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 modules and a toal of 30 points of development activities in the form of 1 hour online seminars or online steps.
For experienced supervisors to remain compliant with the Register of HDR Supervisors, supervisors need to update their development by completing 15 points every two years. The program is dynamic, responsive to supervisors' needs, can be done at anytime and anywhere and consists of over 50 different topics - so there is something for everyone.
Recognition of prior HDR supervision training for the mandatory programs will be determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the University's Mandatory Induction Guidelines.
Inspire
Supervisors can review their HDR Supervisor Development Program points in Inspire at any time, and once completed can generate a certificate for People and Culture.
Please note if you can’t see the Supervisor Development tab in Inspire – check that you have selected ‘researcher’ in the role switcher (grey box at the top). If you have any questions about the HDR Supervisor Development Program please email HDR.Development@flinders.edu.au
You can also record any previous or external HDR supervisor development activities in Inspire and receive points. To do so, please select 'Self-record Development Activity' under the 'Supervisor Development' tab. For detailed instructions, please refer to the Inspire Quick Reference Guide (QRG).
HDR Supervisor Development FLO site and online Steps
A complete list of workshops and online training is available through the HDR Supervisor Development FLO Site. You can browse the FLO modules and enrol via the link inside each training opportunity, or register directly into upcoming sessions via Inspire.
On top of the blended learning opportunities, HDR supervisors can choose from the array of Steps topics to personalise their development for in-time learning. These are short online sessions which you can complete at any time for 5 program points. The Steps program is beneficial for regional, remote and rural HDR supervisors, as well as those unable to attend seminars. Please note, the Steps topics do not need to be done in order.
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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