Information for SBOHVM PGRs
Here you can find some local specific information about structures, opportunities, and activities specifically relevant to School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine.
Note that most formal aspects to your programme such as registration, training, and guide to student conduct, thesis expectations, policies and forms, and completion are provided by the MVLS Graduate School.
Any additional questions, please contact the PGR Convenors and/or the PGR Administrator.
Postgraduate Research Convenors
Postgraduate Research Convenors are responsible for overseeing your training and progression through your research degree. They deal with problems, advise on regulations, help with applications for research training money and run the annual review process that checks your progress every year. They are always available through a joint email address, sbohvm-pgr-convenor@glasgow.ac.uk, which we generally recommend you use to make sure the message gets to the right person, and in case one of them is away.
Kathryn Elmer is the Lead Convenor and attends most of the university meetings representing the School.
There are also two Deputy Conveners, Davina Hill who deals especially with issues related to Garscube and research away from Glasgow, and Paul Johnson who deals with IT related issues concerning the University and College’s online systems – such as the PGR reporting system. Michelle Bellingham is the Convenor for the MVM (Master of Veterinary Medicine), which is a clinical programme.
Gillian Dyer deals with all the administrative issues for postgraduates.
Key Administration Support Staff
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Head of Professional Services |
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Deputy Head of Professional Services |
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Senior Research Administrator |
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Recruitment Administrator (HR, PA to Research Director |
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PGR Administrator and Garscube Support |
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Administrative Assistant (Wed – Frid) |
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Administrative Assistant (Mon – Tues) |
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SCENE Administrator |
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Technical Resource Manager / Health and Safety |
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Named Animal Care Welfare Officer (Graham Kerr Building) |
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Research Support Manager |
Postgraduate Student Representatives
The MVLS Graduate School has a Postgraduate Committee with student representation from each School, and the School has its own elected Postgraduate representatives. These change regularly but they have a joint email sbohvm-pgr-rep@gla.ac.uk. The 2024-2025 Reps are Irem Denizli (based at Garscube), Corin Stansfield (based at Graham Kerr) You can contact them informally about anything you’d like support with if you’d prefer to talk to another student rather than one of the convenors.
Postgraduate Training
We aim to provide you with the highest standard of research training. In addition to the help and guidance provided by your supervisor, you will be required to attend a number of training courses, including how to apply for credits for courses not run by the Graduate School, and other things that are eligible for credit, such as giving talks at conferences. The Learning Enhancement & Academic Development Service also offers an expanding repertoire of courses for postgraduate students.
Additionally we have some opportunities to fund to support “student-led” training courses and activities. If you have ideas for ways to develop your skills in leadership, teamwork, communication or anything else likely to enhance your career then discuss these with other students, your reps, and the PGR convenors.
Research Seminars
A valuable way of learning about other research in the School is to attend the research seminars, and you should be attending these regularly. There are two main regular types of seminars within School. On Wednesdays (usually at 1-2pm) there are seminars given by visiting speakers chosen to cover a range of research fields and last an hour. You can see the programme of external seminars here.
On Friday at 4pm the postgraduates give shorter and more informal presentations of their proposed and/or recent research – these are designed to give you practice in giving research talks and feedback on your work. You must give a short talk (approximately 10 mins plus 5 mins questions) in your first year to discuss your proposed research, and longer talks (approximately 20 mins plus 5 mins questions) in your second and third years. Giving a presentation is compulsory and is part of your annual review. This series of seminars is organised by the postgraduates themselves and the programme is available here .
After completing your thesis and in the run- up to your viva, you must also give a full length (hour-long) pre-viva talk.
In addition, members of the School often arrange extra informal seminars given by visiting scientists or members of the School who would like to practice a talk (e.g., before giving it at a conference). Different research groups also hold informal discussion groups on particular topics or types of research methodology. All the other Schools and Schools in the University run their own seminar programmes.
Demonstrating
Many postgraduate students help to demonstrate to undergraduate classes. Apart from the financial benefits, demonstrating provides useful teaching experience. The number of demonstrators needed will vary from year to year, but if you wish to become a demonstrator you must discuss this with your supervisor. Demonstrating restricts the amount of time for research and, for this reason, you may find that your supervisor will want to place limits on the amount of demonstrating that you carry out.
Contact the Life Sciences Support Team and attend a training course – details are here - before becoming a demonstrator. Training and registration must be complete before any demonstrating support can be undertaken. It may also be possible, once you are well into your project, to set an aspect of it as an undergraduate project. If you have an idea of this kind, make sure to discuss it with your supervisor.
At Garscube demonstration help is often required for classes with veterinary students. Some of this work requires you to have veterinary training whilst other classes are more general. Lissann Wolfe is the contact for this. People are also usually required for OSCE (exams) help at certain times of the year and training for these are required.
Monitoring your Progress
The MVLS Graduate School and the School takes care to monitor the progress of all postgraduate students to ensure that your work is progressing well and that you are on schedule to submit a thesis within 3.5-4 years. The requirements for each component are detailed on the Graduate School Website. That is the primary source of relevant information and first port of call for Annual Review process.
Convenors will send an email reminder about annual reviews each year, with key information and details for non-standard start times – please consult it and save it.
An assessment is made at the initial and annual review as to whether you are suited to a PhD. Re-admission to study occurs at the beginning of October each year and is dependent on a satisfactory report of progress (See Graduate School website).
Student Expenses
- Avoid out of pocket expenses as much as possible. All purchasing should be done through university procurement and only in very limited cases are out of pocket expenses approved. You much confirm any such expense in advance with your supervisor.
- All student expenses for payment to a UK Bank Account must be submitted through MyCampus.
- Here is a link to web page with more information: University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Finance: Accounts Payable - Registered Student Online Claim.
- Please also familiarise yourself with the student expenses policy - Student Expenses policy (gla.ac.uk) and note that claims must be submitted within 3 months of the expense being incurred. Claims submitted out with this period will be rejected, no exceptions.
- As part of the expenses process, you are required to upload evidence of approval for the expenses from the budget holder/Supervisor. Here is a link to the website with details: University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Finance: Accounts Payable - Registered Student Online Claim. There is an approval Template – you should complete as much of this as possible before sending to your supervisor/budget holder for approval.
- When submitting expenses, please note that no expense can be incurred under the “other” category, this will be rejected.
- For expenses with receipts not in GBP the expense must be converted to GBP using the exchange rate for the date of expenditure, using either https://www.xe.com/ or https://x-rates.com. Evidence of the conversion must also be provided as part of your claim, uploaded alongside your receipt in one PDF, this can be the transaction shown on a bank statement.
- When completing the claim each receipt mut be entered separately.
Desk Space - Graham Kerr Building
There are desks within the Graham Kerr Building that students can book to use. This is done via a Teams Channel Desk Booking - GKB | General | Microsoft Teams.
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- You are expected to book your own space
- Desk space must be booked through this Channel - you should not be using a desk that you have not booked
- All desks are numbered, when booking a desk, please ensure that you use the desk you have booked
- The number of students wishing to book a desk may exceed availability
- Please do not block book a desk every day if you won’t be using it every day
- Room 306 – 6 Desks; Room 308 – 9 Desks; Room 321a – 9 Desks; Room 321b – 9 Desks
- Other desks on campus are available: Library, McCune-Smith, ARC atrium, Graham Kerr museum, Gilchrist, etc.
All students should have access but if you don’t please let the PGR Administrator know and you will be added.
Social Activities
The School strives to have an active, inclusive and varied range of social activities.
On Fridays after seminar we regularly have ‘Friday Fox’ drinks (beer, wine, and non-alcoholic) and chat, usually held in the Zoology Museum immediately after Friday seminar from 5-6.30 pm. This is led and organised by PhD students.
We have fortnightly ‘coffee (and treats!) in the Zoology Museum or Garscube. This is led by staff on a rota alternating between sites. See the schedule here.
We also have other events and activities such as Black Fox (Friday Fox + live music), a community garden, ad hoc outing and events organnised by the PhD students. Please join the social mailing list and School calendar for more!
Other Useful Links
Website Profiles
Postgraduate research student profiles are available to postgraduate research students. This will give you the opportunity to have a public facing profile to explain your research.
A link to your profile will appear on your supervisors' profiles and also on a student list within your school or research institute.
For more information please see here.
Overseas Students
The University has an International Students Welcome Programme and the International Student Support Team can help with many issues throughout the year – please see here.
Health, Safety, Environment and Ethics
For Health and Safety Information please see here.
For permission to carry out fieldwork, meetings, or research outside the University, please see here.
For Ethics information please see here.
Taxi Policy
For more information please see here.