The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, commonly known as the Researcher Development Concordat, is an agreement between stakeholders, of which Kent is now one, to improve the employment and support for researchers and researcher careers in higher education in the UK. For more information about the Researcher Development Concordat and its Principles visit the Vitae website.

Click on the image below to read the Letter of Commitment to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers from Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President.

New online booking system

The Graduate School’s current online booking system (https://bloom.kent.ac.uk) is being replaced by a new system from July/August 2020. 

You will be able to access the current system (bloom) until 31st July 2020. After this date the system will not be accessible and you will be needing to use the new system to book for upcoming workshops and 1:1 sessions.

The new system will be accessible from July and all students will be emailed with the link to the new online system in July 2020.

Postgraduate Researchers

You have been booking onto workshops and completing your Researcher Development Assessment (RDA) on bloom – https://bloom.kent.ac.uk. You will still be able to access bloom in order to download versions of your RDA and workshop certificates until 31^st July 2020. From 1^st August you will not be able to access that system.

If applicable please make sure you access bloom and do the following before 31^st July 2020:

• 1^st year PhD students – complete your RDA and download this if your probation review is due in the next few months
• Download any copies of your RDA (especially those who are due their probation review over the next few months).
• Download any certificates of workshops you have attended via My Profile > My workshop history

Please note these will not be available after 31st July 2020.

Graduate School Prizes 2020

The Graduate School is delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Graduate School Prizes.

Postgraduate Researcher

 
Laura Thomas-Walters, School of Anthropology and Conservation, with particular recognition for her contribution towards public engagement.

“I’m extra delighted to have been awarded the prize in recognition of my efforts in public engagement, and I hope that it will encourage future students to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Graduate School to work with our local communities.” – Laura

 “Since beginning her PhD, Laura has spent over 300 hours working as an outreach ambassador for the university. One activity she devised that has proved particularly popular has been a week-long event with Year 8 pupils from Brompton and Chatham, where students have the opportunity to develop an intervention to help protect elephants and rhinos.” – Professor Bob Smith

Boniface Otieno Oyugi, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, with particular recognition for his contribution to publications and grants.

“I am truly humbled by this award. It reminds me of Don Zimmer’s words “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.” A big thank you an amazing team at the Centre for Health Services Studies and to my biggest supporters Prof. Sally Kendall, Dr. Olena Nizalova, and Prof. Stephen Peckham.” – Boniface

“Over the last three years, Boniface has made an exceptional contribution to the postgraduate culture by publishing peer reviewed articles and commentaries in high impact journals besides presenting in international conferences.” – Professor Sally Kendall

Alice Helliwell, School of Arts, with particular recognition for her contribution towards cohort-building.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to my supervisor Michael Newall for the nomination. His patience, encouragement and continuing support are truly appreciated. I am also grateful to be a part of the School of Arts research community; it is a great place to be!” – Alice

“Alice is a key figure in the School of Arts postgraduate community, doing an enormous amount to foster community, collaboration and research activity.” – Dr Michael Newall

Gianna Maria Eick, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, with particular recognition for her contribution towards external collaboration.

“I want to thank my PhD supervisors Heejung Chung and Trude Sundberg for nominating me for the Postgraduate Research Prize. Without their constant advice and support, my excellent progress with my research and my international collaborations with renowned scholars in our field would not have been possible.” – Gianna

“What characterises Gianna distinctively compared to her peers is her drive and ambition in pursuing an academic career in addition to her research rigor and excellence. This can be evidenced by a number of achievements including the number of publications currently in review in top peer-reviewed internationally leading journals.” – Dr Heejung Chung

Simon Cooksey, School of Computing, with particular recognition for his contribution towards impact

“This prize means a lot to me, recognition of the impact of my research is very fulfilling. I will use the prize money to continue my research: allowing engineers to use high-performance computer hardware to its maximum capability.” – Simon

“Simon has been involved in several high impact projects, both academic and industrial. He has been instrumental in the development of the best technical specifications of the world’s most used programming languages and processors. Simon is an exceptional PhD candidate, utilising his skills to effectively complement the skills of his collaborators and driving novel research with remarkable impact.” – Dr Mark Batty

Postgraduate Administrator 

Emily Rae, Paris Centre Administrator

“Thank you for the prize! I love working with our students in Paris and helping them discover the city through their studies and activities.” – Emily

“I have been unfailingly impressed by just how efficiently Emily oversees the student experience at Reid Hall…time and again both staff and students comment on the excellence of the administration in Paris… Her role in Paris is a particularly demanding one (not least, of course, because she has to operate in two languages), and yet she makes it look easy. I count myself lucky to be able to benefit from her professionalism.” – Professor Ben Hutchinson

Postgraduate Supervisor

Dr Tamar Jeffers McDonald, Head of School of Arts

“I’d like to say thank you to all my amazing doctoral students, past and present. I learn so much from them and am so honoured they value my support.” – Tamar

“Tamar is a dedicated and inspiring supervisor, excelling in the quality of her supervisions. She puts equal emphasis on the importance of good writing and sound research, particularly in a historical context, but her approach is not prescriptive; she allows PhD students to shape their own research, locate their own sources, and – sometimes – make their own mistakes, but not through unapproachability and distance. Instead, she is always available as a guiding presence, whether through in-person meetings, Skype calls or via (impressively quick) email responses.” Carolyn King

Professor Murray Smith, Professor of Film Studies, School of Arts

“I’d like to pay tribute to all of my research students, from whom I have learned and grown in too many ways to mention – quite literally, I couldn’t have won this award without them! And I’d like to thank my colleagues, academic and professional, who have been vital in further supporting the students I’ve supervised. Most awards go to individuals, as in this case, but of course most good things arise from collective effort and effective teamwork. And that is certainly true here.” – Murray

“Murray is exceptional in giving outstanding support to his research students…I regularly hear PhD students speaking of his care and exacting attention to detail in reviewing their work, and in his mentoring them as teachers. Most striking is the successes that Murray’s students enjoy once they have graduated. I have also seen Murray steer students from less prepossessing backgrounds, and with less stellar academic profiles, to gain permanent academic jobs immediately after leaving Kent. That is an extraordinary feat in such a competitive job market.” – Dr Michael Newall

Postgraduate Teacher 

Eva Sigurdardottir, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research

“I want to thank Dr Jack Cunliffe for nominating me, supported by Dr Rob de Vries. I have learned a lot in the four years I have been teaching at University of Kent. I have been given the freedom to explore and find my own style of teaching with the support of my colleagues. I really appreciate winning the Graduate School Prize for Postgraduate Teacher and will take it as a token of people realising that there is a method to my madness.” – Eva

“She has developed a sensitive understanding of how the students are learning the material and is able to tailor her delivery to the audience. Based on this understanding, she has made year on year improvements to the teaching material – despite the fundamentals of research methods not shifting greatly over the short term – and has done much to help the Qstep team improve our teaching materials. The work she has done will be used by convenors in future years.” – Dr Jack Cunliffe

The Graduate School was delighted to receive a high number of exceptional nominations for this year’s Graduate School Prizes competition. The Graduate School recognises the significant contribution made to the University of Kent by Postgraduate Researchers, Postgraduate Teachers and academic and professional services staff across the University. We would like to thank everyone for their excellent work in support of postgraduate education and research at Kent.

Dear Postgraduate Students,

I would like to pass on some advice and information in relation to impacts resulting from Coronavirus. Whilst we might all feel alone in the face of this pandemic, please remember that we can and should work together to overcome it. If the Graduate School specifically can help with anything that your module or programme convenor or School/Centre cannot, please do ask. We might not be in the office but we are still very much at work.

You will find general advice and information from the university here as well as on the government’s webpages. Do follow these regularly as they are frequently updated. Below are some reflections on issues which you might be facing.

1. If you anticipate that the nature of your research methods or process for your dissertation or a special project are being severely affected by the current situation (eg unable to meet specific groups, visit an archive, unable to travel etc) please discuss this with your dissertation supervisor in the first instance. They will be able to help you adjust/rethink your approach and make appropriate changes. If it is getting late in the progress of your research to make significant alterations, then be honest and open about any such limitations in your thesis. Those examining you will be understanding, but they can only be so if you make this explicit in your writing. Give serious thought to moving away from using person-to person evidence in the short and possibly longer-term towards deploying other safer or virtual modes of data collection where feasible. Your health and that of others is paramount!
2. Please check with schools, supervisors and your Director of Graduate Studies about access to facilities such as work spaces and labs. This might well change in the coming days, so it is best to start planning bearing this in mind.
3. Keep in touch with your supervisor/course convenor by skype, phone calls or by email.
4. You should no longer do any group work or other social activities related to your dissertation research or course. We all need to follow the government’s social distancing guidelines. The university advises that where your research involves working at or with an external partner, for now you should be following that institution or group’s own guidelines for safe working. This may of course be changed at short notice.
5. Further information and guidance about examinations and assessments is currently being prepared by the Academic Registrar’s office and you will all be notified of this once that is finalized.

Everything will probably take more time than usual at the moment, and it will be hard to focus – we will all need to learn to adjust. There may well be further changes to processes that need to be made as the pandemic unfolds. We will let you know of any that affect you as soon as possible.

Above all, please stay safe and look after yourself and those close to you.

Best wishes

Professor Paul Allain
Dean of the Graduate School

Dear Postgraduate Researchers,

I would like to pass on some advice and information in relation to impacts resulting from Coronavirus. Whilst we might all feel alone in the face of this pandemic, please remember that we can and should work together to overcome it. If the Graduate School specifically can help with anything that your supervisor or School/Centre cannot, please do ask. We might not be in the office but we are still very much at work.

You will find general advice and information from the university here as well as on the government’s webpages. Do follow these regularly as they are frequently updated. Below are some specific reflections on possible issues which you might be facing.

1. If the nature of your research methods or process is being severely affected by the current situation (eg unable to meet specific groups, visit an archive, unable to travel etc) please discuss this with your supervisor in the first instance. They will be able to help you adjust/rethink your approach and make appropriate changes. If it is too late in the progress of your research to make significant alterations, then be honest and open about any such limitations in your thesis. Examiners will be understanding, but they can only be so if you make this explicit in your writing. Give serious thought to moving away from using person-to person evidence in the short and possibly longer-term towards other safer modes of data collection where feasible. Your health and that of others is paramount!
2. If you are abroad or not currently working at home or on campus for your research, speak to your supervisor/s and school about either curtailing your visit or exploring other options. Every case will need to be assessed on an individual basis with regard to concomitant risks and possibilities. But you should not feel you need to make such decisions on your own. Your supervisors and schools are here to help.
3. Please check with schools, supervisors and your Director of Graduate Studies about access to facilities such as work spaces and labs. This might well change in the coming days, so it is best to start planning bearing this in mind.
4. Keep in touch with your supervisory team members by skype, phone calls or by email. These can be used for your monthly or other reviews.
5. You should no longer do any group work or other social activities related to your research. We all need to follow the government’s social distancing guidelines.
6. The Graduate School will be setting up some informal ‘virtual drop in sessions’ where you can have an informal chat with myself or a member of staff. We will send out more details soon.

If you need to take a break from your research, please do so. Everything will probably take more time than usual at the moment, and it will be hard to focus – we will all need to learn to adjust. In recognition of this, at the point of PhD submission, students will be able to seek a short extension to their PhD. We will look favorably on all such requests.

We have also made it straightforward for vivas to happen by skype/zoom without the need for an independent observer. There may well be other changes to processes that need to be made as the pandemic unfolds. We will let you know of any that affect you.

Above all, please stay safe and look after yourself and those close to you.

Best wishes

Professor Paul Allain
Dean of the Graduate School

The annual Graduate School Prizes recognises the excellence of Kent’s researchers and the outstanding work carried out by academic and administrative staff members in support of postgraduate research and education.

Nominations are now open for 2020! 

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

Postgraduate Research Prize

Research Degree Supervisor Prize

School Director of Graduate Studies Prize

Postgraduate Administrator Prize

Postgraduate Teacher Prize

Early Career Research Staff Prize

Apply or nominate a candidate now via the Graduate School website where you will find the criteria for each prize and a nomination form.

Deadline for nominations is Thursday 9 April at 23.59.

Read about last year’s winners.

Kent is one of 57 higher education institutions where members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted in support of taking strike action, or action short of a strike, over HE sector pay and conditions.

On 5 November, UCU released the dates for the planned strike action, which are:

• Monday 25 November – Friday 29 November (5 consecutive days)
• Monday 2 December – Wednesday 4 December (3 consecutive days)

The Graduate School is working closely with colleagues across the university to mitigate any affects from the current industrial action. Please liaise with Schools and your Directors of Graduate Studies or Postgraduate Administrators in the first instance, unless there is something specific with which the Graduate School can help you. We are exploring ways to make sure any Researcher Development training sessions are rescheduled or occur again at another time to enable your participation.

Graduate School
University of Kent
Cornwallis East, 3rd Floor

T: (0)1227 824089
E: graduateschool@kent.ac.uk 

If you have a query regarding a Global Skills Award or Researcher Development training session, please direct your queries to skills@kent.ac.uk. 

Kent has set up a student website containing information about the industrial action, FAQs and the support available to you should you require it. Please visit the Student Guide.

The Graduate School’s recent surveys for Graduate Teaching Assistants and Hourly Paid Lecturers showed that you value opportunities to meet each other.  Dr Jo Collins (Graduate School), Dr Jennifer Leigh (UELT) and Nicole Brown (SSPSSR) are working on a project funded by the Staff and Educational Development Association to support GTA development and to understand the needs of our international GTAs better.  As part of this we will be running the following sessions which are open to all postgraduates who teach:

• Tools for teaching: Becoming a “teacher”, 13 November 2019, 11-1pm
• Tools for teaching: Engaging students in discussions, 22 January 2020, 12.30-2.30
• Tools for teaching: Questioning techniques, 5 February 2020, 1-3pm
• Tools for teaching: Assessment and providing feedback, 4 March, 10-12pm

To book, or find out more please see http://bloom.kent.ac.uk

These sessions are supported by the Graduate School, UELT, and the Staff and Educational Development Association, who have sponsored this initiative (the project has also been aided by TESSA-funded research carried out by Jo Collins and Nicole Brown (2018-19)).

Please contact j.p.collins@kent.ac.uk if you have any queries.

The Graduate School invites you to apply for a Postgraduate Community Experience Award. If you have an idea to help enhance the postgraduate community experience through an interdisciplinary project or event, then you may be eligible to apply for funding through our Postgraduate Community Experience Awards.

The deadline for applications is Friday 22nd November 2019. You can download an application form from our website and take a look at some previous winners.

The Graduate School would like to thank the following departments for their help and support at this year’s Postgraduate Information Fair:

Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS)

Centre for English and World Languages (CEWL)

Academic Liaison Services and IS

Scholarly Communications

Student Support and Wellbeing

Kent Union and Advice Centre

International Partnerships

Kent Graduate Student Association (KGSA)

Medical Centre

Careers and Employability Service

International Wellbeing Group

Employability Points and Hub for Innovation & Enterprise

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the Amazon Kindle went to LLM student, Natphakal Vangtan. Ten other postgraduate students who took part in the Information Fair Quiz were awarded an Amazon Voucher for their efforts.