Supervision
Supervision of PhD students
Assistant Supervisors
Through being appointed as an Assistant Supervisor, postdoctoral researchers can make a real difference to PhD students’ progress while developing their own leadership and management skills.
Although most postdoctoral researchers cannot be appointed as Principal Supervisors for postgraduate students at Queen's (see below for more information and the relevant exceptions), those whose contribution to student supervision extends beyond technical support, through providing intellectual input, mentoring and guidance, can have their role formally recognised through being appointed as an Assistant Supervisor. Browse the sections below for more information on the role, including how to apply.
What is an Assistant Supervisor?
The Assistant Supervisor role was piloted in the MHLS Faculty during the academic year 2019-2020, and was implemented across the University in Summer 2021.
It was created to officially recognise and regulate the significant contribution of postdocs who are involved in the supervision of PhD students but who are not eligible to be listed as Principal Supervisor. It recognises supervision already carried out by postdocs, encourages and provides an opportunity for postdocs to gain supervision experience, and defines a framework for supervision activities by postdocs.
Assistant Supervisors are valued members of the student’s support team but are not part of the “Supervisory Team” as defined in the Study Regulations for Research Degree Programmes . The obligations attached to the formal Supervisory team do not apply to Assistant Supervisors.
What are the expectations of an Assistant Supervisor?
While responsibilities will vary depending on the project and supervisory team, Assistant Supervisors are generally expected to play an active and supportive role in the student’s research and professional development.
They will typically:
- Act as an additional and approachable point of contact.
- Provide technical or analytical guidance and help resolve day-to-day issues.
- Offer informal mentoring and feedback on written work and presentations.
- Support project progress through regular liaison with Supervisors and participation in supervisory meetings.
- Contribute to the student’s development by sharing experience and promoting good research practice.
These expectations are indicative rather than exhaustive. Full details are available in the Assistant Supervisor Guidelines.
What are the benefits of the Assistant Supervisor role?
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Benefit for the Postdoc Assistant Supervisor
- Official recognition for a role the postdoctoral researcher may already be doing; the PDC issues the Assistant Supervisor with an appointment letter and their involvement is officially recorded in Qsis
- An official role title makes it easier to report and evidence supervisory experience on your CV and in applications.
- Important professional development opportunity including access to supervisory meetings, mentoring from the student’s principal supervisor, feedback on your supervision practice, and training opportunities
- It also potentially offers the opportunity for postdoctoral researchers to gain supervision experience with students from other groups (usually when their own group doesn't have students)
- Benefit for the Postgraduate Student
- Day-to-day support to develop technical, analytical and wider research skills (e.g., experimental design, critical thinking, organisation) and an additional point of contact, who can often be more available and than other supervisors
- Valuable additional perspective on the research, enriching discussions
- Constructive feedback on draft presentations and written work
- Mentoring on multiple subjects, including navigating a PhD, career conversations, what it's like to be a postdoctoral researcher etc.
- Allows the postgraduate student to formally recognise the Assistant Supervisor's contribution and make them feel valued
- Commitment: an official appointment reinforces accountability and continuity
- Benefit for the Supervisors
- Additional support for the student when unavailable
- Enhanced insight and momentum on the project through the Assistant Supervisor's input and involvement in e.g. supervisory meetings
- Assistant supervisor can provide support with routine supervisory tasks, including preliminary feedback on drafts and presentations
- Supporting the student with the PhD experience
- A pathway to recognise the role postdoctoral researchers play in supervision and to benefit their career and professional development
- Opportunity for wider connectivity to other teams, Schools and Faculties (e.g. through cross-School or cross-Faculty appointments)
How can I be appointed as an Assistant Supervisor?
✔ Check your eligibility by reviewing the Assistant Supervisor Guidelines
✔ Contact the student and their Principal Supervisor to discuss the possibility of your appointment and define your role and responsibilities
✔ Complete the Assistant Supervisor Appointment Form and ensure that the Principal Supervisor (or both Co-Supervisors) and the student (as well as your PI if not a supervisor), fill and sign their part of the form
✔ Send the form to the Director of Graduate Studies / Chair of Postgraduate Research Committee or nominee in your School or Centre (see details on the form) for approval and signature
✔ E-mail the final approved form to pdc@qub.ac.uk
*The postdoc is responsible for the application and the transfer of the form to the relevant people.
Once accepted, you will receive an official appointment letter from the PDC. This is usually quite quick; do not hesitate to ask for the status of your application if you haven't heard back from the PDC after a week.
Supervisor for Postgraduate Research Students
According to the Study Regulations For Research Degree Programmes (5.1.10), there are certain circumstances where it may be appropriate for a postdoc to be appointed as the principal supervisor for a postgraduate research student.
A research fellow employed on a contract that would cover the duration of the proposed research degree to be supervised, who is leading an independent research programme and of equivalent status to lecturer or above, or a holder of an institutional fellowship scheme (e.g. the Illuminate Fellowship Scheme), may be considered for appointment as principal supervisor. This category of staff must be supported by an experienced second or co-supervisor who has successfully supervised at least two doctoral students through to completion.
As for all supervisors, postdocs need to complete QUB's "Supervising Research Students" training course (booking on iTrent).
For more information on supervision, visit the Supervision page of the Academic and Student Affairs website.
Supervision of Undergraduate and Postgraduate taught students
The involvement of postdocs in the supervision of students who are not postgraduate research students is regulated at School level, but the PDC and members of the PDC Representatives' Network developed institutional guidance and recommendations on the topic, which were accepted by PROG in 2022 and by the Education Committee (Student Experience) on the 16th of March 2023 (and noted by Academic Council in June 2023).
The aim of this work was to:
- Promote a reasonable and more consistent approach to supervision by postdocs across the University
- Enable and officially recognise supervision contributions by postdocs
- Mitigate potential negative effects that too much supervision by postdocs can have on students and postdocs themselves
The recommendations brought forward and accepted by the Education Committee (Student Experience) are:
- That postdocs are allowed to be involved in the supervision of students, proposing projects when appropriate
- That the student projects involving postdocs always involve an established academic and remain part of the academic’s workload, with no ‘transfer’ of responsibility to the postdoc
- That postdocs’ contributions are captured on relevant forms and systems, notably by enabling the listing of two supervisors per project
For more details on the recommendations and guidance, read the full paper