Research supervision that supports and inspires

A paradox of research supervision is that those taking on this complex role often receive little training to do it, beyond the experience of being supervised themselves. Yet few are born with the innate ability to act as mentor, project manager, cheerleader, truth-teller, guide and well-being support as well as a disciplinary expert. Add to that the fact that for a PhD, the relationship between candidate and supervisor can last for years, with high stakes for both parties, and the order seems taller than ever. For students, whether they are undertaking a doctoral programme or a master’s, continuing to completion can determine career and life paths, as well as their sense of themselves as a scholar. For supervisors, successful PhDs are a key metric for securing their next job or promotion. 

Universities, too, have skin in the game when their purpose – to drive knowledge forward in significant, original ways – mirrors the researchers’. Doctoral training, after all, requires significant investment of institutional time and money with outcomes impacting reputation.

Most candidates will finish with the degree and Dr added to their name. But with about a fifth of UK students either not completing or failing their PhD, and US attrition rates tracking higher, there are personal, career and institutional incentives for academics to develop this complex skill set. This collection of articles identifies the skills required – from communication and time management to safeguarding and boundary-setting – as well as paths for professional development, how to keep the human side in supervision, what to do when students are struggling and, of course, how AI is changing the landscape. 

What does a PhD supervisor do?

As the person who shepherds doctoral candidates from formulating their research question to defending the resulting thesis or dissertation, supervisors require pedagogical skill, intercultural competence and emotional intelligence, on top of their disciplinary expertise. The role is no light undertaking but can also enrich scholars’ own knowledge creation and professional growth. These articles explain what is involved.

What does a research supervisor do? Research supervisors must learn to be authentic mentors, as well as sharing their experience and knowledge. Robert Crammond from University of the West of Scotland reflects on his time in the role.

An octopus with three hearts: how to approach PhD supervision: Instead of thinking of PhD supervision as a fixed method, be aware that it flows and changes. Setenay Dilek Fidler from the University of Westminster shares four principles to help nurture an adaptive journey to a PhD.

‘I’ve been a research supervisor for 35 years and I’m still learning’: How can we give our PhD students the best chance of success, asks Kimberly Hutchings from Queen Mary University of London. Here she offers seven tips.

10 platinum rules for PhD supervisors: Is it time to add PhD supervision to your skill set? Tara Brabazon from Flinders University explains the pitfalls, challenges and rewards of the role for the rookie mentor.

How to develop PhD supervision skills

The complex capabilities of effective research supervision can be learned. These resources look at not only frameworks for preparing new supervisors but also how to bring your authentic self to the role, finding your own support systems, and the personal and institutional responsibilities that underpin supervision.

Why professional development in graduate supervision matters: Graduate supervision is not an innate by-product of research excellence; it is a pedagogical practice that must be taught, learned, supported and refined, writes Katerina Standish from the University of Northern British Columbia.

Celebrating failure and other advice for PhD supervisors: PhD researchers should be given space to test their own limits with the support of supervisors who see them as people first and scientists second, explains Hannah Cloke from the University of Reading in this video.

Giving and receiving doctoral writing feedback: Advice for PhD supervisors on setting out clear expectations and strategies for delivering effective feedback to their doctoral students from Susan Carter of the University of Auckland.

The human skills required to inspire PhD students to completion 

When a PhD can be long, arduous and frustrating, a good research supervisor can help an unsteady candidate maintain motivation through uncertainty and self-doubt. Sometimes it is more about fostering independence and confidence in emerging scholars than oversight and timelines. Skills such as compassion, patience, trust and a bit of pragmatism, as well as small gestures such as checking in, make all the difference, as these articles explain.

Recognise the human side of doctoral study: By listening with compassion, normalising uncertainty and helping students break down large tasks into small steps, supervisors can support PhD students with academic and emotional demands, says Bhawana Shrestha from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

How to train PhD Jedi: Training PhD students is about empowerment, writes Lars Chittka from Queen Mary University of London. By fostering independence, creativity and diversity, supervisors can nurture the next generation of scientific leaders.

Nurturing supervisor-supervisee relationships: Aspasia Eleni Paltoglou and Stephanie Dunn from Manchester Metropolitan University outline how to foster productive supervisory relationships and what to do when things go wrong.

Intercultural communication between PhD supervisors and candidates: Doctoral supervisors need cultural awareness and an open mindset to support performance and timely completion, as Thuy Dinh from Western Sydney University explains.

Five ways to support PhD students’ well-being: Doctoral researchers are often absent from discussions around well-being support, writes Jenny Mercer from Cardiff Metropolitan University. She argues for bespoke attention and sets out ways to achieve it.

Supporting PhD students with the logistics of doctoral research

Teaching students to navigate administrative processes is part and parcel of supervision, particularly as information and social landscapes evolve. Ethics applications may need to consider digital publishing, for example, or students may need support to find funding or to assess the feasibility of their project.

How to support humanities PhD students with ethics applications: As creative and digital research grow within the humanities, PhD supervisors can help their students approach the ethics approval process productively. Josie Barnard from De Montfort University explains how.

How to foster PhD excellence: PhD supervisors help early career researchers find funding opportunities, understand students’ motivations and reach out to their own network, suggests Julia Hörnle from Queen Mary University of London.

How to hold effective meetings: Supervisory meetings should be planned, regular and positive in tone. Alice Ling Jiang from Macau University of Science and Technology shares key elements to include in thesis supervision meetings for academics new to the role.

What to do when your PhD student is struggling

Supportive supervision is alert to when students are flagging, disheartened or in danger of dropping out of their PhD or research degree altogether. Supervisors need to be aware that for new researchers, hurdles to completion are everywhere, whether that’s lack of visible progress, a journal article rejection or personal challenges such as financial hardship. They can prepare students for potential pain points by clearly articulating expectations, helping students find and develop their strengths, embracing outside-the-box thinking, and engaging in tough conversations, as these resources explain.  

Five things supervisors can do for struggling PhD students: Doctoral students can find the slow and often uncertain nature of research challenging. To ease distress, supervisors can rethink how the doctorate is framed, write Peng Cheng and Jie Zhang from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. 

Guiding doctoral students through research struggles: Supervisors need to take a more bespoke, multidisciplinary approach to help doctoral candidates cope with the ambiguity and rejection of research, says Robert H. Deng from Singapore Management University.

Thinking about quitting your PhD? Maybe that’s the right decision: Sometimes not completing a PhD is the rational choice, and having open conversations around it helps stop people feeling isolated and unsure, says Katherine Firth from La Trobe University.

PhD supervision and artificial intelligence

Generative artifical intelligence demands new forms of academic support to prevent its emerging functions eroding the critical thinking that research rests upon. Supervisors must enable students to understand how to use these tools in dialogue rather than as answer generators. Read on to find out more.

How to design and supervise GenAI-integrated doctoral research: Kate Abraham from Hult International Business School shares strategies for research supervisors and curriculum designers when embedding GenAI in research activities.

Teaching responsible use of GenAI in graduate studies: When graduate students learn to use AI transparently, to seek approvals, respect Indigenous consent and critically assess outputs, they develop skills essential for academic success and professional practice, explains Katerina Standish from the University of Northern British Columbia.

How to support students undertaking PhDs in different formats

Doctoral degrees do not come in one format, so scholars may field requests to supervise not only the traditional doctor of philosophy but also professional doctorates (often working with a team) or a PhD by published works. Find advice for broadening your skill- and mindset here.

Helping PhD students navigate the multi-format reality of PhD research: Doctoral supervision involves helping students read the changing nature of the game, empowering them to build the versatility needed for a sustained research career, writes Aastha Malhotra from the University of Southern Queensland.

Advice for supervising a PhD by published works: The route to a PhD by published works requires a different approach to supervision. Here, Alison Brettle from the University of Salford provides aspects to consider based on her experience developing institutional guidance.

Building communities that support PhD and PGR belonging

The PhD journey does not have to be an isolated slog or the lone genius’ path to enlightenment. But this image persists despite belonging being linked with student success and retention. Supervision can be done in teams, and supervisors can also provide opportunities for candidates to build inclusive communities and deepen disciplinary knowledge, as these articles show. 

Four ways to strengthen the PGR community and sense of belonging: Maisha Islam and Natasha Palmer from the University of Southampton offer ways to enable an inclusive, collaborative research culture and communities for postgraduate researchers.

Set your PhD students up with opportunities to debate and share: Creating alternative publishing opportunities and space for peer-led conversation are a vital part of the PhD research student journey. Teal Triggs from the Royal College of Art shares two initiatives.

Preparing graduate students for careers beyond academia

With the number of students entering PhDs more than doubling globally this century, according to an article in LSE Higher Education, but academic job opportunities falling, it’s no surprise that about 80 per cent of doctoral graduates will pursue careers outside academia. Part of the supervisor’s and university’s role, then, is identifying different professional paths, providing networks and teaching skills demanded in the world outside higher education. 

From PhD preparation to leadership: A foundational pathway that nurtures future leaders in healthcare and scientific innovation produces students who are not only ready for their PhD journey but emerge as skilled professionals and researchers, write Zoltán Benyó and Attila Szijártó from Semmelweis University.

Five ways to connect PhD students with industry: Developing industry experience is often the last thing on the minds of the PhD community, but nurturing partnerships between academia and industry can enrich the journey, believes Maria-Christina Vogkli from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Thank you to all Campus contributors who shared their expertise in this guide.

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