Information for Academic Supervisor

HDR Supervisor Register

All supervisors of HDR students at UNE must be listed on the Supervisor Register in order to be appointed as either a Principal or Co-Supervisor.

External and adjunct supervisors are only eligible to be appointed as co-supervisors and will need to have approval from the relevant Head of School.

Emeritus Professors are eligible to be appointed as a Principal or Co Supervisor with approval from the relevant Head of School.

Supervisors should ensure that they are registered to supervise at the appropriate level when agreeing to supervise a student.

To apply to be on the Supervisor Register, please complete the Register of Research Higher Degree Supervisors Application Form.

All registrations must comply with the Registration of Research Higher Degree Supervisors Procedures.

Research Supervisor Training

This training accredits research supervisors to be Principal Supervisors in accordance with the UNE Registration of HDR Supervisors Procedures. To successfully complete accreditation training UNE academic staff must:

  • complete the Supervisor Induction Modules in the HDR Portal
  • attend a 'Fundamentals of Supervision' training workshop facilitated by Thinkwell (run twice per year)

It does not matter in which order staff undertake these two components, but both must be completed in order for staff to be considered for accreditation. Once both components have been completed, the Head of the relevant School must approve accreditation as a Principal Supervisor.

Please contact graduate-school@une.edu.au to register interest for the training workshops, or request enrolment in the Supervisor Induction Module in myLearn.

The Supervisor Induction online module may be completed at any time. It can be accessed via the HDR Portal in myLearn. Log into myLearn and go to the HDR Portal and click on the 'Supervisor Induction Modules' tile to begin.

Supervising Indigenous Researchers

Supervisors of Indigenous Researchers may like to refer to a useful guide which was developed by The Lowitja Institute.

Supporting Indigenous Researchers: A practical guide for supervisors

HDR Student Requirements

Supervisor Agreement

It is essential that you maintain regular contact with your student. The Graduate Research Committee requires all HDR students and their Supervisors to complete a Supervision Agreement Between Students and Supervisors within the first four weeks of starting their candidature in any HDR Program. This agreement will help establish a professional working relationship and set realistic expectations of supervisors and of their students.

Confirmation of Candidature

Confirmation of Candidature (CoC) is a requirement for HDR students and is undertaken after 6 months full-time candidature or 12 months part-time candidature.

The CoC process is designed to identify; at an early stage, any issues that may hinder a satisfactory or timely completion.

Further information relating to confirmation of candidature is available on the Confirmation of Candidature webpage.

HDR Progress Reporting

HDR Progress Reporting is a formal tool for the university to monitor and evaluate the academic progress of each HDR candidate.

It is a requirement for all HDR candidates to complete the report twice a year; each May and October.

Progress reports will be escalated to the UNE supervisor after the candidate has completed their section of the report, or after the two week student completion period.

Supervisors must complete the report for each candidate, even if they have not filled in their section of the report.

Supervisors should note that the progress reports are not confidential, and that candidates will be able to see what the supervisor has written.

Further information regarding progress reporting is available on the HDR Progress Reporting webpage.

HDR Scholarships

There are a number of Scholarships available that supervisors should encourage their HDR students to apply for.

Further information relating to HDR Scholarships is available on the HDR Scholarships webpage.

HDR RAP Portal

The HDR Resources and Advice Portal (HDR RAP) is in myLearn which all HDR students and their supervisors are automatically enrolled in. HDR RAP is designed to assist students in navigating their path through their HDR Candidature at UNE.

HDR Portal Log In (myLearn)

Roles and Responsibilities

Your Responsibilities

You are responsible for providing academic support throughout your student's candidature to enable them to achieve a high standard of research.

  • You should will discuss the nature of their research, choice of topic, research program and the Milestones, and the availability of library resources.
  • You will need to maintain close and regular contact with your student. Frequency of meetings should be discussed with your student when completing the Supervision Agreement Between Student and Supervisor.
  • You will help your student to access the resources they need for their research, and assist with information about University requirements and procedures.
  • Your should ask to receive written work on a pre-arranged and agreed schedule.
  • Your should provide feedback and help your student to develop solutions to problems.
  • You and your student will complete the HDR Progress Report in May and October each year, this process provides an opportunity for HDR candidates and their supervisors to reflect on the progress of research, document any issues, and undertake goal setting so as to ensure a timely completion.
  • You should provide feedback on the content and drafts of the thesis and, at the time of submission, certify that the thesis is worthy of examination.
  • You may also wish to provide career advice and other assistance as appropriate.
  • Stay informed. Important information is communicated to you via your University email account and the weekly Graduate Research School Newsletter.

Student Responsibilities

  • HDR students should be self-directed in their learning and research.
  • Make good progress. The supervisory team should complete the Supervision Agreement Between Students and Supervisors to formalise expectations. Students should meet deadlines and keep to time commitments. Full time students should spend an average of 40 hours per week on their studies, and 20 hours per week if they are part-time.
  • Be proactive and discuss any issues – good or bad – with their supervisors as soon as they arise.
  • Resolve issues early. Keep supervisors informed on delays in progress.
  • If they are unable to work their research for a period of time, they should speak to their supervisor about applying for a Leave of Absence.
  • When seeking feedback from supervisors, student should provide written work in sufficient time to allow detailed review.
  • Be accessible via email or in person.
  • Conduct their research ethically and responsibly.
  • Discuss and agree with supervisors on issues such as intellectual property and authorship for the project as set out in the Supervision Agreement Between Students and Supervisors.
  • Understand the codes of conduct expected of staff and students, and help to make the University a safe and supportive environment for everyone.
UNE Student Services

Below we provide some links to UNE services that are available to support HDR students.

ServicePhone
Academic Skills Office (02) 6773 3600
IT Services (02) 6773 5000
Library Service Desk (02) 6773 2458
Research Services Directorate (02) 6773 3715
Safety, Security and Information (02) 6773 2099
SportUNE (02) 6773 5181
Student Fees and Accounts (02) 6773 2664
Student Grievance Unit (02) 6773 4260
Students LIFE (02) 6773 4059
Student Services (02) 6773 2000
UNE Student Counselling and Psychological Services (02) 6773 2897
Student Access and Inclusion (02) 6773 2897
UNE International (02) 6773 3192
Graduate Research Committee

The Graduate Research Committee functions as a management advisory body, advising the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and supporting the Academic Board by reporting to the Research Committee in relation to all aspects of:

  • Design, development, approval, monitoring, review and revision of all HDR awards
  • Academic rules, policies, procedures and guidelines relating to HDR awards, supervision, research training and the research student experience.
  • HDR Supervisors and Supervision
  • Allocation of Research Training Program Scholarships
  • Policies and procedures relating to research training and the research student experience.

The HDR Coordinators represent each school on this Committee.

Please refer to the Terms of Reference for more information.

Scholarships

There are a number of Scholarships available to students who are studying a Higher Degree Research (HDR), or those who have submitted a Candidature Application for a HDR Course at the University of New England.

For more information visit the HDR Scholarships page.