College Researcher Training Committee Remit
The terms of reference for the Committee are:
- To promote good practice in research training and professional development for PhD students, for postdoctoral researchers and for academic staff.
- To hold monthly Examination Boards for the approval of external examiner reports, concession requests and exclusions for PhD, MPhil and MScR students in the College.
- Exam Board Minutes can be found on the RTC wiki pages and are restricted to RTC members in accordance with the Data Protection Act. https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/CSEPGRS/Research+Training+Committee.
- To Discuss and promote strategic initiatives to enhance and develop new PGR programmes, including Erasmus Mundus/Joint PhD s.
- To Formulate strategic initiatives to enhance early researcher experience. To support the schools in ensuring that training opportunities, annual reviews and career development opportunities are available to all research staff.
- To engage with the issues arising from both the Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) and the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PR ES). To Encourage and support the development of School, Interdisciplinary, and College wide PGR and Post-doc communities.
- To Positively respond to any changes, initiatives and developments external to the College that relate to PGR and Early Stage Researcher training.
- To oversee good governance for postgraduate research. To Ensure a consistent approach to governance of PGR students within Schools, such as annual reviews and student progression, whilst recognising that some diversity will be required where beneficial to the students. disseminate best practice on PGR governance, and address issues arising from QA and ELIR reviews.
- To Provide support for PRG supervisors and research staff mangers through both College and School provision of supervisor and research manager briefing events.
- To provide the College with intelligence on research training and related activities from the research Councils and other stakeholders. To report on, and inform, discussions of the Senatus Researcher Experience Committee.
- Discuss developments and initiatives being developed by Vitae in relation to PGR and Post-doc training and career development. Engagement with external organisations such as Vitae, Universitas 21, L ERU, Research Charities, Scottish Funding Council, RCUK and other Research Councils, to provide prepare for future developments in PRG and early researcher.
- To represent the career development interests of early career researchers in the College. Support the implementation the Code of Practice for the Management of Research Staff within the Schools. Facilitate effective research staff orientation and induction events. Better representation of research staff views and concerns at College. Increase awareness and participation in career development programmes for research staff. Support the creation and development of both high-level training skills and generic skills, which support the training of researchers and enhance their career development opportunities.
- To promote and implement programmes for research training and researchers career development programmes in the College. Liaise with the Institute for Academic Development (IAD), to ensure training opportunities match the needs of all early stage researchers, and to develop innovative training courses that enhance the research experience.
- To explore new initiatives and disseminate knowledge on how to increase the numbers of high quality PGR students in the College. Develop PGR programmes that add value to researcher experience and increase PGR career opportunities. Increase the numbers of overseas students by most effective distribution of the SORAS awards to the Schools.