Online GRS2 information for PGRs

The University places great importance on helping you to submit your research degree thesis within your maximum period of registration. By regularly reviewing progress throughout your time at the University we are able to monitor your progress against milestones and identify any difficulties you are having and help support you to overcome these in order to achieve a high quality and timely submission.

The Code of Practice on Supervision and Monitoring Progress of Postgraduate Researchers states:

“It is important that, as part of the educational process, PGRs receive appropriate supervision, that their progress is carefully monitored, and that they receive feedback in good time to enable them to adjust their patterns of work as necessary.”

“A written record must be kept of supervisory meetings via the GRS2 Monthly Supervision Record form. Reference should be made to the work undertaken since the last supervision meeting and planned work for the future. The lead and/or co-supervisor(s) and the PGR should confirm that the record contains an accurate summary of the supervision meeting”

In addition to monitoring your academic progress throughout your research degree registration, the monthly supervision meetings offer an opportunity for you to raise any areas or difficulties you may be experiencing and for you to be signposted to the relevant support services to help you overcome these.

Formal supervisory meetings between you and your supervisor should normally take place monthly for full time PGRs and pro rata for part time registration.  It is expected that supervision should continue throughout the different stages of the degree, including when you are writing up your thesis, undertaking any corrections following submission and examination, or during a resubmission year.

 A written record (GRS2 form) of the monthly supervision meeting should be made and this should be in English.  The record of the monthly supervisory meeting should be a concise summary and should record the progress made on your project, key points discussed and any agreed actions or objectives to be achieved before the next meeting.  This is essential, both for pedagogic reasons (i.e. to ensure your understanding of points made by your supervisor) and to provide an accurate summary of the supervisory meeting. 

An online version of the monthly supervision record form (GRS2) has been developed to facilitate completion of one GRS2 form each month. 

Use of the online GRS2 form has been compulsory since the 2018-19 academic year.

The on-line GRS2 process provides the following functionality:

• Each month the form will be open for completion from the beginning of the month and will close at the end of the last day of the month;
• Automatic e-mail reminder to PGRs to advise that the form is open;
• An interactive form which allows a dialogue between you and the member of the supervisory team (normally the lead supervisor) who is conducting the supervisory meeting with you. 
• Automatic e-mails to advise PGR/lead supervisor when each part of the form has been completed in order to prompt the next course of action;
• E-mail reminders to PGRs and/or lead supervisor at key points in the month if parts of the form have not yet been completed;
• E-mail notification that the form is due to close in 5 and 2 days’ time;
• E-mail confirmation to the PGR and lead supervisor when the form has been successfully completed and submitted;
• Access to current and completed forms by the PGR and supervisor and by College/School PGR academic leads, College/School administrators and by staff within Registry with particular responsibility for PGR matters;
• Automatic update of Attendance Monitoring in order to meet the University’s Home Office Tier 4 attendance monitoring requirements  

Access to the online GRS2 form is via the Student Gateway and you will be able to see the link to the online GRS2 form via the My Progress tab (supervisors via the My Teaching tab).  From this you will be able to access and complete the form for the current month and see previously completed forms.  

You will receive an email notification at the beginning of each month to advise that the GRS2 form for the month is open and ready for completion.  The form will close at the end of the last day of the month and it will then not be possible to make amendments to the form but you will be able to view the completed form.

The online GRS2 step-by-step guide (PDF - 1.8MB) explains in detail how to use the online GRS2 form. - To be updated

The online GRS2 quick guide (PDF - 300KB) provides an at-a-glance overview of the process. - To be updated

To supplement the above guides and to provide answers to questions that may arise when using the online GRS2 form, a list of potential questions and answers for postgraduate researchers and supervisors has been drawn up.

• FAQs for PGRs  

If you have any queries about:

• Access to the Student Gateway, please contact the IT Helpdesk – 414 7171 or
• Your minimum and maximum periods of study as displayed on the online GRS2 form – contact the Research Student Administration team via Student Help
• The names of your lead and co-supervisor as displayed on the online GRS2 form – contact your local PGR Administrator (PDF - 420KB). 

Both you and your supervisor will have access to current and previously completed online GRS2 forms.  Previously completed forms may be required at your annual progress review or to support actions such as upgrade/downgrade of registration, extension requests, appeals and so may also be viewed by your College/School PGR academic leads, College/School administrators and by staff within Registry with particular responsibility for PGR matters. 

All GRS2 forms are stored securely and data is handled in accordance with the University’s Data Protection Policy and Student Privacy Notice.  

If you are a Tier 4 visa holder, your GRS2 forms may be required for a Home Office audit to confirm your academic engagement with your studies

From 1 October 2018 The BIRMS PGR Management System which provided a facility for the upload of completed GRS2 forms will continue to be available for viewing previously completed forms but will no longer be available for upload of new forms.

In addition to the supervision meetings that you have with your supervisor, the University has formal methods of tracking your progress through the Annual Progress Review process.