Departmental Policy on Eligible Roles for Student Supervision

Below is the Department policy on eligibility for role as the primary or secondary supervisor of research students:

1. University Teaching Officers: UTOs who hold at least a 0.5 FTE appointment in the Department may be primary supervisors with the following exceptions:
   • UTOs within 3 years of the normal retirement date will only be considered as primary supervisors if, at the outset of the studentship, there is an agreed plan for supervisory arrangements beyond the retirement date. This agreement must include the appointment of a tenured UTO as a secondary supervisor, and must be approved by the GEC and signed off by the HoD.
   • UTOs on fixed-term contracts (e.g. temporary lectureship positions) will only be considered if their contracts cover the period of the allocated studentship (typically at least 3 years).
2. Research Fellows: (e.g. Royal Society URFs or equivalent). Research Fellows may be primary supervisors except in the case where their fellowship is within 3 years of its end date, in which case at the outset of the studentship there must be an agreed plan for supervisory arrangements beyond the end date and covering the entire duration of the studentship. This agreement must include the appointment of a UTO in category 1 as a secondary supervisor, and must be approved by the GEC and signed off by the HoD. Research Fellows may be secondary supervisors.
3. Academic Related Staff and Teaching Fellows: At the discretion of the Head of Department, academic related staff/teaching fellows may be either primary or secondary supervisors but only in collaboration with a UTO. Therefore if appointed as a primary supervisor, a secondary supervisor who is a UTO must also be appointed. The arrangements are to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, and must be approved by the GEC and signed off by the HoD. The HoD will wish to be assured that acting as a primary or secondary supervisor will not interfere with the primary responsibilities of the member of staff concerned.
4. Principal Research Associates: PRAs may be primary supervisors as long as their contract extends for at least 4 years from the start of a studentship; in all cases a UTO in category 1 must be appointed as the secondary supervisor. PRAs may be secondary supervisors to a student with a UTO primary supervisor.
5. Senior Research Associates: SRAs may not be primary supervisors but may be appointed as secondary supervisors, subject to approval by their employer. The primary supervisor must be UTO in category 1.

Only supervisors in categories 1 and 2 are eligible to receive studentships from departmental funds.