Supervisor Homepage

This page gives an overview of the Events, Training, Supports and Policies relevant to postgraduate Supervisors in UCC, including:

For new Supervisors

The Intro to GEM and Research Journey milestones are a good place to start. This gives an overview of the key milestones at each stage of the PhD, the Supervisor relationship, and the supports and training available from the Doctoral Institute and other departments in UCC. The GEM SharePoint has detailed training on all the Supervision processes and how they are recorded in GEM.

For current Supervisors

The Supervision Clinics trainings are useful for all supervisors across the university. Also relevant are the materials and training related to Research Learning Plans, Annual Progress Reviews, Thesis Submission and Viva Voces on the Doctoral Institute SharePoint.

Policies and Resolving Difficulties

See links below for all the relevant policies governing postgraduate research students and staff at UCC, as well as guidance on resolving disputes. See also the Canvas course Identifying and Responding to Students in Distress and at Risk available to all UCC staff

Supervisor Training Clinics

The Doctoral Institute runs a number of clinics throughout the year for aspiring, new, and experienced research Supervisors. These sessions are delivered by Professor Orla Lynch, Dean of Doctoral Studies.

Follow the link below for the full schedule and meeting links, recordings of previous sessions will be added to the Doctoral Institute SharePoint

Upcoming sessions include:

• 3rd Nov 2026 1-1:50pm - The Learning Agreement, how to make the best of GEM
• 1st Dec 2026 1-1:50pm - The Role of the Internal Examiner and Independent Chair
• 12th Jan 2027 1-1:50pm - From communication to conflict resolution, managing the PhD relationship
• 2nd Feb 2027 1-1:50pm - Supervision pedagogy 

Intro to GEM and Support

GEM (Graduate Education Manager) is the online platform for your full postgraduate research journey and the place where you initiate and record many of the key events in your research e.g. your learning plan; progress review reports; supervision meeting notes etc. GEM also provides automated reminders about upcoming milestones.

The Doctoral Institute is also running a Supervisor Training Clinic on GEM - 3rd Nov 2026 - details are in the Supervisor Training section on the Doctoral Institute SharePoint. Follow the link below to access GEM guides and training on SharePoint