Induction
The Graduate School, alongside the Researcher Development Team, provide annual induction events in early October and January/ February for new postgraduate research students. It's mandatory you attend one of these sessions.
The aim of the event is to welcome and introduce you to the Graduate School to discuss the formal requirements that must be adhered to, and issues surrounding good communication and research practices.
A key feature of the event are flash presentations from current postgraduate research students summarising their research. The event is partially online plus some live sessions which will either be held on Campus or over Zoom.
The elements are organised over a week, providing an exciting blend of activities, some of which are shared with students from across the university.
The dates for October are as follows:
7th - 11th Oct 2024
The MVLS Graduate School and the Central Researcher Development Team will send you separate email invites to sign-up, prompting you to book activities during induction week.
The October timetable is as below.
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TIMETABLE
WHEN: Monday 7th October 2024
WHERE: Debates Chamber and Reading Room Bar, in the GUU, University Ave
10:00 - Dean's Welcome with Prof Stu Nicklin, followed by the Graduate School Welcome highlighting important info you'll need for the coming years.Researcher Development Team Welcome Video
10:30 - Researcher Development Team Welcome Video
11:00 - Graduate Teaching Assistant Training and Work Opportunities - Dr Mary McVey
11:30 - Meet Your Convenor - A chance to meet the postgraduate convenor of your school over coffee and pastries.
13.00 - End
Thursday 10th October 2024
14:00 - 17:00 - Flash Presentations - Come and watch a fun session of current PGR students giving 3 minute flash presentations about their projects. Hosted by Prof Helen Wheadon and Dr Heather Jorgensen
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The complete timetable for the full week, from the central researcher development team, can be found on their dedicated webpage.
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Registration
You have accepted your offer. What do you do now?
Make sure you are registered!
Registration For New Students
All new students are required to register, both financially and academically, online before starting at the university using MyCampus. You should receive a notification near to your starting date with details.
This allows you to register and confirm your personal, academic and financial information and confirm that you agree to observe the University Oath, regulations and requirements.
Once complete you will become a fully registered student at the University of Glasgow.
The University's information for getting started with us in Glasgow is a great guide.
International Students can email the Support Welcome Team at:
international-welcome-team@glasgow.ac.uk, who are on hand to answer any questions you have about coming to Glasgow and settling in.
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Having difficulty registering? Please watch the registration videos or go to the registration webpage.
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University Fees
Fees are charged each year and are quoted on your letter of admission.
International/EU fees charged at the overseas clinical and non-clinical fee rates remain static for the degree duration.
Fees for Home postgraduate students are subject to progress review and increase. The increase is normally nominal.
Fees for students supported by studentships from the UK research councils or charities (e.g. Wellcome Trust) will be paid directly to the university.
Safety Regulations
Your safety while working in research whether the laboratory or in the field is of paramount importance. The university has to provide clear guidance on all potential hazardous procedures under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).
These issues should be discussed with your supervisor who has a responsibility to advise you on safe working practices. If in doubt about the safety of a procedure or substances used, you must seek the advice of your supervisor or local safety officer.
It is most important that you familiarise yourself with the safety regulations which relate to your own school and adhere to them at all times.
All students working with chemicals must complete and sign risk assessment (COSHH) forms that outline the procedure to be used, the potential hazards that may be encountered and the steps that will be taken to minimise those hazards.
When using toxic or potentially harmful chemicals, it is a legal requirement to complete a risk assessment form.
The university produces a safety booklet which you are expected to read and abide by. Research students should aim to do the majority of their laboratory work during normal working hours.
You must not undertake laboratory work that may be considered hazardous outside normal working hours unless a colleague is also present in the laboratory.
Such work may be undertaken only after discussion with your supervisor and would be allowed only in exceptional circumstances. Please ensure that you always ‘sign in’ when in the building outside normal working hours.
Local regulations regarding radiation protection and laser protection will differ depending on whether you are based in a university building or in a hospital. It is therefore extremely important that you follow the advice given by your own school or hospital.
The university safety booklet and other relevant documentation can be found on the university’s Safety and Environmental Protection Service web page.
Data Protection
The protection of your data is a key concern for the university and we have welcomed the new data protection regulations that came into force in 2018.
These strengthen individual’s rights and bring new requirements on organisations to demonstrate accountability, matched by new penalties for non-compliance.
There is further information on how this affects the university and you as a student on the university’s GDPR web page. You should familiarise yourself with the Student Privacy Notice which outlines how the university will process your personal data.
Student Contract
You are required to sign up to a Student Contract each year as part of your registration. This is an agreement between you and the University of Glasgow.
The contract sets out your rights and obligations as well as the university’s rights and obligations.
The Student Contract is legally binding and is made up of the following:
- your offer from the university
- our Student Terms and Conditions
- our regulations as set out in the University Regulations
- the Student Contract
Read the Student Contract and its associated documents prior to accepting an offer of a place at the university and/or before registration. The Student Contract is available on the university’s Senate Office web page.
Maintaining Contact
Please ensure that you keep in touch with your supervisors and they have up-to-date information on your address (both in Glasgow and your main home address if different) and phone number, where possible.
Students do tend to move location and it is important that you update your records and keep us informed if you do. The easiest way to update your contact details is through MyCampus, which can be accessed through the MyGlasgow Student Portal.
Your university student email address, GUID@student.gla.ac.uk and/or initial.surname.x@research.gla.ac.uk, is the address which will be used for all communications from university services (e.g. Library, Registry, Finance Office) and the Graduate School, as well as staff in your own school. Both addresses deliver to the same account, and there is no need to check them separately.
An email from these official sources has the same weight as a written document; it is your responsibility to check your own account. Your student email address can be accessed via IT Services using your GUID credentials. Here you will also find instructions for configuring your email on an email client or mobile device.
Graduate Skills Pathway
Researcher development is increasingly seen as a core part of any postgraduate research degree.
The College of MVLS provides a comprehensive professional and career development programme, called the PGR Graduate Skills Pathway, to help PGRs develop transferable skills that will be useful to them during their degree and in a wide variety of future careers.
This includes an extensive range of short workshops or online courses on topics which includes writing and presentation skills, information retrieval techniques, statistics, research design and ethical issues.
Attendance at these workshops or online courses may be distributed over the duration of the study period, but you should be aware that the large majority of these are most relevant to you in your first year of study.
Some of these courses are regarded as being ‘mandatory’ topics that should be attended by all students in order to achieve the requirements for progression into the next year of study (e.g. research integrity).
Discuss your training needs with your supervisors, by making use of the Researcher Development Framework. Maintain a log book and personal development plan and discuss this with your supervisors.
The University of Glasgow has an online booking and e-portfolio system called Inkpath, which you will use to record, review and reflect upon your personal development planning. A record of the courses you have attended will be in your portfolio on Inkpath, which you are free to download.
Please note that you are responsible for maintaining your portfolio and attending appropriate mandatory activities as outlined in the PGR Graduate Skills Pathway.
Adding/Updating your postgraduate research profile
Postgraduate research student profiles are available to postgraduate research students, giving you a public facing profile to explain your research.
A link to your profile will appear on your supervisors' profiles and also on a student list within your school.
For help maintaining your profile view Managing postgraduate research profile
If you find any errors with your profile:
- Need for change of name - If your name is incorrect for any reason get in touch with webteam@gla.ac.uk and we can investigate.
- Thesis project title error – If the title of your thesis is incorrect, please get in contact with your PGR administrator or MyCampus and they will investigate.
Expected Period of Study
The information on this page shows the expected prescribed period of study and the maximum period for submission of the thesis for each degree.
Degree - Integrated PhD (iPhD) Full-time only
Year 1 - MSc taught component
Years 2 to 4 - Research degree
Year 5 - Thesis Write Up
Degree - PhD
FULL TIME: 3 years + 1 year thesis write up, 3.5 years + 6 months thesis write up or 4 years with no thesis write up year.
Maximum period for submission: Within 4 years of the start of the degree
PART TIME: 5 years part-time + up to 3 years thesis write up.
Maximum period for submission: Within 8 years of the start of the degree
Degree - MD
FULL TIME: 2 years + 2 years thesis write up
Maximum period for submission: Within 4 years of the start of the degree
PART TIME:4 years + 2 years thesis write up
Maximum period for submission: Within 6 years of the start of the degree.
Degree - MSc(R)
FULL TIME: 1 year + 1 year thesis write up
Maximum period for submission: Within 2 years of the start of the degree
PART TIME: 2 years + 1 year thesis write up
Maximum period for submission: Within 3 years of the start of the degree
Degree - MVM + Residency
FULL TIME: 1 year + up to 3 years write up
Maximum period for submission: Within 4 years of the start of the degree. Full time students can submit their thesis any time after the first year.
PART TIME: 2 years + up to 2 years write up
Maximum period for submission: Within 4 years of the start of the degree. Part time students can submit their thesis any time after the second year.
IMPORTANT
It is essential that you plan and prioritise your work to ensure the timely submission of your thesis. If a student has to undergo a prolonged period of absence (e.g. paternity leave, prolonged ill health, etc.), the Graduate School has the option of ‘suspension of studies’ and of granting a revision to the expected final submission date.
The Higher Degrees Committee will not grant permission for late submission of a thesis unless the circumstances are truly exceptional and compelling and are suitably documented and supported.
Special Considerations for Part-time Degrees
Studying on a part-time basis often involves additional factors. Prospective part-time students and supervisors are encouraged to discuss the question of time commitment thoroughly before embarking on a research degree.
The overall timescale for part-time study is correspondingly longer than for full-time students and you should take this into account.
Part-time students in medicine and veterinary medicine face particular problems if they are continuing to carry out routine clinical work unrelated to the research.
It is important that they remain in close contact with their supervisors, even after they return to their clinical duties full-time and are writing up the thesis.
Your Supervisory Team
The university’s PGR Code of Practice for postgraduate research degrees states that each student should be provided with a supervisory team comprising of at least two supervisors, a primary supervisor and one or more secondary supervisors. T
hey will be appointed where necessary to provide sufficient expertise for your project - e.g. the topic covers multiple disciplines or one supervisor is appointed for a specific purpose only, such as a technique, or one supervisor is a clinician or scientist.
Coupled with this there should also be two assessors/panel reviewers, for annual review purposes.
The Role of Your Supervisors
The role of your supervisors is to introduce you to a specific research field, to help you with the formulation of your research problem and to supervise all aspects of your research training including the production of publications and the final thesis (see Code of Practice).
The relationship with your supervisors can be one of the most important factors affecting the success of your research training and the enjoyment you will get from your time spent as a research student. It is important that you develop a good rapport with your supervisors.
At the start of your studies, you should discuss and agree with your supervisors how frequently you should meet. You are encouraged to have frequent brief meetings, but also regular, more formal meetings at weekly or fortnightly intervals as appropriate. It's important to keep a written record of your formal meetings with your supervisors. This is usually an agreement of what decisions have been made about progress and so forth.
For more indepth information about the role of each person in your supervisory team visit the PGR Code of Practice.
Accessibility and Disability Services
Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements. We aim to ensure everyone has equal access.
If you need alternative formats or other reasonable adjustments, please contact mvlsgradschool@glasgow.ac.uk with your request so that arrangements, where possible, can be made.
Due to our hilltop campus, limitations may be encountered and that may limit some of the arrangements we would wish to make.
Accessibility and disability services can be found on the disability service website.
New Students - Initial/Annual Progress Review
To meet Senate requirements, our progress reporting process involves the following elements:
• students evaluate their training needs
• students agree on a training plan with their supervisor
• students write a 3000 word literature review and also complete a progress report
• supervisors complete formal progress report including a recommendation on whether the student be readmitted for the next academic session
• a progress interview with two panel reviewers academic colleagues (academic colleagues that are not the supervisor)
• PGR Convenor reviews and assigns a final recommendation
Details of this procedure are available on the Graduate School’s PGR Progress Review web page.
All first year students should have an initial review in the first 3 months. Followed by an annual review normally between May-July. It is your responsibility to make appointments with your supervisor and assessors.
You are required to write a 3000 word literature review in the first few months of study. This is the first real test of your ability in scientific writing.
In some PhD schemes you may undertake placements for some months before choosing a definitive PhD topic and won't do an initial review.
Please contact the MVLS Graduate School before starting the annual review process if you are on a DTP, Precision Medicine or Wellcome Trust project.
In such cases the student may be involved in writing the project proposal.
Research students are also expected to deliver research seminars at an appropriate level, at least annually and in addition to any lab journal club or less formal groups.
If you are encountering any issues with your research or as a new student, it's important you have a chat with your supervisor. Good communication goes a long way!
MVM, MSc (R) and part time students have to complete initial and annual reviews every year. If you are unsure, contact the MVLS Graduate School.
All information you need is on the MVLS Graduate School website. It's a great resource!
Mid-Year Starts
If you start your degree between March-June your Initial and Annual Reviews will be completed together so that these reviews phase in with the academic year cycle. And must be completed by August 31st.
If you start in July-Sept your initial review should be completed in the following January as per the normal process. Contact the MVLS Graduate School if you are unsure what to do.
Annual Progress Reviews in Second and Subsequent Years
This involves more discussion of actual results. In the final year of study, you are expected to incorporate a thesis plan in the scientific report. The aim is to ensure that students fully understand the need to keep to a workable schedule for eventually writing a thesis.
When you go into Thesis Pending, one final review has to be done to check in with you that you are ready to write up and have your viva.
Publications
For those of you interested in an academic career they are probably the single most important element of your C.V.
By the time you are going for job interviews it will be assumed that you have a higher degree and this will be taken for granted.
‘What have they published?’ is the question future employers will certainly consider. This will be followed by ‘where?’. You should be aiming to publish in journals of recognised standing. Since the advent of the Research Excellence Framework, quality counts rather than mere quantity.
When you are struggling to complete your research and to write your thesis, it is easy to put off preparing articles until ‘later’.
Unfortunately ‘later’ sometimes never comes: you get bored with the topic; you move away and losing daily contact with your research loosens the imperative to write it up; you have even less time in your new job.
To motivate yourself, keep in mind that publishing demonstrates the quality of your work and makes you more employable.
The style and pattern of your research may make having papers published by the time your thesis is submitted unlikely, but at the very least you should have submitted these.
The euphoria (coupled with the anxiety) of submitting your thesis makes it unlikely that you will immediately return to your desk and produce papers.
It is difficult to give an average for the number of publications you should aim to get from your research, as this depends on the type of study, the ‘success’ (or otherwise) of your results and so on, but you should discuss this with your supervisors.
Timescale for Submitting to Journals
If you are not familiar with submitting articles to journals this brief breakdown gives you an indication of how long a process it can be:
Submission:
- With some journals, the editorial board make a decision on whether the manuscript is appropriate for sending for review or whether it should be sent back immediately without further review. The decision not to review normally reflects the fact that the manuscript is not appropriate for journal to which it has been submitted;
- When the manuscript is deemed appropriate for reviewing, it is sent out for peer review. The referees are almost always anonymous. This will normally take 4-6 weeks but may be considerably longer;
- The article will be returned to you with reviewers’/editor’s comments. It is uncommon for a paper to be accepted without needing to be rewritten in part. These criticisms, from (anonymous) experts in the field should also improve the writing of your thesis.
Resubmission:
- It may or may not go back to referees, or a decision may be made by the editor - anything up to another couple of months.
Final Decision and Publication:
- Many journals are now publishing manuscripts in electronic form immediately upon acceptance. However, it usually takes between 2-4 months after acceptance for the paper version of the manuscript to be published.
You can now see why, if you want to impress examiners and employers with your publications, you need to start early.
Authorship of Papers
It is normal practice for the first author on a scientific paper to be the person who was responsible for carrying out the majority of experimental work and generally, the last author on a scientific paper to be the senior (and corresponding) author.
The senior author is the person responsible for initiating the project (i.e. having the idea) and organising the work on it.
Whilst in the majority of cases, the supervisor of most PhD, MD or DDS research will be the senior author, this may be changed in cases where the student took a major part in determining the actual formulation of the project.
In such cases the student may be both first and senior/corresponding author, particularly in cases where the student is also the research assistant on a grant-assisted project.
Importantly, with all publications, it is essential that your position on the authorship list should be negotiated in good faith with your individual supervisors.
This should be done as early as possible in the formulation of papers as these issues can lead to real difficulties and bad feelings when students feel that they have been unfairly positioned on the authorship list.
If your name is going to come first, however, your supervisors will expect you to have been the person responsible for generating the majority of the data presented in the paper.
It is also not unreasonable for the supervisor to expect you to be responsible for writing the first draft, making changes after discussion, being responsible for seeing it meets journal requirements, dealing with rewrites - all without constant reminder by the supervisor(s).
If you do not respond to prompts by your supervisor(s) to produce a paper in reasonable time and they take on the burden of drafting the paper(s) then your position in the authorship list may be reviewed.
Please note that papers published on work carried out for your PhD, MD or MSc(R) (or other work at Glasgow) should bear the name of the school and college where the work was carried out, and many funders will also insist on being referred to as well as supporting the research.
This is the correct acknowledgement and not the name/place of new employment.
Ownership of Data/Intellectual Property Rights
You, the student, own the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of data generated during your course of study unless you have explicitly assigned this elsewhere.
The university has developed a general agreement which will allow a student to assign their IPR to the university and receive the same benefits as an academic in exploiting the Intellectual Property.
For more information please go to the university’s Our Policies web page.
Many research councils and external sponsors may require you to assign your IPR to the university as a condition of funding. You should determine whether any IPR arrangements you sign up to are fair and enforceable.
You are strongly encouraged to discuss the IP situation with your supervisor(s) at a very early stage and, of course, any agreement should be documented in case it becomes a matter of dispute later on.
Data Management
Publicly funded research is a public good. When data are created as part of academic research, they should be carefully stored, managed and, wherever possible, shared.
Data management plans are required by many funding bodies at the point of your first year Annual Progress Review and should be maintained throughout your degree: please make sure you understand and follow any requirements of your particular funding body and the university.
Good data management should be a core component of good academic practice. The university expects researchers to ensure that data of longterm value (for example, data that underpin a publication or thesis, or that will form the basis of a future funding application) will be securely held for a period of ten years after the completion of a research project, or for longer if specified by the research funder or sponsor.
For this reason, PGRs are required to submit a data management plan as part of their annual progress review. Attendance on the Research Data Management course is mandatory for all postgraduate researchers.
For more information on data management plans, please see the university’s Data Planning web page.
The Digital Curation Coalition also have extensive resources (and more examples of data management plans) available on their website.
For the regulations governing PGR data management plans, please see the Code of Good Practice in Research and the Postgraduate Research Code of Practice available on the university’s Research Policies web page.
For more information on the Introduction to Research Data Management for PGRs course, including instructions on how to enrol, please see ‘Mandatory Courses for new PGRs’ on the Researcher Development web pages.
Additional University Policies and Guidelines
There are numerous guidelines given by the university in the ‘Fees and General Information’ section of the University Regulations, which also contains information on Hardship Funds, Code of Procedure for Appeals and the Complaints Procedure.
This information can be accessed within Academic Policy and Governance.
Additionally, the PGR Code of Practice, sets out the policy of the University of Glasgow with regard to good practice in all matters relating to postgraduate research students.
Its aims are to ensure that consistent, high standards are set and achieved across the university and to define clearly the responsibility of all parties, including students and their supervisors.
Use and Abuse of Internet and Email Facilities within the University
You are reminded that computer, email and internet facilities are intended only to support the research, teaching and administration of the university.
You should be aware that all electronic traffic can be monitored by IT staff. Whilst privacy is properly respected, this facility is essential to combat invasion by computer viruses and worms as well as legitimate data gathering on traffic levels.
Electronic ‘traces’ of internet sites you visit are recorded on your machine and centrally by IT Services. Such traces can remain detectable during servicing and repair of your desktop machine and the central records are archived.
The university’s policy towards those who access pornographic, or other generally objectionable internet sites from university machines, is clear (details below) – such misuse is unacceptable.
The university’s policy requires that the college reports any such incidents to Senate; this will result in formal disciplinary action. We are well aware that unsolicited email (‘spam’) continues to breach the various automatic safeguards and reaches all of us. Provided such email is not responded to (even to ask to be removed from mailing lists), this does not cause any problem for the recipient in the context of this warning.
If you have any concerns on this topic, in the first instance please make those concerns known to your supervisor(s) or your local Postgraduate Convener.
The text below is selected from the regulations on the IT website. Each student has signed to acknowledge and accept these regulations upon registration. If you have any doubts about what constitutes ‘acceptable use’, please consult the IT Services web page.
As a user you will also have access to vast quantities of information on the internet. These facilities are provided to enable access to information relevant to your work within the university and for career development. Personal use is permitted so long as it is demonstrably reasonable and judicious. Specifically, this should not involve access to material of a nature which might bring discredit to you or the university.
Any staff, students, visitors or others granted access to information technology facilities who breach these regulations may be dealt with by the appropriate disciplinary procedures in force within the University of Glasgow. A breach of these regulations may constitute a criminal offence.
Sexual or Racial Harassment
“The University of Glasgow is committed to fostering a working, learning and research environment where mutual respect and dignity is experienced by and between employees and students. The university aims to promote a culture where we embrace diversity and difference; harassment and bullying are known to be unacceptable; allegations are dealt with in fair and timely fashion, without fear of victimisation.”
Dignity at Work and Study Policy and Procedure, University of Glasgow
In the first instance, difficulties should be raised informally with the supervisor(s), assessor or local Postgraduate Convener as appropriate, with the SRC Advice Centre or via the anonymous online Report Form: Harassment, Bullying or Harassment.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the submission or presentation of work, in any form, which is not one’s own without acknowledgement of the sources.
Plagiarism is considered to be an act of fraud and an offence against university discipline. You should read carefully the university’s policy statement of plagiarism (Appendix 6).
If you are unsure of any aspects of the statement you should discuss them with your supervisor.
There is also guidance in the PGR Code of Practice. Here you will find information on self-plagiarism and guidance on proofreading.
Falsification and Fabrication
The UK Research Integrity Office’s Code of Practice for Research provides general principles and standards for good practice in research, applicable to both individual researchers and to organisations that carry out, fund, host or are otherwise involved in research.
This document has been designed to encourage good conduct in research and help prevent misconduct, in order to assist organisations and researchers to conduct research of the highest quality.
Section 3.16 Misconduct in research discusses falsification and fabrication. The University has a network of Research Integrity Champions and Advisers that you can go to for informal advice or if you suspect an incidence of research misconduct.