The Medical School
Higher Degree Review Scheme
Recruitment Form – to be completed by all supervisors of PGR students.Please note that unless you complete all of the following sections, this form will be returned to you unprocessed
Section 1: The Student
Candidate’s Name:
Proposed Start Date:
First Supervisor Name#:
Second Supervisor Name*#:
* The individual named must be able to take over the supervision of the student in the event that this is required.
# Please refer to notes regarding supervisor duties accompanying this form
Higher degree choice(please tick):
MPhil only
MD only
PhD only
PhD by publication (further details)
PhD with Integrated Studies
Joint location (FT)
Remote location (PT) (see appendix II)
______
Section 2: The Project (maximum of 2 pages):
Project Title:
Has the project been externally reviewed and judged suitable for a studentship? If so, provide a copy of the successful project. If not, provide a summary for internal review hereunder the following headings:
Purpose/aims: Presented in the form of testable hypotheses.
Background: Brief summary to allow assignment to appropriate internal reviewers in field.
Research Plan: Including detail of experiments to be undertaken in the first year and a list of expected deliverables at 6 and 12 months plus a general outline of expected direction of project in years 2 and 3 if a PhD is anticipated.
Suggestions for reviewers: Please provide the names and e-mail addresses of at least two potential internal reviewers for your project (if there is someone you do not wish to review your project, please indicate so here)
______
Section 3: Immunisations
Will the student be involved with any invasive procedures or handling of any unfixed human tissue?
YES NO
If yes, will the candidate require vaccination against Hepatitis B, and a hepatitis B ‘e’Antigen test?
YES NO
Will the candidate require vaccination against any other infectious agents, or tests for immunisation?
YES NO
If YES, please provide further details.
Please note that these vaccinations do not authorize students to take blood as part of their research.
______
Section 4: Biological Services Unit & BMS Aquaria – Pa-SS checks
All students requiring access to the Biological Services Unit and the BMS Aquaria require a security check. Students will not have access until checks have been passed. Checks are carried out by an external provider and requested by Human Resources. HR are making a charge of £78 per check so please ensure that this cost is built into any grant or funding application you make.
Further information.
Will the student need access to these facilities?
YES – BSU
YES – BMS Aquaria
NO
If your project should change in the future and your student requires access to the facilities please contact Paula Blackwell who will advise you on the process for undertaking the necessary security checks.
______
Section 5: Ethics and Research Governance
Does the project require Ethics or Research Governance approval at any time during its course? If so, what provisions have been made for this?
YES NO
______
Section 6: The Funding
How will the student be funded (tick box)?
Research grant
University studentship
MDH Faculty Collaborative Studentship (50% funding from MDH; 50% funding from collaborating industry or external partner). Faculty Collaborative Studentship form and company support letter to be returned with this Higher Degree Review Scheme Graduate Recruitment form.
External studentship/overseas Government funded
Discretionary/departmental funds
Self-funding
Staff candidate
Please tick if your project has 4 years funding (please note for all 4 year funded projects students are still expected to submit in 4 years).
If the above is one of the first 3 options, please state funding sourceand separately state funds allocated to a) living costs, b) fees (identify funding sources for the home and overseas fee components).
For students funded by discretionary/departmental funds
Please state total value of funds allocated to the project and what is available for (a) student maintenance, (b) Lab. project cost, (c) Fees. State where funds are held and in which fund and amounts being allocated to each component.
For self-funded students
Please attach a letter, which is signed by the student and states that sufficient funds will be available for a potential 3-4 year period and that these funds will be used to support the costs of University fees and living expenses during the course of their studies. State amounts being allocated to a) living costs and b) fees (including home and overseas components) (If the student is international, they should note that they will be required to demonstrate to the Immigration Officer when they enter the UK that they have sufficient funds to pay for their fees and support themselves throughout their course).
______
Section 7: Clinically based research
Is this project clinical or non-clinical (please tick as appropriate)
Clinical Non-Clinical
(For information, to be classed as clinical, the focus of the research must be in a clinical environment and the lead supervisor should be a clinical academic)
If the student holds a medical degree, and the research project is clinically based, please provide details of the arrangements that are/will be in place to allow the student sufficient time to undertake and complete the project in a timely fashion.
______
Section 8: Recruitment
How was the student recruited (tick box)?
Responded to advertised post and selected at interview
Approached School/Unit directly
If the student was not selected by competitive interview alongside other candidates provide:
1)a statement justifying the choice of student and the decision not to interview competitively
2)an assessment of the ability of the student to complete his/her higher degree choice (i.e. PhD, MD, MPhil) in the prescribed time for that degree.
______
Section 9: Supervision
How many PGR students do you currently supervise and what stage are they at?
______
Declaration
We declare that the information we have provided in this Recruitment Form is correct to the best of our knowledge. We further undertake to inform the School of any changes in circumstances that relate to the information provided concerning the student named in this document during his/her postgraduate studies in Sheffield.
Signature of Student:
Signature of Supervisor(s):
Date:
______
Please return your completed form to:
MsPaula Blackwell, PhD & MD Admissions Administrator
Email:
Appendix I
Notes regarding Supervisor duties
Primary Supervisor
The Primary Supervisor is responsible for the day to day supervision of the student’s research. They are expected to provide guidance on the nature of the research project and the standard expected, the planning and timing of the successive stages of the research project, literature and sources, research methods and techniques. They should also guide the student as to appropriate courses to attend to meet their training needs and offer guidance and advice on the preparation of their thesis.
Second Supervisor
All students will have a second supervisor, and in some cases more than two supervisors will be appointed. The role of the second supervisor and their input into the day to day supervision will vary from one student to another. However, in all cases, the second supervisor will act as the monitor of the student’s training plan and will be responsible for commenting on their training progress and for formally approving their portfolio as part of the transfer process. The second supervisor will also comment on the student’s personal development plan during formal supervisory meetings and they will sign a transcript of their portfolio annually, and as part of the annual progress report. While the primary supervisor will be closely involved with the development of a student’s training plan, it is the second supervisor who will hold primary responsibility for monitoring its implementation.
Important information about student attendance and progress monitoring
In addition to the informal chats and lab or team meetings that students will have with their supervisor(s), all students are required to have at least nine formal, documented meetings with their supervisor(s) per annum, solely focussing on their progress. The student will receive reminders about these meetings but will be expected to arrange them themselves. The aim of these meetings will be to discuss their progress, the problems they have faced and the objectives to be reached before the next meeting. A record of the meeting should be made using the supervisory meeting form, which should be returned to the PGR Secretary after the meeting.
We are required by the University Senate to confirm that these meetings have taken place by uploading attendance data centrally in the University at predetermined intervals throughout the year. This is to ensure that students are being regularly monitored and any problems identified at early stage. Additionally, the University is required to report unauthorized absence of any students who are in Sheffield on tier 4 visas to the UK Border Agency. Records of student attendance may be requested by the UK Border Agency during a compliance visit.Failure to record these meetings could result in the University’s Approved Sponsor Licence being withdrawn and loss of the approval of the University to recruit and retain students on tier 4 visas. It is therefore imperative that these meetings take place.
Appendix II
Notes regarding students on the Remote Location Programme
The Remote Location Programme is intended for part-time candidates who would like to study towards an MPhil/PhD at an approved overseas remote location.
Candidates undertake the majority of their programme of research at the remote site, but are required to attend this University in order to meet a number of statutory requirements. These include all viva voce examinations. The candidate's progress is monitored via Departmental and Faculty procedures.
These arrangements are more difficult to manage than standard postgraduate degrees. There are issues with access to courses and facilities in Sheffield when the student is not here and there can be real problems in transferring/acquiring materials to/in the remote location. These need to be thoroughly assessed before the student is registered for a higher degree in Sheffield and a clear schedule developed to see the student through to completion within an acceptable timescale. This is very important, as there may be real logistical problems that could cause the project to overrun.
In practice, supervisors of students on the remote location programme will be expected to take a lead role in delivering guidance on the research, monitoring progress, and signing off records of work. Weekly Skype (or similar) conferences will be required to keep the momentum going for both the project and general monitoring of activities. It is also advisable to appoint a second supervisor in the remote location to assist with the DDP, and to help with ‘mirroring’ at the remote location other expected DDP provision that would be provided in Sheffield if the student was here.
For further information about the provision for candidates on the remote location programme please refer to: