Research supervision

Role of a Research supervisor at UCL

Research student supervision is a core academic responsibility, requiring expertise in both teaching and research. 

The relationship between a supervisor and a research student is a unique one with a range of responsibilities, including: 

• Providing students with a thorough grounding in all aspects of research within the context of an academic discipline 
• Creating a learning experience that is intellectually challenging and personally fulfilling 
• Providing timely and constructive feedback on research design, methodology and writing 
• Offering encouragement and ongoing support for both academic and non-academic challenges as appropriate 
• Supporting students to disseminate their research 
• Preparing students for a range of careers 
• Monitoring students’ progress and ensuring that they are able to complete their doctorate in a timely manner. 

At UCL all students have at least two supervisors, typically a Principal and Subsidiary, but there are many models of co-supervision. Increasingly, students may be part of a Thesis Committee, which can involve three or more supervisors taking on different roles and responsibilities. 

• See the UCL Doctoral School website for information about supervisory roles and responsibilities.  

Research supervision sits within a wide infrastructure of support for research students provided by teams, including the UCL Doctoral School, UCL Student Support and Wellbeing, UCL Organisational Development, UCL Careers and others. 

• See the UCL Doctoral School website for information about support available to research students.  

The nature of the relationship means that supervisors deal with a range of situations requiring a sensitive and informed approach.  

See below for details of training and resources available to help you provide high quality research supervision.