The Graduate School

1
The Graduate School
2
EaStCHEM

• Edinburgh and St Andrews have merged their
  research schools to form EaStCHEM, which is now
  among the largest in the UK.
• Degree is awarded by UoE.
• Impact improved access to equipment joint
  training activities (see later).

3
Post-Graduate Induction Chemistry
4
Todays Session

• Introduction to the workings of the Graduate
  School (eg what its for!).
• Safety Committee
• Science Outreach
• Chemical Societies

• What we expect of you.
• What you should expect of your supervisor the
  School of Chemistry.
• Monitoring of Progress.

5
The Graduate School

• The SoC Graduate School ensure that
• Major services (NMR, X-ray, etc.) are available
  for the students research.
• Training courses and Seminars
• Progress of the student is monitored and
  assessed.
• Formal instruction is given on safety matters

6
The Graduate SchoolCommittee
Simon Parsons (Director)
Neil Robertson (Assistant Director)
Perdita Barran
Mike Greaney
Annette Burgess Hazel Cox
7
Principal Supervisors

• Your principal supervisor is expected to
• Have a proven record of research
• Be able to provide students with access to, and
  training in, the appropriate techniques and
  practical approaches
• Encourage students to broaden their knowledge by
  critical reading of the scientific literature and
  attendance at seminars and conferences

8
Second Supervisors

• Your second supervisor is expected to
• Provide backup for the principal supervisor and
  the student.
• When principal supervisor is absent.
• Mediate in (rare) cases where there is a dispute
  between the student his principal supervisor.
• May bring significant expertise to a project
• Advise students on specific aspects of their
  work.
• Should be involved in annual reviews.

9
Students

• Students are expected to
• Play an active, and increasingly independent,
  part in the development of their research
• Be skilled experimentalists towards the end of
  their MSc (or first year of PhD) and to be
  running the project towards the end of their PhD!
  
• Develop presentation and communication skills
  improve data-handling and computational
  expertise develop transferable skills
• Participate in and attend Research Seminars
• Acquire teaching experience by participation in
  u/g instruction
• Represent the School externally, at conferences,
  schools liaison etc.

10
Seminars Research Groupings

• Research areas reflect main areas of activity in
  the School of Chemistry
• Staff and research workers belong to one or more
  areas

• Biophysical Chemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials
• Organic Synthesis
• Chemical Physics
• Structural Chemistry

11
Research Seminars

• Attending and presenting seminars is a mandatory
  part of research training.
• Visiting external speakers. Alternating sequence
  
• Specialist seminars Go to seminars organised by
  your grouping.
• School seminars ALL students should attend!
• Research Groupings seminars (home session in
  which student presents others as appropriate)
  at least one per week)
• Specialist EaStCHEM Visiting Fellows

12
Confidentiality

• You will encounter confidential information in
• your own project (industry and other funded work)
  
• work by colleagues in your laboratory
• ideas results in internal seminars.
• No disclosure outside UoE without clearance!
• Unauthorised disclosure could
• land us in court,
• invalidate patent filings,
• and involve high cost and great embarrassment!!

13
Transferable Skills Training

• A range of lectures and training opportunities
• At School, College or University level
• Essential component of postgraduate study
• Attendance required for award of PhD

14
Available Training - 1

• PG lecture courses organised by School of
  Chemistry
• Synthesis (annual, given by postdocs)
• NMR (biennial)
• Advanced Techniques (biennial)
• UG year4/5 lecture modules
• e.g. X-ray crystallography, computational chem.
  Web-site course book.
• College courses on transferable skills
• Louisa Lawes Talk.

15
Available Training - 2

• Paper Writing workshop (2nd year)
• Thesis Writing workshop (3rd year)
• EPSRC GRADschool Courses
• Skills Development (eg communication, creativity)
• Career sessions (eg cv improvement, interview
  technique)
• Case Studies
• http//www.grad.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/p!eec
  ddL

16
Available Training - 3

• Computing service courses
• data analysis, spread sheets, data bases
• writing web pages
• programming (JAVA, FORTRAN)
• University safety courses
• External courses
• crystallography, magnetism, catalysis

17
Available Training - 4

• School research seminars
• RSC seminars
• Research Grouping seminars
• Structural, Materials, Inorganic
• Organic Synthesis etc.
• Annual residential PG conference at Firbush
  Point Field Centre
• Annual meeting of graduate School

18
Firbush

• Two night residential stay at Firbush point Field
  Centre (Loch Tay) around Easter
• Final year students give a talk of around 50 -
  60 mins
• 2nd year students present a poster
• Staff, postdocs and some 1st year students attend
  if possible

19
Annual Post-Graduate Meeting

• Held in May
• Four 30 min talks from best student
  representatives of different research areas
• Highlights the wide range of Edinburgh research
• Cheese and wine
• Sponsorship Leanne Green Memorial Fund and
  Organon ( representatives)
• Only event involving whole Grad school
• Showcase for some of our best students

20
How much do I need to do?

• A minimum of 10 units in three years
• 5 lectures/hours 1unit
• Courses of 10 hours or more may be counted as 2
  units
• A maximum of 2 units may be counted for any one
  course

• Poster or lecture at an international conference
  1 unit
• Public Understanding of Science event or Pupil
  Research Initiative (EPSRC) 1 unit/day maximum
  2 units in total.
• School research seminars attendance over three
  years 1 unit
• Sectional research meetings attendance and
  contribution ( 1 talk per year) over three years
  2 units

21
Electronic Record Form
22
Electronic Record Form
23
Monitoring End of 1st Year

• Submit Report and Record Form
• Oral exam with supervisor 1 other staff member
  (plus 2nd supervisor if you want)
• You will be asked about your project, including
  basic background. Also content of seminars.
• Student receives written outcomes
• Transfer to full Ph.D. status depends on outcome

24
Monitoring End of 2nd Year

• Submit 1 page Abstract, 1 page Thesis outline and
  Record Form
• Practise oral with supervisor 1 other staff
  member
• Student receives written outcomes

25
Monitoring End of 3rd Year

• Firbush talk. Discuss progress with supervisor
  complete a form to record outcomes.
• Submit thesis
• Oral examination by External Examiner and
  Internal Examiner
• Get PhD!