector.

The role of the Communications Officer (whose role will be at 0.6 FTE) will be to develop and enhance the Council’s communications to different types of stakeholders and across multiple platforms. In particular:

  • To develop marketing and communications materials, including newsletters, press releases, blog posts and social media content.
  • To measure and report on the effectiveness of website performance and marketing campaigns.
  • To ensure all communications align with the Council’s standards and values.
  • To develop and maintain the Council’s contact management system.
  • To respond to media and sponsorship enquiries, and to develop the Council’s media presence and commercial attractiveness.

We have embraced hybrid / remote-working, and are willing to receive applications from across the UK.

Further Details

Call for Expressions of Interest — UKCGE Graduate Education Managers Network — Co-Chair

The UK Council for Graduate Education is seeking a Co-Chair for the Graduate Education Managers Network.

The succesful applicant for this voluntary role will work alongside current co-chair Mary Beth Kneafsey (University of Glasgow), as well as members of the UKCGE team, to develop events and activities, for the GEM network, which are aimed at supporting and developing the work of Graduate School Managers, Managers of Doctoral Training Partnerships and those in similar positions.

Those wishing to put their names forward should have a wide-ranging knowledge of postgraduate education and the challenges facing those in Graduate Education Management roles.

To find out more about the role, and how to submit an expression of interest, please click the link below.

Further Information

Forthcoming Workshop — Belonging in Postgraduate Research — 26th January 2023 — Online

This online workshop will examine the issue Belonging for PGRs whilst undertaking doctoral research. The workshop will include a panel of current PGRs, sharing thier experiences. There will be an examination of how to define, measure and support success for PGRs from a range of backgrounds. There will also be focus on encouraging a sense of belonging for PGRs from various ethnic backgrounds, as well as with mental health challenges.

Book Your Place

Call For Papers — 3rd UKCGE Conference on Postgraduate Taught Education — 25th April 2023 — University of Nottingham

Mastering Inclusivity: Experience and Expectations in the Postgraduate Taught Student Journey


The call is now open to submit abstracts to the 3rd UKCGE Conference on PGT Education.

Colleagues from across the Postgraduate Taught Sector are invited to submit abstracts for papers to be presented at the conference. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and reflect at least one of the conference themes:

  • Inclusive recruitment, welcome and induction activities
  • Effective assessment design and feedback
  • Tailored careers and employability support


The submission deadline is Friday 20th January. For further details and to submit an abstract click the button below.

Submit an Abstract

Papers Confirmed — 8th International Conference on Professional & Practice Based Doctorates — 30th & 31st March 2023 — York Racecourse

The first list of confirmed papers for the 8th International Conference on Professional & Practice Based Doctorates has now been published. In all, 28 oral presentations, workshops, small group discussions and impact case-study posters have been confirmed, with additional papers to be added in due course. The conference shedule will be published in the new year, however in the mean time the list of selected papers can be found by clicking here.

Conference Details & Bookings

New Publication Towards a Global Core Value System in Doctoral Education

by Maresi Nerad, David Bogle, Ulrike Kohl, Conor O’Carroll, Christian Peters, and Beate Scholz. UCL Press


Recent decades have seen an explosion in doctoral education worldwide. Increased potential for diverse employment has generated greater interest, with cultural, political and environmental tensions focusing the attention of new creative, responsible scholars.

Towards a Global Core Value System in Doctoral Education provides an evaluation of changes and reforms in doctoral education since 2000. Recognising the diversity of academic cultures and institutional systems worldwide, the book advocates for a core value system to overcome inequalities in access to doctoral education and the provision of knowledge. Building on in-depth perspectives of scholars and young researchers from more than 25 countries, the chapters focus on the structures and quality assurance models of doctoral education, supervision, and funding from an institutional and comparative perspective. The book examines capacity building in the era of globalisation, global labour market developments for doctoral graduates, and explores the ethical challenges and political contestations that may manifest in the process of pursuing a PhD.

Experts and early career researchers in the Global North and South collaborated in interdisciplinary and intergenerational teams to develop guidelines for doctoral education. They learned from each other about how to act courageously within a complex global context. The resulting recommendations and reflections are an invitation to reflect on the frames and conditions of doctoral education today.

Free Download

New Report Inequality in Early Career Research in the UK Life Sciences

by Alice Dias Lopes and Paul Wakeling. BBSRC


This report presents a comprehensive description of early research career demographics and transitions in the life sciences. Using data from the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) and from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) doctoral training programmes (DTPs), we examine equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) characteristics across phases in the doctoral trajectory in life science disciplines, including:

  • transition from first to postgraduate research degree, including offers of admission in BBSRC DTPs
  • progression through doctoral studies
  • employment destination after doctoral graduation

Download the Report

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! from all at UKCGE

As this is the final newsletter of 2022 we would like to take this opportunity to say…