Information for staff, hosts and supervisors

Research supervisors

As a research supervisor you are the host-side person responsible for day-to-day supervision. The student should be treated more like a new graduate than a junior undergraduate: they have substantial physics, mathematical, computational and laboratory training but still need clear local supervision and integration into the group.

Contributions

• Provide a suitable research project, by September, and local supervision
• Choose or agree the paper for the journal-paper review
• Help schedule the oral presentation and journal-paper review
• Assess the oral presentation and oral journal-paper review independently alongside the visiting tutor
• Provide context for report assessment when requested
• Allow reasonable time and resources for the writing of the interim dissertation and final dissertation, and assist with the writing process as much as would be usual for, e.g., a PhD student.

Visiting tutors

As a visiting tutor you are the main Surrey academic contact for the student and host during the placement. You will monitor progress and welfare, discuss scientific understanding and participate in assessment, but do not normally direct the research project.

Boundaries

Supervisors may advise on scientific content and project context, but should not rewrite the student’s English or make corrections that compromise authorship.

Making content suggestions, fixing typos and spelling are all fine, indeed part of the supervisor's job. Similarly, AI can be used to help but not write a dissertation: please consult University guidance and regulations which are subject to change.