Project updates and news

Read our newsletter for September 2026 featuring the extended conference call for contributions and exclusive information about the first set of free resources.

In 2025, the Research England-funded Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP) conducted focus groups with Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools (DDDs), focusing on good and poor supervisory practice, and their experiences of addressing the latter. Capturing insights from approximately 15% of the total body of UK DDDs, the resulting report reveals how these key players navigate varying institutional structures and disciplinary norms to identify and remedy situatio

RSVP commissioned Advance HE to conduct a 'deep dive' analysis of the qualitative responses from PRES. Examining 1,000 responses selected from over 100,000 PGRs’ surveys across five years (2021-2025), the report offers a unique lens on the current state of doctoral supervision in the UK.

For those who are thinking of submitting to the RSVP International Research Supervision Conference in 2027, we’re hosting a free online session to help prospective contributors develop their conference submission, go through the criteria and offer space for questions and writing.

Read our newsletter for July/August 2026 featuring the conference call for contributions, submission criteria and writing clinic session plus new focus group insights, and piloting updates.

Based on focus group data with supervisors, we’ve developed an initial professional development programme that we’re now ready to pilot with industry supervisors who are willing to engage and provide feedback.

Taking place in March 2027, the RSVP conference focuses on transforming the culture and practice of research supervision in diverse contexts: Pedagogy, Practice, and Policy. Find out more about the call for contributions.

Over the past year, we’ve been researching, co-creating, and piloting professional development interventions for doctoral supervisors with our incredible network of Practitioner Partners. We’re in the process of digesting the feedback and completing revisions, and are delighted to announce that we’ll be making a staggered release of many of these free resources to the sector from Autumn 2026 through to Spring 2027.

What does it really take to be an effective doctoral supervisor?

Read our newsletter for April 2026 featuring updates on our peer observation pilot for research supervisors, and news about the next installment in the RSVP Collection. We also highlight our keynote appearance at the QPR conference and new resources from the UK Research Integrity Office.

Missed UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO)'s webinar on supervisors and research culture on 24 March 2026? A full recording of the session, along with summary materials, is now publicly available.

Read our newsletter for March 2026 featuring the launch of the RSVP Collection (and first report), an update on ongoing development work and new supervisor programme, and a new book chapter on team chapter.

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new 'RSVP Collection' featuring empirically grounded reports, scholarly papers and data and pedagogy-informed position papers on the value of professional development in transforming research supervision practice. The first installment in this collection builds a snapshot of the current professional development provision for, and reward and recognition of, supervisory practice.

Read our newsletter for January 2026 featuring updates on our piloting process, a spotlight on peer mentoring circles and a look ahead to upcoming publications and conference appearances.

In association with the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE), we welcomed Professor Debbie Riby (Centre for Neurodiversity & Development, Durham University) on 28 November 2025 to share insights from her research on neurodivergent PhD researchers and lead a discussion about supervision practices for neuroinclusion.

Ahead of the roll-out of an extended pilot programme of peer mentoring circles across our practitioner partner network, the University of York is currently running an internal pilot with 36 research supervisors in six cross-disciplinary groups. Supervisor peer mentoring circles create a supportive space for supervisors from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, and levels of experience to engage in regular, facilitated conversations about supervision. Participants are encouraged

RSVP's iterative development cycle for our co-creation process Since the start of 2025, the RSVP core partners have been busy developing and piloting Continuing Professional Development (CPD) interventions. We've been taking on board key learnings from our network of 58 Practitioner Partners, who have been a crucial element in establishing the evidence base for the development work. What we’ve learned from our Practitioner Partners to date includes: Over 64% of institutions

Focus groups are a critical part of gathering the evidence base for RSVP, and we have been busy in May and June hosting sessions with two groups of key stakeholders: Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools, and non-HEI based research supervisors.

Across two days in late April, we hosted our first 'train-the-trainer' workshop at the University of York for our Practitioner Partners. The two-day workshop explored facilitation tools, covered key continuing professional development (CPD) topics and identified approaches for engaging supervisors in professional development. Cascading and co-creating ideas in this way is part of the approach that RSVP is developing to benefit the whole sector. These events are part of our pi

Dr Karen Clegg was delighted to be an invited contributor to the Annual Conference of the Network for Professionals in Doctoral Education, held in London from 8-9 April. With a conference theme of 'Back to the Future: The next two decades of doctoral education', the conference was very much aligned with RSVP's focus on Next Generation Research Supervision. Karen provided an extended pre-conference workshop, entitled Professionalising Supervision, which attracted 60 participan