RSVP Newsletter: April 2026
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 15
We hope you enjoyed a lovely Easter break and soaked up plenty of sun (and chocolate!) 🌞 Following our March update, we’ve given our website a spring clean and have been busy preparing for the release of our Phase 2 pilot materials! Catch up on the latest updates below.
Updates
Piloting update
As we approach the mid-point of the external piloting programme, we’ve started to receive constructive feedback on our Phase 1 materials (launched in October 2025) from our Practitioner Partner network.
Over the following months, these materials will be reviewed to inform a comprehensive refinement of the content. We’ll be seeking to ensure that the materials are robust, relevant, and suitably flexible to be used in a variety of institutional contexts.
Learning from each other: Peer Observation of Research Supervision
Peer observation of research supervision is a structured, developmental way for supervisors at all stages to learn from each other by observing real supervision in action and reflecting together afterwards. This feedback, coupled with insights from the peer observation process, enables research supervisors to reflect on their approaches and expand their skill repertoire to support diversity and inclusion in doctoral education.
As part of a wider suite of supervisor development interventions, we are piloting a process for peer observation of research supervision at the five core RSVP institutions. The pilot follows a three-stage process: an introductory workshop that introduces the rationale, the method and roles, followed by the main observation process (over four to six weeks) which concludes with a structured follow-up session that consolidates learning.
Once this process has been piloted and refined, we will be releasing it to the sector in the 2026/27 academic year.
Update on Starting Strong: A Programme for New Research Supervisors
In our March newsletter we outlined our plan to take new and early-stage supervisors from across a number of Practitioner Partner institutions on a structured, cohort-based learning journey. We’ve had an enthusiastic response to our call with over 100 applications from 10 institutes across our network!
This high level of interest underscores the critical need for this programme across the sector, and we look forward to sharing more information about our approach, rationale and programme content later this year.
RSVP Collection: Next installment coming soon ⌛
The next release in the RSVP Collection focuses on the voice of research supervisors based in academic institutes, and is due to launch shortly. The report consolidates our findings from focus groups with research supervisors across disciplines and experience levels at our five core institutions over Summer 2024. The opinions, experiences, and observations made by participants have resulted in an incredibly rich resource that we have incorporated into our supervision development initiatives, scholarly outputs, and sector-wide research on culture change.
In addition to this, we've commissioned a deep dive by Advance HE on Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) data in relation to PGR feedback on supervisory practice. More to come on this soon.
Publications & Resources
The role of supervisors in fostering positive research culture▪️UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) webinar
On 24 March 2026, Dr Karen Clegg and Dr Owen Gower joined the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) for their latest webinar which covered the role of supervisors in fostering positive research culture. As part of the webinar, Dr Clegg and Dr Gower explored RSVP findings and provided practical insights into how supervisors and institutions can foster supportive, integrity-driven research cultures. The session provided a valuable opportunity for supervisors, research managers, and institutional leaders to see how good supervision works in practice, why it matters for research integrity, and how it can be sustained across programmes. If you missed the session, you can now watch the recording.
Find us at Quality in Postgraduate Research (QPR)▪️15-17 April 2026
As part of this year’s QPR conference, which focuses on "Transforming Graduate Research for the Future", RSVP Co-PI Dr Karen Clegg will be a keynote speaker where she will touch on the evolving landscape for research supervision. In addition to this, RSVP’s Dr Heather Sears, of Coventry University, will be co-leading two concurrent sessions on reimagining supervisory relationships through playful practices and celebrating excellence through institutional awards. If you are attending, please come and say “Hi” to Karen and Heather!
Upcoming UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) events
Distance Learning Doctorates▪️Thursday 30 April▪️10am to 12 noon▪️Online
This workshop, jointly hosted by all three UKCGE Professional Networks, will offer a holistic overview of supporting doctoral candidates who are undertaking distance learning doctorates.
“The Thinking Environment” Webinar▪️Thursday 7 May▪️1pm to 2pm▪️Online
Led by colleagues from the Universities of Newcastle and Durham, and in association with the UKCGE Research Supervisors Network, this webinar will explore how Nancy Kline’s ​“Thinking Environment” approach can be applied to doctoral supervision.
