Postgraduate Research Learning Agreement

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH LEARNING AGREEMENT

Introduction

The Learning Agreement should be completed by you (the research candidate) in collaboration with your supervisors. It provides an opportunity for you to plan and discuss the critical elements of your research degree at an early stage in the process. Completing the agreement will help you to clarify how you are going to approach your research subject and also the practicalities of managing your research project, which includes identifying any resource needs; establishing expectations about the student-supervisor relationship; planning the various stages of your research degree and discussing the requirements of the progression points; planning your professional and career development and identifying relevant training to enable this.

When writing your Learning Agreement, you should take into account the criteria by which your thesis will be assessed, as set out in Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland:

Doctoral degrees are awarded to students who have demonstrated:

the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication;

a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice;

the general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems;

a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.

FHEQ Descriptors Level 8: Doctoral Degree, August 2008

You should ensure that you have a copy of, and have read the University of Salford’s Postgraduate Research Handbook and Code of Practice for the Conduct of Research Degree Programmes. The Handbook and Code of Practice provide a guide to the procedures and requirements of the University in respect to postgraduate research degrees, and also outlines the roles and responsibilities of the research candidate and the supervisor.

The Learning Agreement is a valuable record of your initial aims and objectives. Your progress throughout your research degree can be measured against the expectations set out in the Learning Agreement, but it is also a flexible document and can be reviewed and updated as your research develops and, potentially, changes focus, or if your supervisory team changes.

The Learning Agreement must be completed within the first three months of your research degree (or first 6 months for Professional Doctorate candidates). Postgraduate researchers will not be permitted entry into the second year of study if they have not completed a Learning Agreement.

Completing your Agreement

Below you can find guidance on the requirements for each of the sections of the form. On the postgraduate website you can also find lots of information on Learning Agreements, and questions to use as prompts when writing it. See

1. Approach to Research

In considering your approach to research it is important to set the objectives of the research project as a whole, and to decide the principal purpose of the project. You may also include critical success factors here.

2. Roles and Responsibilities of Postgraduate Candidates and Supervisors

As a starting point, the Postgraduate Research Handbook and Code of Practicecontain useful sections on the generic roles and responsibilities of the research candidate and the supervisor.

You should consider how these responsibilities will be fulfilled in relation to your specific project. For example, you can include details here of how you plan to integrate with and contribute to the academic community of the university; what kind of feedback and guidance to expect from your supervisor and co-supervisor; and what the role of your personal tutor will be.

You should let your supervisor know at this point if you have any special/individual needs which should be taken into account. It is important to document these in the Learning Agreement so that your supervisor can take into account any necessary arrangements for you to complete your research. (N.B. it is the duty of the supervisor to encourage the candidate to inform the Equalities Office of their needs in order for appropriate support to be organised.)

Local advisor (split-site/online candidates only):

You should identify the role that your local advisor will play during periods at your home institution, and indicate the likely level of support and frequency of meetings. (Note: the advisor is not required to sign the Learning Agreement, but should be sent a copy as a record of their agreed role.)

3. Consultation and Review

You and your supervisor(s) should decide how frequently you will meet. All full time students should have a minumum of twelve supervision meetings a year (1 per month). Part time students should have an agreed equivalent number of meetings pro-rata. It isbeneficial to decide in advance what topics will be covered in supervision meetings, and to agree on a schedule for submitting work in advance of meetings. You should complete a postgraduate research supervision record after each meeting, keeping one copy for your records and sending one to your supervisor. The forms are available here: meetings should ensure you are on track with your initially agreed programme of work. You should ensure that you update your supervisor on progress and any difficulties.

You should discuss the requirements for the various progression points – the Self Evaluation Report, Interim Assessment and Internal Evaluation, and note the date by which each of these must be completed.

4. Topic Specific Considerations

Here you should think about the key characteristics of the literature in your field, any relevant theories that you will need to engage with, and whether there are any key contacts you should make. In this section you should also consider the practical implications of your research topic and how these affect your planning. For example, if your research involves any human subjects (eg. if you are conducting interviews) or animals, then you must obtain ethicsapproval from the relevant Ethics Panel for your school before starting any data collection or fieldwork.

You should discuss this process and the level of ethical approval you require with your supervisor. More details can be found on the PGR website: The Salford Postgraduate Research Training (SPoRT) programme also includes training on ethics. See:

The Research Ethical Approval Panel Checklist (Appendix 1 of this document) must be completed.

5. Research Support Requirements

Arrangements for access to equipment/labs/field works agreed in the application process should be recorded. This might include the use of laboratory consumables; other room use (eg. for interviews, focus groups, rehearsals etc); hardware(eg. particular computers, media editing facilities, printers, art-related materials), specific software and any publications that are not available through the University Library.

If you will be carrying out field work, you should plan when this is likely to take place, consider the associated costs and how they will be met, and discuss how supervision will take place during any extended periods of field work.

You should also use this section to consider conference participation (at the Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference) during your first year, especially if there are key conferences in your subject area that it would be valuable to attend and present at. Consider at which stages in your research it will be most beneficial to apply for particular conferences, and discuss if there are any sources of funding that could be applied for to help with costs.

6.Personal, Professional and Career Development

Use this section to consider what kind of skills you need to develop in order to conduct your research and, if relevant,to help ensure your future employability. The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a useful tool which maps out the skills, knowledge and behaviourof successful researchers. It is advisable to consult the RDF in deciding your strengths and priority areas for future development. See

You should state in your Learning Agreement what training you plan to undertake. When identifying training, you should be aware of the following opportunities:

• Research and Innovation provides a dedicated programme of research and transferable skills training for researchers. The Salford Postgraduate Research Training (SPoRT) programme is available at: Other University-wide training available to researchers is also signposted on this website, including language programmes, academic writing and careers support.

• Graduate Teaching Students (GTSs) are required to undertake the GTS Teaching Support Programme.

• Vitae - a national organisation devoted to researcher development - provides resources for PGRs and frequently holds training events in the North West which are open to Salford researchers. See for more details.
  

You should discuss with your supervisor if there is any other external or bespoke training that is required, and the best ways of sourcing this.

Please note, the training plan outlined in your Learning Agreement will be referred back to in your Interim Assessment and Internal Evaluation.

7. Relationshipwith Collaborating Organisation (If applicable)

If your research involves a collaborative partnership with an organisation, you should document the areas of mutual benefit for all parties. You should set your objectives in terms of what you intend to gain from the partnership and how the organisation will benefit from being a part of your research project. The practicalities of working at an organisation must also be planned and discussed with the organisation such as liaison with the company/supervisor, protocol for contact with the collaborating company.

8. Change of Supervisor (if applicable)

If, during your candidature it becomes necessary to make changes to your supervision team, you should discuss with your new supervisor what impact the change may have on your research and completion of your studies. Details of your discussionsand the action plan to mitigate any negative impact MUST be agreed and signed off by all parties.

The Learning Agreement will need to be amended and resubmitted to the PGR Support Team.

PGR LEARNING AGREEMENT

1. Approach to Research:

Your text here

2. Roles and Responsibilities of Postgraduate Researcher and Supervisor(s):

Your text here

2.1 Participation in ethics training and induction is compulsory for all Postgraduate Research programmes; please record the date of your attendance/participation below

Induction: enter date here

Ethics approval training: enter date here

Role of local advisor (split site candidates only):

3. Consultation and reviews:

Your text here

3.1 Interim Assessment to be completed by: enter date here

3.2 Internal Evaluation to be completed by: enter date here

4. Topic Specific Considerations:

Your text here

4.1 What kind of ethical considerations are associated with yourresearch? (Please provide detail)

Will you need to seek approval from the Ethics Panel before starting data collection?

Your text here

5. Research Support Requirements:

Your text here

5.1 Specific facilities or resources you will be accessing? Please detail below

6. Personal, Professional and Career Development

6.1 Short term priorities: skills that you hope to enhance during the first six months of your research

Your text here

6.2 Specific training events/programmes that you aim to participate in (include dates where known)

Your text here

6.3 Longer term priorities: skills that you hope to have developed by the end of your research degree

Your text here

7. Relationship with Collaborating organisation (if applicable):

Your text here

8. Change of Supervisor (if applicable):

Your text here

Action plan to mitigate any negative impact:

ETHICS CHECKLIST

Please Note: the purpose of this checklist is to highlight ethical considerations. If appropriate you will also need to apply for Ethics Approval via

This form should be completed by all students studying for a postgraduate research degree. This checklist forms part of the Learning Agreement, which must be completed within 3 months of commencing the study, and must be updated annually.

Ethics approval must be obtained by all students prior to starting research with human subjects, animals or human tissue.

This form must be completed electronically; the sections can be expanded to the size required.

SECTION A – to be completed by ALL students

1.Title of proposed research project

2.Research Summary

3.Project objectives

4. Summary of Research Methodology.

SECTION B

USE OF HUMAN/ANIMAL SUBJECTS/TISSUE (incl. volunteers, questionnaires etc)

5.The following checklist is to help students and supervisors easily identify projects which may be designated as Type 3. [Type 3 projects are those where there is a significant ethical dimension]. Students whose projects are identified as potential Type 3 will be expected to submit a full case separately for Research Ethics Approval.

One or more ‘Yes’ answers in this section indicates that the project is very likely to be designated as Type 3.

• Children (under 18 years of age);

• People with learning difficulties or communication difficulties;

• People who speak a different language;

• Patients or clinical populations and/or their carers;

• Pregnant women or research on conception or contraception;

• People in custody or any form of detention;

• People engaged in illegal activities (e.g. drug-taking)

Initial assessment by supervisor:

This research project is deemed to be:

Routine project work. No Ethics approval required.

Routine project work involving human/non-human subjects/tissue where ethical issues have been considered and appropriately addressed.

Project where there is a significant ethical dimension.

This Learning Agreement is made on :enter date here

between the above named Postgraduate Researcher and the University of Salford

Signatures:

Supervisor : ………………………………………………. % of supervision:………………… Date……………………….

For and on behalf of the University of Salford

Co Supervisor : ………………………………………….. % of supervision:…………………. Date………………………..

Personal Tutor : ………………………………………….. Date………………………..

Postgraduate Researcher: …………………………………. Date……………………….

Please print this document, sign and date and send a scanned version to your Research Support Officer no later than the end of month 3 of your research degree.

Oct 2017v2