In three words or phrases: supportive, collaborative, organised.
Provision of Training
I tend to take on the responsibility of your training at first, and as you grow in confidence with techniques/experiments, this will lead to more independence within the lab. Some training is done by experienced PDRAs/PhD students around the lab on specialist equipment as well..
Progression Monitoring and Management
I like to be kept up to date with evidence of progress. Typically weekly towards the start of your project but this can be dropped to bi-weekly or monthly in latter years. I will also push students to reach their full potential.
Communication
I send emails at random times of day however would not expect a reply if it was outside of working patterns. I also use WhatsApp group chats for regular, quick communications that are picked up more easily than email. Again though, this is down to you to manage work/life balance and to ignore messages if outside of working hours.
PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:
| In a group meeting |
In year 1 of PhD study |
In year 2 of PhD study |
In year 3 of PhD study |
| At least once per week |
At least once per week |
At least once per week |
At least once per fortnight |
Meetings will mainly be face to face, and I am usually contactable for an instant response 3 or 4 days a week.
Working Pattern
Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.
Notice Period for Feedback
I need at least 1 week's notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.
