Information for HDR supervisors
Effective supervision is a key element in the learning experience for higher degree by research students.
The Office of Graduate Research respects the expertise of HDR supervisors at Flinders. This resource is to assist you in the important role you undertake for Flinders University HDR students. The University is required to have a Register of HDR Supervisors and a HDR Supervisor Development Program to ensure a high-quality, authentic and engaged supervisory experience for our higher degree by research students.
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Forms and templates
Application for Register of HDR Supervisors
The application for Register of HDR Supervisors is used to apply to be on the register.
Meeting tools
The following documents may be useful as conversations starters or resources for supervision meetings.
Examination of HDR students
The nomination of examiners form needs to be completed by the principal supervisor of HDR students 3 months prior to submission of the thesis. Principal supervisors nominate examiners in Inspire. Refer to the Inspire page for a quick reference guide or contact the Office of Graduate Research at HDR.exams@flinders.edu.au for more information.
This is a sample email supervisors can use when making initial contact with a potential examiner:
HDR Supervisor Development Program
The Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Supervisor Development Program is compulsory for academic staff members wishing to supervise HDR students. Note: teaching specialist staff are not required to undertake the training as adjunct supervisors. The program is offered by the Dean of Graduate.
New HDR Supervisors are required to complete the HDR Supervisor Development Program within 12 months. It comprises two core workshops and the choice of development activities totalling 30 points.
For experienced supervisors to remain compliant with the Register of HDR Supervisors you need to have completed the HDR Supervisor Development Program and be committed to improving the quality of supervision, by completing development activities totalling 15 points every two years.
HDR supervisor development explores the complex environment in which supervision occurs. Flinders University policy and processes regarding research supervision follow national standards of good practice in supervising students. Supervisors are required to provide intellectual support, procedural guidance and broader pastoral support. To ensure all of these aspects are met, the following practices for supervising HDR students are recommended within the program:
- Get to know your student.
- Gain a mutual understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities and set expectations.
- Plan and structure supervision sessions.
- Develop strategies to help students get started.
- Use available resources.
- Enable a scholarly research community.
- Provide effective feedback.
- Facilitate the writing process.
- Enable students to reach a conclusion.
- Review and evaluate your practice.
All exemptions from mandatory programs will be determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the University's Mandatory Induction Guidelines.
Don’t hesitate to contact the Office of Graduate Research if you have any questions or would like to further discuss training requirements for HDR supervisors.
National requirements
Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018
The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018 (the Code) articulates the broad principles that characterise an honest, ethical and conscientious research culture. It establishes a framework for responsible research conduct that provides a foundation for high-quality research, credibility and community trust in the research endeavour and outlines the expectations for the conduct of research in Australia or research conducted under the auspices of Australian institutions. The Code is co-authored by NHMRC, ARC and Universities Australia.
In support of the Code, the co-authors are developing a set of guides that provide detail on how to comply with the principles and responsibilities of the Code. The guides are designed for use by the full range of Australian research institutions and researchers from all research disciplines. The guides will also provide a reference for the development of institutional policies and processes that promote the principles and responsibilities of the Code. The Guides include:
- Guide to Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Code (the Investigation Guide)
- Authorship
- Management of Data and Information in Research
- Peer Review
- Disclosure of Interests and Management of Conflicts of Interest
- Supervision
Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR)
The Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR) Graduate Research Good Practice Principles articulate a set of standards considered to be essential for the delivery of graduate research programs. In July 2018, ACGR developed the ACGR Guidelines for Quality Graduate Research Supervision that provide institutions with guidelines to support a quality supervision experience for HDR students.
Universities Australia
On 1 August 2018, Universities Australia released Principles for Respectful Supervisory Relationships as part of their 10-point Action Plan response to the Respect. Now. Always. Initiative.
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