Professor Andy Radford (School of Biological Sciences) and Dr Stephen Mawdsley (School of Humanities) have achieved UKCGE Recognised Supervisor status.
The UKCGE Recognised Supervisor Scheme provides sector-wide recognition of doctoral supervisory excellence, with Andy and Stephen being the first colleagues at the University of Bristol to achieve this prestigious status. To be considered, supervisors submit a detailed reflective account of their supervisory practice, which is assessed by an expert UKCGE panel. Applicants are required to demonstrate their experience and effectiveness, as well as their growth as supervisors, across the ten themes of the UKCGE | Good Supervisory Practice Framework.
The award provides an opportunity for reflection, professional development and recognition, highlighting the vital role that high-quality supervision plays in postgraduate research success and wellbeing.
Andy says, "Undertaking the UKCGE application process provided a valuable, formal opportunity to reflect on my supervisory approach and the impact on the doctoral researchers that I have been fortunate enough to support. The framework helped me identify strengths in my practice as well as areas for continued development. Postgraduate supervision is one of the most important and enjoyable parts of my job."
Stephen says," It was great to reflect more on my journey as a graduate supervisor and to continue to work towards best practice principles. It is such a privilege to mentor the next generation of historians and support graduate research."
The pilot activity that supported Andy and Stephen in achieving this award was a collaborative effort involving colleagues from Bristol Doctoral College, Bristol Institute for Teaching and Learning (BILT) and Professor Stephanie King, Academic lead for supervision at University of Bristol.
Stephanie says: "We are committed to supporting our supervisors to continually enhance their practice through high-quality training, resources and development opportunities. We are incredibly proud of Andy and Stephen for becoming the University’s first UKCGE Recognised Supervisors. Their success marks an important milestone for the University, and with more colleagues now working towards the award, we are building real momentum in celebrating excellence in doctoral supervision."
Funding from the GW4 Reculture fund has enabled a further 12 University of Bristol supervisors, alongside 12 supervisors from University of Bath and 12 from Cardiff University, to begin working towards UKCGE Recognised Supervisor status.
Following the completion of this collaborative pilot, the University will review opportunities for future participation in the scheme. University of Bristol supervisors who are interested in pursuing UKCGE Recognised Supervisor status are encouraged to contact the Bristol Doctoral College doctoral-college@bristol.ac.uk in the first instance.
The University of Bristol is committed to supporting excellence in doctoral supervision and looks forward to seeing more supervisors achieve UKCGE Recognised Supervisor status in the future.