Doctoral Supervisors
In the beginning of doctoral studies, at least two supervisors will be appointed for every doctoral researcher. The supervisors are appointed by the Dean in the decision on admission to doctoral studies. The requirements for the supervisors vary among the faculties.
A doctoral researcher is assigned at least two supervisors, one of whom is the main supervisor and must have an employment relationship with the Philosophical Faculty. All instructors must have a doctoral degree. The main supervisor must be an adjunct professor or have an equivalent scientific qualification.
At least two supervisors are appointed for doctoral researchers, one of whom is the main supervisor and at least one of whom is a member to the university staff. All supervisors must hold a doctoral degree. The scientific qualification of the main supervisor must be equivalent to at least the level of docent. If the main supervisor is not a university staff member, also university staff members the qualification of the supervisor must be at least equivalent to that of a docent.
In the Faculty of Health Sciences each doctoral researcher must have a minimum of two supervisors. All supervisors must have a doctoral degree and the main supervisor must hold, at the minimum, the qualification of a docent or have a corresponding scientific qualification. At least one of the supervisors must be employed by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Eastern Finland.
At least two supervisors shall be appointed for a postgraduate student, one of whom is the principal supervisor and one of whom must belong to the university’s staff. The main supervisor shall hold a docent's title or corresponding qualification. If the main supervisor is not a member of the university's staff, also the member belonging to the universities staff shall hold a docent's title or corresponding qualification.
The roles and responsibilities of doctoral supervisors and doctoral researchers
The role of a supervisor is to
- supervise the doctoral research, assist the doctoral researcher in structuring the various stages of their research work (see Supervision Plan), and engage in conversation about possible careers with the intended competencies and degree (Career Plan),
- provide guidance in preparing a personal study plan for doctoral studies in such a way that the plan meets the objectives of the degree, the personal aims of the doctoral researcher, and the doctoral programme’s curriculum,
- submit, without undue delay, the doctoral researcher’s study attainments for registration,
- familiarise the doctoral researcher with the ethical issues of conducting research, good scientific practice, and the principles of managing research data,
- commit to supervision: discuss the elements of the doctoral research, provide the doctoral researcher with constructive feedback, and support the research inquiry and the progress of the doctoral studies,
- facilitate the doctoral researcher’s integration into the national and international scientific community and encourage them to create a peer support network,
- support the doctoral researcher in applying for funding, and write recommendation letters and statements in timely fashion,
- ensure that the research meets the context- and form-based criteria required of a doctoral dissertation before it is submitted for review or pre-review,
- go through and evaluate the comparative results provided by the plagiarism detection system on the manuscript of the doctoral dissertation.
The Supervision Plan, Career Plan, and the Personal Study Plan all aim to support the supervision teams (doctoral researcher and the supervisors). The courses that the doctoral researcher takes provide a great opportunity for the team to elaborate on research and field specific ethics, data management, safe and responsible use of AI, etc., and engage in mutual learning during supervision meetings.
The responsibility of a doctoral researcher is to
- register each year as present or absent,
- ensure that their research plan is updated and to commit to conducting research,
- follow actively communication related to doctoral education (e.g., Viva Engage channels of Doctoral Programmes, Researcher Training Services [formerly known as Doctoral School] and/or the Faculty) and search information from Handbook of Doctoral Education in Kamu,
- prepare a personal study plan for doctoral studies on the basis of the research topic, the scientific objectives of the degree and their personal aims, for example, career goals, and ensure that the plan is kept up-to-date,
- submit to the supervisors, without undue delay, documentation concerning study attainments based on scientific activities,
- familiarise themself with guidance on research ethics and data management principles, and comply with these in pursuing studies and conducting research for the doctoral dissertation,
- utilise guidance and take into account feedback received from the supervisor (see Supervision Plan) as well as make use of the opportunities for guidance from and in the community at large (e.g., peer support),
- participate during their studies in the activities of the scientific community and in scientific discussion and doctoral education,
- bear responsibility for obtaining financing (e.g., foundations, funding by a company, and other supplementary financing) and request, when necessary, a reference/recommendation letter from the supervisor in good time, before the deadline of application,
- submit the manuscript of the doctoral dissertation for scrutiny by the plagiarism detection system prior to pre-examination, request a public defence, publish the doctoral dissertation, and apply for the degree certificate.
Changing doctoral supervisors
The supervisor can be replaced for a justified reason or additional supervisors can be appointed. Examples of justified reasons are if the theme of the research project has been changed or readjusted or if the research project is not making satisfactory progress.
In long-term and intensive collaborative relationships, it’s natural that disagreements may arise from time to time. During the process, unexpected life events may also occur that affect one’s ability to work. It’s worth putting effort into communication to foster mutual respect and understanding. Often, misunderstandings can be resolved by having open and timely conversations. This also clarifies collaboration. Please see also information on conflict situations in Kamu.
A proposal to change a supervisor may be made by either the doctoral researcher or the supervisor. The change must be mutually agreed upon by all parties involved, and the final decision is made by the Dean. To initiate the process, please fill out the form for changing supervisors.
- In Philosophical Faculty: Send the form by email to filodoctoralstudies(at)uef.fi. From the Student and Learning Services, the form will be sent for signing to all parties and the dean via the UEF//Sign program. Once everyone has signed the form, it can be downloaded from the UEF//Sign program.
- In Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology: Send the form by email to lumetdissertations(at)uef.fi. Along with the form, you must provide the consent of the doctoral researcher and all supervisors (including those who are stepping down). Consent can be given either by email or by signing the form. The supervisor change confirmed by the dean will be sent from the faculty to the doctoral researcher and the supervisors.
- In Faculty of Health Sciences: Send the form by email to healthpostgrad(at)uef.fi. Along with the form, you must provide the consent of the doctoral researcher and all supervisors (including those who are stepping down). Consent can be given either by email or by signing the form. The supervisor change confirmed by the dean will be sent from the faculty to the doctoral researcher and the supervisors.
- In Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies: Send the form by email to jatko-opinnaytteet.yhka(at)uef.fi. Along with the form, you must provide the consent of the doctoral researcher and all supervisors (including those who are stepping down). Consent can be given either by email or by signing the form. The supervisor change confirmed by the dean will be sent from the faculty to the doctoral researcher and the supervisors.
Support for supervisors
According to research, satisfaction of the doctoral researcher increases when the supervisor and the doctoral researcher have a mutual understanding on the supervisor’s duties, and the contents and frequency of supervision (Pyhältö et al. 2015). A supervisor has a crucial role in the progress of doctoral studies in many ways. Yet, formal supervision should not be the sole source of guidance in one’s doctoral journey. Support from the supervisors and the research community at large, for example, decreases the risk of attrition and professional exhaustion (Peltonen et al. 2017). Conferences, seminars, multidisciplinary courses, formal and informal peer support groups, and conversations with other professionals are all beneficial in shining light to the process.
The Researcher Training Services offers supervision training for all supervisors. Sign up to the self-learning material “Toolkit for Supervisors” on Moodle. You receive information on available trainings directly to your email from the Toolkit Moodle. In addition, we advertise trainings in Doctoral Education Viva channel, and the registering takes place in UEF Training Calendar (keyword “supervision”).
Support for doctoral researchers to plan and lead your project
Have an annual conversation with your supervisors on the topics laid out in your Supervision Plan to agree and review, for example, the division of duties, guidance, and support as well as the practices and working methods of your supervision team. The Supervision Plan has been mandatory since September 2024 in new supervision relationships.
See tips produced in a workshop “Seminar for PhD students and their supervisors” in 2018 by Dr. Sanna Vehviläinen and most recently edited by Dr. Ira Virtanen at Researcher Training Services.
- Reflect on and disclose your working habits and communication style to your supervisors (e.g., self-leadership, need for guidance, desired frequency of interaction, etc). Be open to negotiating and learning new practices.
- Share, discuss, and express your expectations and feelings with your supervisors. Acknowledge that they have their own goals and work tasks.
- Make sure that you agree on the mutual goals and practices. Furthermore, as time goes by and the research progresses, it is recommended and inspiring to review the practices, make editions, and celebrate the goals already achieved and verbalise the goals remaining before graduating.
- Prepare for meetings with the supervisors in advance. Define the agenda and send the relevant information beforehand. Negotiate what “beforehand” means to each party and make sure everyone commits to the timeline. Deadlines bring clarity, predictability, and much needed support for time management and cognitive wellbeing.
- Make memos during the supervision meetings. Decide together where the memos will be stored and how they will be used for the benefit of the collaboration.
- Give (also positive and encouraging) feedback to your supervisors. Affirm what works and be assertive in making suggestions.
- Find your own networks and meet your colleagues also in informal settings. Social support from peers enhances your wellbeing. We are pleased to offer you a course on “Peer Mentoring and Collegial Relationships” (see more from Peppi).
- Balance work and free time, and keep your working hours reasonable. Relaxation and recovery will not slow you down. In fact, it helps you to be more productive. Creative work such as research benefits from idle time, walks in the nature, and conversations with others.
- Take a break, sleep enough, exercise, get fresh air, eat healthy, break the routines. Get curious about the different ways researchers conduct their work – learning about what works for you builds self-leadership skills and extends the understanding of various perspectives and routines.
- Most disagreements are a results of misunderstanding, poor listening, or expectations that were not communicated clearly. It is a normal part of human interaction. Sustain optimism and consider the other’s perspective. If something in your relationship with your supervisor is not functioning, take the initiative for improving it. It starts in communication.
