Doctoral Academy PGR Rep System

Source: https://www.doctoral-academy.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/community/pgr-reps/ Parent: https://www.doctoral-academy.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/

PGR student representatives (PGR reps) provide a voice for fellow students in their School, Division or cohort by ensuring their concerns are raised during University decision-making processes.

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH) is home to over 1,500 PGRs, who each have a unique PGR journey. Therefore, we need to ensure communication between staff and PGRs is clear and effective, and that the needs of all PGRs are represented and included in key decision-making processes and discussions at the University. To help the Doctoral Academy (DA) achieve this, we have put in place a framework of PGR reps.

The DA's PGR rep scheme is a valued part of the PGR community in FBMH and integral to our goal of maintaining a positive research culture. We believe that reps help get PGRs' voices heard, whilst building a welcoming postgraduate research environment.

Key role of PGR reps

• Provide both positive and negative feedback to staff.
• Act as a communication channel between staff and PGRs.
• Provide feedback to staff and PGRs and close the feedback loop.

There are two types of PGR rep roles within the FBMH DA rep scheme:

• School PGR reps.
• Divisional PGR reps.

If you're interested in becoming a rep, but you aren't sure what these roles entail, please look at the more detailed descriptions for each role below. All current reps are listed below in the ‘Meet your School and Divisional PGR Reps’ section.

Any current reps who no longer feel able to fulfil the commitments of their role, please email the PGR Experience Team at FBMH.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk so that a replacement rep can be identified. We understand that research and other pressures fluctuate, and that life happens. However, if you cannot fulfil the role and you don’t let us know it will leave your PGRs unrepresented.

School PGR Rep Roles and Responsibilities

Each school within FBMH has two appointed PGR reps. School reps must be in their first or second year on appointment. Your programme end date must be a minimum of two years from when you take on the school rep role.

When you agree to be a school rep, this is for a minimum of 12 months. The DA will ask you to sign an agreement which confirms that you have spoken with your supervisor and that you are happy to undertake the role for a minimum of 12 months. If you are an MPhil PGR and considering taking on this role, please get in touch with the DA Experience Team at fbmh.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk for a chat.

School reps have monthly one-to-one meetings with the DA Experience Team to help them in their role. This will give you the opportunity to discuss how you feel the role is going and if you have any concerns. We have also created a useful interactive toolkit to help reps understand more about the role, in addition to the points below.

As a pilot from September 2024, the school PGR rep role will receive a £150 monthly stipend. Failure to meet the expectations outlined below or sufficiently engage with the role may lead to the withdrawal of the stipend enhancement at the discretion of the DA PGR Experience team.

School PGR rep responsibilities

• Each rep is responsible for representing a defined group of PGRs. It is your responsibility to ensure PGRs in your school know who you are, how to contact you and that you are available and respond in a timely manner.
• Monitor and manage effective communication with PGRs in your division.
• Know your limits. You are not responsible for solving every problem. Most often you will be signposting PGRs to where they can receive help. If in doubt, refer PGRs to the DA (FBMH.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk), who can advise.
• Share examples of best practice with other reps, tutors and the DA.
• Create and manage any PGR specific social media platforms, such as Bluesky and Instagram. This includes posting about meetings, events and opportunities and may involve using the Reps Teams channel.
• Collate articles of activities which have been run throughout the year for a DA newsletter.
• School reps have responsibility for the divisional rep scheme within their schools, including:
• collating information to/from the divisional reps of ongoing issues;
• liaising with divisional reps to identify issues within your school and signpost to solutions;
• reporting feedback from divisional reps to the school/DA;
• reporting feedback from the DA to divisional reps;
• keeping the list of divisional reps up to date;
• supporting and mentoring new reps;
• succession planning and supporting the identification of new PGR divisional reps;
• monitoring and managing effective communication with divisional reps.
• Work with divisional reps and DA throughout the year to review ongoing PGR activities that contribute to a positive research culture.
• Set the yearly budget with the DA.
• Alongside divisional reps, organise, advertise, oversee and attend local events including seminar series, socials, conferences and coffee mornings (including signposting all PGR to these activities during meetings and via email).
• Helping to plan and attend yearly induction events (including school/divisional induction activities and social events). At least one school rep must attend all of the induction and welcome events (October, February and May).
• Feed into and support the PGR Experience team in ensuring the PGR voice is heard in ad hoc decisions.
• Support and develop PGR rep training events in liaison with the Experience team (2-3 training events per academic year; arranged by the Experience team with input from school reps).
• Attend at least one PGR rep training event run by the DA per year.
• Input into website updates.

Meetings to attend:

• Doctoral Academy Leadership Team (DALT) meetings (monthly; one rep from each school to attend each month). School PGR reps have an item on the agenda, providing the opportunity to raise any issues, requests or questions on behalf of the divisional reps and the wider student community, feeding back any developments to PGRs. This meeting also provides the opportunity to feedback good practice and contribute to Faculty decisions and projects that impact PGRs.
• Pre-DALT meeting with the DA PGR Experience Team, to collate all school feedback to communicate at DALT (this happens once a month, the week before DALT).
• PGR Forums to create a vibrant and engaged PGR rep committee (1-2 per semester). NOTE: The school reps organise these meetings (including writing and circulating agendas), chair and attend (including minuting the meetings, unless it is agreed that a Divisional rep shall undertake this role).
• Postgraduate Research Committees (PGRCs; monthly) with the divisional senior tutors, PGR director and members of the DA. School PGR reps have an item on the agenda, providing the opportunity to raise any issues, requests or questions on behalf of the divisional reps and the wider student community, feeding back developments to PGRs. This meeting also provides the opportunity to feedback good practice and contribute to school decisions and projects that impact PGRs.

NB: Undertaking this role is not a mitigation for an extension.

Divisional PGR Reps Roles and Responsibilities

You can become a divisional rep at any point during your research degree. This is a great role to undertake if you aspire to become a school rep.

When you agree to be a divisional rep this is for a minimum of 12 months. The DA will ask you to sign an agreement which confirms that you have spoken with your supervisor and that you are happy to undertake the role for a minimum of 12 months. We have also created a useful interactive toolkit to help reps understand more about the role, in addition to the points below.

Divisional PGR rep responsibilities

• Each divisional rep is responsible for representing a defined group of PGRs. It is your responsibility to ensure PGRs in your division know who you are, how to contact you and that you are available and respond in a timely manner.
• Monitor and manage effective communication with PGRs in your division.
• Know your limits. You are not responsible for solving every problem. Most often you will be signposting PGRs to where they can receive help. If in doubt, refer PGRs to the DA (FBMH.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk) who can advise.
• Liaise regularly, share examples of best practice and develop feedback mechanisms to identify issues and concerns with other reps, tutors and the DA.
• Support the school reps in collating information for social media platforms, such as Bluesky and Instagram. This includes posting about meetings, events and opportunities and may involve using the Reps Teams channel.
• Disseminate information and feedback to/from the school reps/DA to/from the PGR community.
• Support and work alongside the school reps to organise divisional events.
• Attend PGR rep forums (1-2 per semester). There should be one representative from each division in attendance at every meeting. If no rep can attend, then an update must be submitted beforehand.
• One rep from each division must attend the October induction event. If notified by school reps of new starters in January and April, then one divisional rep must attend the February and May induction events.
• Attend at least one PGR rep training event run by the DA per year.

Programme Reps

Please refer to the programme-specific handbooks for details of their rep schemes.

How to become a Rep

If you are interested in becoming a school rep, please speak with your supervisor in the first instance to inform them that you are intending on applying for the position. Then submit an expression of interest to the DA:

Email: FBMH.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk

If you are interested in becoming a divisional rep, please speak with your supervisor in the first instance to inform them that you are intending on applying for the position. Then complete the expression of interest form.

The DA will provide reps at the start of their appointment with up-to-date contact information of your PGRs and other staff relevant to your role (e.g. other reps within your school, divisional senior tutor and PGR tutors).

Being an active voice: the importance of clear communication

Within such a large faculty it is really important that two-way communication is effective. PGR reps are central to ensuring this works well.

As a PGR rep, your role is to:

• Provide both positive and negative feedback to staff.
• Act as a communication channel between staff and PGRs.
• Provide feedback to staff and PGRs and close the feedback loop (see below).

How Do You Feedback Effectively? Find out in the interactive toolkit.

Meet your School and Divisional PGR Reps

School of Biological Sciences

Click on your rep's name to find out more about them.

School of Medical Sciences

Click on your rep's name to find out more about them.

School of Health Sciences

Click on your rep's name to find out more about them.

Have you been impressed by a PGR Rep?

If you have been particularly impressed by the actions of your local PGR Rep, there is a PGR Representative category in the PGR Excellence Awards.

Our PGR reps have organised many events and activities for PGRs in their schools, divisions and programmes. PGR rep activities include the organisation and delivery of seminar series, careers events, coffee mornings, sports days and International Women's Day initiatives.

If you feel a Rep deserves a shoutout for their hard work, please get in touch with us for reps to have a special mention in the monthly Doctoral Academy PGR Bulletin.

Email: FBMH.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk