# Research student representatives

**Source**: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/research-degrees-team/current-students/graduate-college/research-student-representatives
**Parent**: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/research-degrees-team

Important aspects of the role of a Research Student Representative are to represent and engage with other research students. Student Representatives will attend meetings and act as a conduit between students and the University, taking forward matters and students’ views that arise from within the faculties, and those that occur centrally, and raise them where it matters within the University. They also ensure that feedback is taken back to the group of students they represent and by doing so ensure that students are kept up to date with current initiatives and developments, and feel that their views and concerns are taken seriously.

You can find out more about the role of Research Student Representatives at Oxford Brookes University by viewing the [Research Student Representatives role and responsibilities](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/research-degrees-team/current-students/graduate-college/research-student-representatives/representatives-role-and-responsibilities). Additionally, to help you in this role, you can also download the [committee structure](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/getmedia/951afe4c-6a77-42f1-93d6-860030b68e7f/Committee-Structure.pdf) containing information about the role of each committee and their interactions.

If you are interested in becoming a Research Student Representative, please contact the Research Degrees Team.

Inductions for new Research Student Representatives are carried out regularly throughout the year.

Our current research student representatives sitting on each of the Committees can be found below.

## Contact us

### Research Degrees Team

[rdt-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:rdt-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk)

## Contacting your departmental representatives

You can contact the Research Student Representative(s) for your department using the email addresses below:

- Architecture: [ARCH-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:ARCH-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Arts: [ARTS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:ARTS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Biological and Medical Sciences: [BMS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:BMS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Built Environment: [BE-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:BE-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Education: [EDU-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:EDU-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Engineering, Computing and Mathematics: [ECM-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:ECM-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Health Care: [HC-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:HC-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Humanities: [HU-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:HU-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Oxford Brookes Business School: [BUS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:BUS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)
- Social Sciences and Law: [SS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:SS-researchstudentreps@brookes.ac.uk)

## Committees

### Graduate College Steering Group

The [Graduate College Steering Group (GCSG)](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/research-degrees-team/current-students/graduate-college/steering-group) is responsible to the Research Degrees Committee and Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee. They come together at least 3 times a year to discuss:

- research students training
- networking opportunities
- quality, standards, promotion and operation of the research programmes and degrees.

The terms of reference, meeting papers and minutes can be found on the [GCSG Google site](https://sites.google.com/brookes.ac.uk/ab-committees/rkec/graduate-college-steering-group).

#### **Current Research Student Representatives**

- Babz Clough - School of Arts
- Maria de Carli Ball - School of Arts
- Mitaali Katoch - Oxford Brookes Business School
- Marie Rusch - School of Biological and Medical Sciences
- Saeed Azhdarnia - School of the Built Environment

### Research Degrees Committee

The [Research Degrees Committee (RDC)](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/research-degrees-team/research-staff/research-degrees-committee) has devolved responsibility for all matters related to the University’s research degree programmes and research students. It produces regulations and codes of practice in line with external requirements and HEFCE guidelines and reports to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee on all areas of its remit.

The Committee is also responsible for continually monitoring the programme at all levels across the University to ensure that faculties are working within the regulations and codes. Meetings are held four times in the year.

The committee monitors:

- supervision
- students’ progress
- reviews facilities both at faculty and University level
- reports its findings to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee and the University via its Annual Report.

Meeting papers and minutes can be found [RDC Google site](https://sites.google.com/brookes.ac.uk/ab-committees/rkec/research-degrees-committee).

#### **Current research student representatives**

- Bethy Airstone - School of Biological and Medical Sciences
- Muhammad Shahzad - School of the Built Environment
- Jaqui Thijm - School of Education, Humanities and Languages
- Charlotte O'Neil - School of Law and Social Sciences

### Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (RKEC) holds primary responsibility for the functional operation of the powers of Academic Board in relation to research activities and postgraduate research students.

RKEC is responsible to the Academic Board for policy and processes for research and knowledge exchange, research students and the quality, standards and operation of research programmes and degrees.

The Committee also develops strategic policy, for recommendation to the Academic Board, including policies and practice relating to recruitment and admission, develops research training and monitors the work of schools and directorates in relation to research and knowledge exchange.

Meeting papers and minutes can be found on the [RKEC Google site](https://sites.google.com/brookes.ac.uk/ab-committees/rkec).

#### **Current research student representatives**

- Mary Quirke - Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Jan Nardini - Oxford Brookes Business School
- Erkin Kurtoglu - School of the Built Environment

### University Research Ethics Committee

The University Research Ethics Office is looking for up to 8 PhD student representatives for the 2024/2025 academic year. At Oxford Brookes all research involving human participants, material, or data is subject to ethical review. In this role, student representatives will gain insight into this process by becoming members of a research ethics sub-committee and helping to review ethics applications.

Previous experience in research ethics is not needed: simply a willingness to learn, and a curiosity about the research that takes place across the University. Training will be provided to all student representatives. Please note that this is an unpaid role. The total commitment is on average 30 hours for the year (see below for details). The role is available for the 2024/2025 academic year with a possibility to extend into subsequent years. This role can be included in a C.V. and as part of a portfolio of training and development.

#### Benefits of the role

1. Training in research ethics and its associated procedures, including attaining the skills of a peer reviewer;
2. Networking with academic and professional services colleagues across the University;
3. Gaining insight into a wide range of research methodologies and subject domains.

#### Responsibilities of research student representative (overview)

1. Attending 3 Sub-Committee meetings and ensuring that a PhD representative is present at each meeting. Students will be assigned either to the Health and Social Care Research Ethics Sub-Committee (HSCRES), which considers research primarily from the Health and Life Sciences, and the Cross-Faculty Research Sub-Committee (CRES), which considers research from all other faculties. These Sub-Committees meet 12 times a year. With 4 students per Sub-Committee, this will mean attending 3 meetings per year. The meetings last between 1 to 1.5 hours and are online.
2. Reading and reviewing ethics applications in advance of 3 Sub-Committee meetings. Representatives will provide bullet-point notes on all ethics applications for the meetings that they are attending. This will take around 30-45 minutes per application. There is a maximum of 12 applications per meeting, though usually there are fewer – around 7 for CRES or 3 for HSCRES on average.

#### Current research student representatives

- Shannon Skeffington - School of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health
- Elizabeth Okoro - Oxford Brookes Business School
- Matthew Albrighton - School of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health
- Mary Quirke - School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Kim Griffin - School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions

Please contact the University Research Ethics Officer by email at [ethics@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:ethics@brookes.ac.uk) for further details or to apply.

### Faculty Research Degrees Sub-Comittees

Meeting minutes and papers for the faculty Research Degrees Sub-Committees and faculty Research and Knowledge Exchange Committees can be found on the [Academic Board & Sub-Committees Google site](https://sites.google.com/brookes.ac.uk/ab-committees/home/committee-sites "Academic Board & Sub-Committees Google site").

#### Student representatives at Faculty Research Sub-Committees

- Matt Albrighton - Psychology
- Marie Rusch - Biology
- Amy Poole - Nursing and Midwifery
- Giada Gusmin - Nursing - Professional Doctorate
- Felicity Lucas - Sports Science
- Madhusha Mendis - Architecture
- Andre Costa - Engineering
- Aduen Benjumea Diepa - Computing
- Erkin Kurtoglu - Built Environment
- Babz Clough - Arts
- Harry Tidby - English and Modern Languages
- Mike Power - History, Philosophy and Culture
- Casey Alves - Law
- Helene Felici - International Politics and Relations
- Heshika Hematilake - Biological Sciences
- Aniekeme George - Biological Sciences (ILESLA and BBSRC programmes)
- Renata Koviazina - Biological Sciences

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