Graduate College supervisor training

When: Wednesday 21 January 2026, 14:00 - 15:00

Format: Q&A Webinar 

Booking and Resources: Booking and training materials are available from the Staff Learning Portal.

The resources and attendance to the Q&A session are mandatory for completion. Please read the resources before the Q&A session.

If you are unable to attend the Q&A session, there will be a repeat in June.

Presenters: Professor Susan Brooks, Dr Susannah Wright, Dr Verena Kriechbaumer and Catherine Joyejob.

When: Wednesday 25 February 2026, 12:00 - 13:00

Format: Webinar

Booking and Resources: Booking and training materials are available from the Staff Learning Portal. 

The resources and attendance to the Q&A session are mandatory for completion. Please read the resources before the Q&A session.

If you are unable to attend the Q&A session, there will be a repeat in July.

Presenters: Professor Susan Brooks, Dr Susannah Wright, Dr Verena Kriechbaumer and Catherine Joyejob.

When: Wednesday 10 June 2026, 14:00 - 15:00

Format: Webinar

Booking and Resources: Booking and training materials are available from the Staff Learning Portal. 

The resources and attendance to the Q&A session are mandatory for completion. Please read the resources before the Q&A session.

Presenters: Professor Susan Brooks, Dr Susannah Wright, Dr Verena Kriechbaumer and Catherine Joyejob.

When: Tuesday 7 July 2026, 14:00 - 15:00

Format: Webinar

Booking and Resources: Booking and training materials are available from the Staff Learning Portal. 

The resources and attendance to the Q&A session are mandatory for completion. Please read the resources before the Q&A session.

Presenters: Professor Susan Brooks, Dr Susannah Wright, Dr Verena Kriechbaumer and Catherine Joyejob.

This on-demand, pre-recorded material can be accessed from the Staff Learning Portal.

Produced by Professor Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development.

Please note that no member of staff who has not previously examined a research student at Oxford Brookes University may be proposed for the role of internal examiner unless they have completed this training session.

This on-demand, pre-recorded material can be accessed from the Staff Learning Portal.

Produced by Professor Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development.

Supervision should be supportive, and should encourage the research student to develop the skills they need to become an effective and independent researcher, as well as providing constructive critical feedback on progress. Whilst all supervisor-student relationships are unique, depending on the personalities and the needs of those involved, and whilst mentoring and supervision are distinct, still incorporating some basic mentoring principles into everyday research supervision can be highly effective. 

In this session, we consider the benefits of taking this type of approach, and consider practical ways in which it can be used to foster independence, self-confidence and reflection in our research students.

This on-demand, pre-recorded material can be accessed from the Staff Learning Portal.

Produced by Professor Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development.

Whatever your discipline, your research student will keep records of their research and be required to produce a 'data management plan' for registration. 

In this presentation we consider the many different types of research records and 'data' that research students generate, and how, as supervisors, we can support them to think carefully about how they capture, store and manage the outputs of their research throughout the lifecycle of the project.

This on-demand, pre-recorded material can be accessed from the Staff Learning Portal.

Produced by Professor Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development

We are all aware that effective networking is an essential skill for a researcher and can contribute considerably to your career success whether you choose to stay within academia or seek a career in another field. However, networking is a skill that does not come easily to many. 

As a supervisor, we have a responsibility to encourage and support the research students in our care to develop effective professional networks. In this short presentation, we will suggest some ways that we can do this in a supportive and practical way.

This on-demand, pre-recorded material can be accessed from the Staff Learning Portal.

Produced by Professor Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development.

A research degree is a training programme – in how to do research, but also in a broad range of transferable and professional skills. Most research students aspire to a career in research and academia, but the reality is that most will ultimately take their high-value skills into a range of other well-rewarded and satisfying careers. Either way, a research degree is a unique opportunity for a research student to not only immerse themself in a subject that they are passionately interested in and carry out some original research, but also to push their boundaries, have some great experiences, acquire a broad range of transferable skills, network, and have fun. 

In this session, we will consider the reality of the employment landscape for newly qualified doctoral students and the top ten things that we can do as supervisors to support our research students to make the most of their research degree, and to best position themselves for the career that they want.

This on-demand, pre-recorded material can be accessed from the Staff Learning Portal.

Produced by Professor Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development.

In this session we consider different facets of what some research students have described as 'offboarding'. That is, what happens right at the end of a research degree. This includes an overview of the processes around submitting the thesis, the viva examination and beyond, to considerations about safe storage, archiving and sharing research data and records when research students leave us, to the practicalities around potentially publishing from a thesis. 

We also highlight things that students and supervisors should be aware of once the research degree is awarded, such as losing access to the library, IT services and Brookes email. We emphasize the support available to research students from the Careers service as they move on.

The session is directed principally at research students who are nearing completion, but will also be helpful to supervisors supporting their research students through the final phase of their research degree. 

When: Monday 13 October 2025, 11:00 - 12:15

Format: Online via Google Meet. Google invitations will be sent to all who register for this session. 

Presenter: Dr Robyn Curtis

Booking: Please complete the booking form.

Description: Any research project that involves the study of humans (even simply interviewing human subjects) or examination of biological samples (such as blood or tissue samples) taken from humans cannot begin without specific Ethics Committee permission. 

This session explains how to apply for permission through UREC, the University's Research Ethics Committee. It is essential for anyone who is likely to be working with human subjects or materials and may be of general interest to others. 

When: Wednesday 18 February 2026, 11:00 - 12:30

Format: Online via Google Meet

Presenter: Dr Robyn Curtis.

Google invitations will be sent to all who register for this session. 

Booking: Please complete the booking form.

Description: Any research project that involves the study of humans (even simply interviewing human subjects) or examination of biological samples (such as blood or tissue samples) taken from humans cannot begin without specific Ethics Committee permission. 

This session explains how to apply for permission through UREC, the University's Research Ethics Committee. It is essential for anyone who is likely to be working with human subjects or materials and may be of general interest to others. 

Date and time: Tuesday 10 February 2026, 12:00 - 13:00

Format: Online via Google Meet. Google invitations will be sent to all who register for this session.

Booking: Please complete the booking form.

Presenter: Isabel Virgo, Academic Liaison Librarian

Description: Keeping up to date with the huge amount of information available to you can be overwhelming and challenging. This session provides tips and strategies for staying current in your area of research and managing your information. We will also look at key current awareness resources and tools. This event is for staff and research students.

When: Tuesday 2 June 2026, 15:00 - 16:00

Format: Webinar

Booking and Resources: Booking and training materials are available from the staff portal.

The resources and attendance to the Q&A session are mandatory for completion. Please read the resources before the Q&A session.

Presenters: Professor Susan Brooks, Dr Susannah Wright, Dr Verena Kriechbaumer and Catherine Joyejob.

Description: This session is open to all supervisors who have not attended any training for two years. It is designed to up-date you on changes to Research Degree Regulations and procedures and to inform you of specific priorities set by the Research Degrees Committee in order to comply with and take forward all OfS requirements and the University's current Research Strategy.