Background Information

The Postgraduate Research Committee

The Postgraduate Research Committee meets formally twice a year. It is chaired by the Director of Postgraduate Studies. The other members are the Head of School, the School’s four Directors of Research, the four Postgraduate Tutors, the Executive Officer (Teaching and Research) and an elected postgraduate research student representative from each of the Mathematics Research Centre and the Astronomy Unit. The Administrative Officer for Postgraduate Studies and Research acts as secretary to this committee. The remit of this Committee covers every aspect of the teaching and training of postgraduate research students, from office accommodation to annual assessment procedures. Decisions concerning the progression of individual students, for example on the transfer of registration from MPhil to PhD, are delegated to the Director of Postgraduate Studies, in consultation with the Postgraduate Tutors.

Prizes and funding for existing research students

The Ann Cook Prize.The Ann Cook Prize is awarded to the winner of a poster competition open to all PG research students in the School of Mathematical Sciences in their second year of full-time research. All such students are expected to enter, and the entries for the school prize give a good overview of the graduate research being done within the school. Entrants prepare a poster on some aspect of the topic of their research.

Eileen Eliza Colyer Prize.The Eileen Eliza Colyer Prize is a prize of up to £1000 for a research student in the School of Mathematical Sciences to study at another institution for an extended period with an expert in his or her area. The deadline for applications for the Prize is at the end of October each year.

Minnie Brooke Fund.The School of Mathematical Sciences has a small fund for supporting research students in need: very roughly enough every two years to support a student for a year. Present research students in the School who have need should enquire of the Head of School.

Royal Astronomical Society Thesis Prizes. The RAS awards 2 prizes annually: the Michael Penston and Keith Runcorn Prizes respectively for the best doctoral theses in astronomy/astrophysics and solar-system sciences/geophysics. Each prize, of £1000, is sponsored by Wiley-Blackwell and is administered by the RAS Higher Education Committee. Where appropriate, runners up are also recognized. The award is open to students of all nationalities registered at Universities in the United Kingdom and is not restricted to Fellows of the RAS. The winner of each prize, normally, will be invited to give a short presentation on their thesis to an Ordinary Meeting of the Society. Nominations for this year's award are now invited and must be received by the Executive Secretary by 28th February 2010.

When things go wrong

If you have a problem, the most important thing to do is to talk to someone about it. This someone could be your first or second supervisor, your Postgraduate Tutor, the Director of Postgraduate Studies, the Head of School, the Student Support Officer, any other member of staff, your student representative or another research student. If the problem is one you prefer not to discuss with a member of the School, you can obtain help and advice directly from the College’s Advice and Counselling Service.