SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREES
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STUDENT HANDBOOK
2013/2014
Welcome to all Postgraduate Research Students
We would like to welcome you to the research community of the School of Medicine. We have a vibrant research culture in the School and we hope that you, as research students, will contribute to and benefit from that culture. Our foremost aim is to assist all our students to gain the degree for which they are registered. As part of this we enable students to contribute to internationally competitive research and to write up and submit an excellent thesis in a timely fashion. We also hope to keep you excited about science by providing lots of opportunities to hear other scientists present their work and by giving you opportunities to present your work to your local research group, the School and at scientific conferences. While you are studying for your degree we aim to help you become excellent and enthusiastic scientists with the ability to contribute to the wider scientific community both during and after your time as a student in the School. We also endeavour to help all our students make informed choices about their post-PhD careers.
Prof Lesley Jones Dr Anwen Williams
Director of Postgraduate Research Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research
OVERVIEW
This handbook aims to give our PhD, MD and MPhil students and research staff a guide to the School of Medicine’s Research Degree requirements, procedures and other information you may find useful.
Due to continuing changes in postgraduate education, amendments and updates to this handbook will be communicated to all research students, supervisors and Institute contacts via email. Any recommendations for amendments or additions to this handbook should be sent to The Postgraduate Research Office ().
We recommend that you routinely use the electronic version of this handbook, which will be regularly updated and which complements other University handbooks accessed via: -
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/current/for-current-students-handbooks.html
The Handbook will be regularly updated and posted on the Postgraduate Research web pages http://medicine.cf.ac.uk/pgr
Students enrolled on the Master of Research in Biomedical Research should check the MRes Handbook also available on the Postgraduate Research Web pages.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to all Postgraduate Research Students 2
1. The School of Medicine Postgraduate Research Office 6
2. Research in the School of Medicine 7
3. The School Structure 8
3.1 Research Institutes 9
3.2 PGR Administration in the Research Institutes 12
3.3 The Postgraduate Research Degree Committee 12
3.4 Postgraduate Research student Committee 13
4 Student Registration & Induction 14
4.1 University Regulations & Induction 14
4.2 School Regulations & Induction 15
4.3 Induction Programme 16
5 Training & Development 17
5.1 Postgraduate Course in Biomedical Research Techniques (BMRT) 17
5.2 Science Seminars 18
5.3 Teaching and Demonstrating Training 18
5.4 Other Workshops offered by the School 19
5.5 University Graduate College Skills Training 19
6 The Graduate College 20
6.1 University Graduate College Skills Training 22
6.1 The Graduate Centre and Social Spaces 22
7 Laboratory & Clinical Services 23
7.1 Central Biotechnology Services 23
7.2 Clinical Research Facility 23
7.2 Research Governance 23
7.3 NHS Research Passport 23
8 IT Support Services 24
9 Student Support Services 24
9.1 Student Support 24
9.2 Mental Health Information & Support for PGR Students 25
10. Health & Safety 27
10.1 Security Numbers 27
11 Student Consultation 27
11.1 Student Communication, Evaluation & Feedback 27
11.2 Complaint Procedure 28
11.3 Equality & Diversity 28
12 The Research Degree Study programme 29
12.1 Study Periods & submission times 29
12.2 Student Absence Procedure
12.3 Non-Engagement with Your Programme 30
12.4 Interruptions & Extensions 30
12.3 Transfer of programme and changes to mode of study 31
13 Mentoring Scheme Guidelines 31
13.1 Introduction 31
13.2 Why? 31
13.3 What is Mentoring 31
14 Supervision 34
14.1 Supervision Team 34
14.2 Student Responsibility 36
15 Student Progress Monitoring 37
15.1 Overview 37
15.2 Monitoring Process from October 2013 38
15.3 Initial reporting 38
15.4 Interim report 39
15.5 Six Monthly reporting 39
15.6 Probationary/Annual Progress review 41
15.7 Review Panel 43
15.8 Request to Transfer from MPhil to PhD 45
15.9 Unsatisfactory progress 45
15.10 Exclusion form Study 46
15.11 Overseas Students 46
15.12 Appendix 47
16 The Research Degree Examination 59
16.1 Pre Submission & Viva 59
16.2 Summary of Criteria for the Award of PhD/MD 59
16.3 Submission & Examination Checklist 60
17 Other Useful Links 63
1. The School of Medicine Postgraduate Research office
The School of Medicine Postgraduate Research Office (PGR Office) aims to provide a high quality service to postgraduate research students and supervisors. The Office provides advice and support on all matters relating to research degrees. The Office exists to support and facilitate all aspects of PGR administration. Its responsibilities include the enrolment and induction of new students, managing the supervisory and monitoring system and making arrangements for thesis submission.
The PGR Office should act as a first point of contact for any queries you may have. It is located in room 2.24, 2nd Floor, B Block, Main Building, Heath Park Campus.
Contact Details
Contact / Email / TelephoneGeneral PGR enquiries should be sent to: / / 029 20 74 6484
Aled Holt
Office Manager / / 029 2074 6453
Sarah Williams
PGR Administrator / / 029 20 74 6716
Frances Murphy
Student Support Assistant / / 029 20 74 6484
Jo Richards
M.Res Student Support Assistant / / 029 20 74 4237
All latest Information relating to postgraduate research can be found on our web pages http://medicine.cf.ac.uk/pgr/
From time to time, the Office will email students and supervisors regarding postgraduate research related issues. We also communicate through a number of other media including Facebook and Twitter.
There is always someone available for you to talk to in confidence within the School or the wider University about any academic or more personal concerns that you may have during your time at Cardiff University. Details of all the support available is given in Section 9 Student Support.
1 Research in the School of Medicine
The School is a major international centre for research and teaching and a vibrant community of medical endeavour. We are one of the largest Medical Schools in the United Kingdom, home to over 3000 students and staff. As well as our world-class contribution to medicine, we play an important part in the life of Wales. The School is based at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and at other sites within Wales. We make a positive difference to the way medicine is practised across the country and internationally. Medicine is a constituent school of Cardiff University’s College for Biomedical and Life Sciences.
In 2012-13, School of Medicine researchers won over £35million in research grant income from external funders such as the NHS, Government, the charitable sector, the healthcare industries and other partners to work on the most pressing issues of human health.
Research in the School is conducted in our Research Institutes. Each Institute links basic science to clinical practice in hospital and community settings. The Institutes are Cancer and Genetics, Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Primary Care and Public Health and Infection and Immunity. Each Institute aims to translate high quality research into better treatments for patients. We also have Institutes focused on Medical Education and translation, innovation, methodologies and engagement (TIME).
The School has state of the art facilities in a number of dedicated research buildings including the Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research, the Welsh Heart Research Institute, the Tenovus building, the Cancer and Genetics building and the newly opened Hadyn Ellis building on the Maindy Road campus. The Clinical Research Facility provides resources and equipment to facilitate patient participation in clinical research and the School has several units devoted to conducting clinical trials. Much equipment and many facilities that are used by our research students are within Central Biotechnology Services (CBS) which aims to provide state of the art equipment with appropriate technical support for use by multiple research groups. Multidisciplinary research is strongly encouraged within the School involving partners across the School’s Institutes and collaborators in other Schools of Cardiff University and external partners. The School also participates in two of the University’s cross-disciplinary Research Institutes: the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute and the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute.
Students involved in Clinical Research may need to apply for an NHS Passport: this should be discussed with the supervisory team. Students should refer to the Research Governance Framework web page and check the Clinical Research Facilities.
2 The School Structure
The Head of School and Dean of Medicine is currently Professor B Paul Morgan is responsible for the management and academic welfare of all research students registered in the School. The Head of School has appointed Professor Lesley Jones as the Director of Postgraduate Research Studies. Prof. Jones is a senior researcher with extensive experience of successful supervision and is be available to provide advice and support to both students and supervisors in collaboration with the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Office. Dr Anwen Williams is Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research in the School. Administrative queries should be addressed to the PGR Office. Academic queries should be directed to Prof Jones or Dr Williams or the postgraduate research representatives within the Research Institutes (see section 3.1).The School of Medicine is divided into Research Institutes that aim to maximise the potential of research groups and individuals by concentrating on areas of research strength. The Institutes encourage collaboration across the School, University and further afield in areas of common interest.
Research students are assigned to a Institute within the School, and will receive expert supervision in their chosen area from a supervisory team of at least two academic staff members. The School has an active research culture with many research-led activities in which postgraduate research students are encouraged to participate. Students are also encouraged to organise their own research-led activities.
The School and the Institutes run regular seminar series open to all researchers to attend. Seminar series along with local lab meetings provide opportunities for students to present their work to their peers and to the wider School community. With over 270 postgraduate research students there is a large community within the School and there are links to other schools through individual research projects, the wider College of Biomedical and Life Sciences and the University Graduate College.
3. Research Institutes
3.1.1. Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience (IPMCN)
Our research aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying major psychiatric and neurological disorders. There are research programmes in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression in children and adolescents, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and epilepsy amongst others. There is a major focus on genetics and genomics but also interest in brain imaging, epidemiology, animal models and cell biology. There is also research in psycho-education, health services and public engagement.
Members of the Institute comprise the majority of the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics. There is much current collaborative research both with other Institutes within the School of Medicine and with other Schools of Cardiff University: in particular there are links with the Schools of Psychology (brain imaging, developmental psychopathology and animal models), Biosciences (Huntington's disease, stem cell research), Social Sciences (genetics and society, criminology) and Law (mental health law). We also have extensive national and international links. The Institute currently hosts over 40 postgraduate research students.
Recent Publications
Molecular Psychiatry (2012) 17, 142–153 - http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v17/n2/full/mp2011154a.html
Nature Communications 4, Article number:2311 - http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/130806/ncomms3311/full/ncomms3311.html
3.1.2. Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine (IMEM)
The Institute comprises high quality research teams focused on addressing overlapping issues in cardiorespiratory, metabolic and inflammatory disorders by means of state-of-the-art translational medicine studies underpinned by excellent basic science. Led by Prof Colin Dayan, IMEM consists of 6 multidisciplinary research groups and 7 clinical academic departments. IMEM hosts more than 30 Principal Investigators, including 14 Professors and has more than 70 research students undertaking higher degrees. IMEM also conducts a large number of clinical trials focused on translation of scientific knowledge to clinical care. The Institute’s research is divided into six themes:
· Diabetes
· Ionic Cell Signalling
· The Thyroid in Health and Disease
· Matrix Biology
· Cardiovascular Biology and Metabolism
· Cardiorespiratory
3.1.3. Institute of Primary Care and Public Health (IPCPH)
The Institute of Primary Care and Public Health (IPCPH) seeks to promote health and well-being by reducing in-equalities in population health and health care. The Institute aims to conduct world-leading research that is socially responsive, locally relevant, and applicable internationally.
Our research integrates biological, social, mathematical, clinical and epidemiological fundamental science to take innovations forward using our world leading translation science and topic expertise.
Research is focussed within five programmes:
· Common Infections and Antibiotic Resistance
· Behavioural Medicine
· Early Years
· Healthy Places
· Healthy Ageing
The Institute of Primary Care and Public Health is home to 112 members of staff including 24 principal investigators, offering a variety of expertise including specialists in clinical medicine, statistics, psychology, sociology and systematic reviews. There are currently 25 PhD students and 33 Master of Public Health students based within the Institute. We endeavour to channel funding for the support and development of our students. In addition, The Institute is also the Cardiff School of Medicine home to Wales School for Primary Care Research and the Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement.