PhD Research Supervision from the Front Line Chris Dainty National University of Ireland, Galway

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PhD Research Supervision from the Front
LineChris DaintyNational University of
Ireland, Galway

• Dublin November 9th 2004

2
My Background

• Diploma in Photographic Technology, Regent Street
  Polytechnic 1968
• MSc in Applied Optics, Imperial College London
  1969
• PhD in Physics, Imperial College London 1972
• Post-Doc, Imperial College London 1972 - 1973
• Lecturer in Physics, Queen Elizabeth College
  (?Kings College) 1974 - 1978
• Associate Professor of Optics, The University of
  Rochester 1978 - 1983
• Pilkington Professor of Applied Optics, Imperial
  College London 1984 - present (currently on
  extended leave)
• Science Foundation Ireland Professor, NUI Galway
  2002 - present
• Supervised 40 successful PhD Theses, 2 MPhil ( 5
  students withdrew or did not write up). PhD
  examiner on gt50 occasions.
• Currently 9 PhD students (5 Irish, 2 Fr, 1 Sw, 1
  Sp) plus 5 (1/4) post-docs
• Funding from SFI, IRCSET, EU, and HP Labs
• Research in applied optics and instrumentation
  for vision research

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Whats a PhD about (in my field of study)?

• Carrying out a scholarly activity involving
  original thought, perhaps novelty, and in-depth
  critical analysis.

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What else is a PhD about?

• Risk and adventure
• A voyage of (self-) discovery
• Responsibility
• Ownership of a project
• Working with others
• Honesty (with oneself)
• Doing the very very best work possible in the
  circumstances.

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What is a PhD not about?

• Filling in forms
• Learning to conform (GBS the unreasonable man)
• Life skills courses
• Minuted meetings between PhD student and
  supervisor(s)
• Tick box mentality
• Writing a (realistic) Thesis Plan in the first
  few weeks

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The Unreasonable Man

• The reasonable man adapts himself to the
• world.
• The unreasonable one persists in trying to
• adapt the world to himself.
• George Bernard Shaw

• Therefore, all progress depends on the
  unreasonable man.

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Theres nothing wrong with focusing on skills or
structured training , but.
?
?
?
?
Ive ticked all the boxes so please can I have
my PhD
(adapted from a talk given by Dr Tony Fell,
Bradford University at NUI Galway, 2003)
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Whats a PhD about (in my field of study)?

• Carrying out a scholarly activity involving
  original thought, perhaps originality, and in
  depth critical analysis.
• This is not easy and can take five or more years.
  (Ave PhD completion time in my field in the US
  is 5.5 years. Entrants are just as knowledgable
  as in Ireland.)

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Practical Issues (1)

• Facilities
• Good libraries/information (SFI/HEA initiative
  for science)
• Decent office space (PhD students are not
  cattle) my PhD students are 4-5 to a room with
  at least 5-6m2 each plus 10m2 lab space each
  (5-6K p.a.?)
• Decent, competitive PhD stipend for full time
  students I currently offer 14K-17K (25K
  special) in Galway but probably should offer
  gt20K (tax free).
• Good laboratories. In my field, a typical PhD
  student requires about 50K worth of equipment to
  be internationally competitive
• Strong support services, e.g. workshops, computer
  services, with the mindset and resources to serve
  researchers
• 24/7 access to offices and laboratories with
  adequate security
• ???
• Establishing a strong research culture

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Practical Issues (2)

• Establishing a strong research culture
• Weak research culture at many Universities (Top
  500 Universities?)
• Not due entirely to past under-funding
• Recruitment procedures not research driven (e.g.
  no routine use of search committees, no start-up
  funds or incentive packages)
• Inadequate rewards for active researchers (and
  good teachers)
• Antiquated promotion procedures (need for
  promotion based on achievement -- is that really
  such a radical suggestion?)
• No effective appraisal systems for academic staff
  (either teaching or research)
• Restrictive and outdated remuneration practices
  market forces?
• PhD Viva I prefer the system of having a
  jury/panel of 4-6 people than the IntExt
  examiner system smoothes out the fluctuations.

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Summary

• PhD research is, first and foremost, a scholarly
  activity involving original thought, perhaps
  originality, and in-depth critical analysis.
  Its hard.
• Add on other aspects (e.g. skills courses) if you
  wish but remember they are of secondary
  importance. Extra time must be allowed if extra
  activities are demanded of PhD students. Four
  years full time as norm?
• No place for tick box mentality.
• World-class facilities are required for
  World-class research
• Libraries, IT, office space, laboratories,
  workshops, 24/7 access
• PhD research can be expensive real cost of PhD
  student 50K - 75K per year, say 250K total
  (in science and engineering) ?
• Radical change essential in the recruitment,
  appraisal and reward procedures for academic
  staff (to strengthen both research and
  undergraduate teaching)
• Present university infrastructure and practices
  do not offer a World-class environment for
  existing PhD students a doubling of PhD numbers
  implies a significant funding increase (via a
  combination of the HEA, IRCSET, SFI and other
  funding agencies) and a changed mindset.