Supervisor of the Year and Professional Services Award for PGR Support

Professor Shane Martin, Dean of Postgraduate Research and Education, is proud to launch a new award, celebrating our professional services colleagues who support our PGR community. Here he tells us more about the new award.

Tell us about the new award

Following on from the success of the Supervisor of the Year award, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the many other colleagues whose support of our PGR students is also vital in enabling their research and professional development.

So, this year we have introduced an additional award category: Professional Services Award for PGR Support. The aim of this category is to include all staff who support our PGR students: including PGR Administrators, PGRE team, Librarians, Technicians, Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service colleagues, Coaches and others

What important role do PGR support colleagues play?

The PGR student journey can, at times, be difficult to navigate. As well as PGR Supervisors, we recognise that there are other colleagues who also play a pivotal role in the student experience. For example, they may provide students with professional development support, help understanding policies and processes, technical training, or wellbeing and motivation. Without these dedicated staff members’ ongoing support, the student experience could be a lot more challenging.

Who can nominate and how?

Students can nominate a member of staff for either the Professional Services Award for PGR Support or the Supervisor of the Year award by using our online nomination form. We encourage students to think carefully about their nominations and provide clear examples to evidence their reasons for their nomination. 

When do nominations close? 

Nominations close on 20 March 2023. Following this, a selection panel will meet to discuss and decide on overall winners. We will then celebrate the winners at our PGR Celebration Event in June 2023. For more information on the process, please check out the dedicated webpage.

We are proud to celebrate the efforts of all of those who are involved in supporting the PGR student journey. At Essex, we have some fantastic, dedicated staff who encourage our students to reach their full potential. This award provides a great opportunity to recognise that commitment and celebrate it.

I welcome your nominations and look forward to celebrating them with the PGR community.