Section 7.2 of the Academic Regulations defines a research degree as ‘awarded following successful completion of a programme of supervised research and advanced education and training’, with sections 7.2 a) and b) of this regulation outlining the expected outcomes for Research Master's and Doctoral level degrees (or sections 8.1 or 9.1 for Professional Doctorate degrees or the MD programme, respectively).  

In addition, section 7.13 of Academic Regulations states that 'A research degree student must actively engage with their supervisor(s) on an ongoing basis'.

More detailed information on the expectations of a research student can be found in the Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Degrees as well as the UCD Student Code of Conduct and UCD Dignity and Respect policies.  

Communications

It is critical that a research student and supervisor maintain regular contact during a degree.

At the outset of your programme, a student and supervisor will clarify their expectations of how they will work together, communicate and manage unforeseen circumstances. Guidance on refining these expectations can be found in the Graduate Research Student Handbook. It is useful to maintain a written record of the agreed expectations. If you are unclear about these requirements, please raise this with your supervisor. 

Research Studies Panel

A Research Studies Panel (RSP) will be appointed as an independent support to the supervisory relationship for both you and your supervisor.

After the first meeting of the RSP, it is your responsibility to schedule subsequent meetings, but you can also seek a meeting outside of their standard timeline if needed.  

You should engage with the meetings of your RSP for the duration of your degree or if a challenge arises that is within their remit.    

If you encounter a problem during your programme, it is critical that you stay in contact with your supervisor(s) and/or your RSP.   

If there are circumstances beyond your control that are impacting your programme, you should engage with your supervisor and/or your RSP to identify a solution, with outcomes ranging from adjusted milestones, a change in focus to your research, a period of leave, or considering whether your current programme is the best fit for you.   

Conflict resolution

If there is a breakdown in the relationship that you have with your supervisor, and it has not been possible to resolve the difficulties by engaging directly with each other, then please engage with your RSP and/or one of the other supports available to navigate these challenges. Details of this process are available in the Policy for Conflict Resolution for Supervisor(s) and Graduate Research Students. 

Continued non-engagement / lack of progress

If communications, or attempts to engage with you by your supervisor, RSP and/or Head of School (depending on how far a case has been escalated) do not receive a response over a continued period of time, the level of communications from any of these parties may become more formal and include deadlines that could impact your future progress.

If there is a persistent failure to meet agreed milestones and deadlines or to provide work of an appropriate standard and no explanation is provided, as well as non-engagement with all attempts to enable you to continue and/or discuss the options available to you, then the School may ultimately be forced to consider whether you should continue in this programme.    

If non-engagement with your programme, your supervisor(s) and your RSP continues, and you are in Stage 1 of the PhD, then this will be taken into account at the time of your Stage Transfer Assessment.  

If non-engagement with your programme and/or failure to complete work to an appropriate standard and you are in Stage 2 of your PhD, then the School may seek an additional meeting(s) to assess your progress in your programme, as outlined in section 7.48 of Academic Regulations (or 8.36 for Professional Doctorates).

There may be circumstances where, despite active engagement with your research programme, academic or research-related reasons mean that it is not feasible for you to progress to Stage 2 of a PhD.  In those circumstances, a Stage Transfer Assessment may result in a recommendation to change to a different programme. If the chance of such a circumstance arises, you should engage with any efforts by your supervisor and RSP to support you academically.