All students in LIMM are registered with the University of Leeds and supervision conforms to University guidelines. Attendance at a supervisory training course is required prior to supervisors being appointed, to ensure the best experience and training for our postgraduate students. Generic and subject-specific skills training courses for students are provided by the University Graduate Training Centre or the Institute as appropriate. Some of these courses are mandatory (lab safety, fire safety, COSHH, genetic manipulation (GMAG), radiation, Starting your Research degree); others are offered as part of a structured training programme available to research students (http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sddu/gts/pg_research_home.php). The University of Leeds has prescribed learning outcomes that outline the skills and attributes desired in a successful Research Degree candidate, including abilities in independent critical evaluation and the design and implementation of original publishable research. Students are encouraged to keep a personal development record that helps to identify individual training needs. Roberts funding also allows provision of more directed training at the Faculty level.
Full IT and library support are available to all students. Computing facilities are available throughout the Institute and the library subscribes to a wide range of printed and electronic journals. Students are entitled to full use of Leeds University Union that offers a wide range of support services.
All students are appointed a Postgraduate Research Tutor (PGRT) who is responsible for administration of student registration and examination documents as well as offering pastoral support. LIMM has five PGRTs who receive the necessary training through University courses and from in-house experienced tutors.
Formal supervisory meetings are held monthly, although most supervisors see students on a weekly or even daily basis. The University requires progress reports from the supervisor at 6 and 12 months and annually thereafter. A short report written by the student and a viva voce examination are required at 12 months, prior to transfer to full PhD or MD registration.
Most research groups hold weekly research meetings where members present results and discuss findings. Many Sections within LIMM hold regular research meetings and journal clubs where students are expected to contribute and present their data and ideas. LIMM has a regular lunchtime seminar series with talks by national and internationally recognised researchers, often the world leaders in their fields. Student attendance at these seminars is compulsory. Students are encouraged to present their work at national meetings and during the third year most students have the opportunity to present at a major international meeting. Written skills including preparation of manuscripts, abstracts as well as thesis writing are also developed during the course of study, and can be supported by attendance at relevant training courses. All our students are encouraged to publish in high impact, peer-reviewed journals prior to submission of their thesis.
Postgraduate Research degrees currently offered within LIMM are:
PhD: Doctor of Philosophy
Length of study: 3 year (5 years part time)
Minimum entry qualification: first degree in a relevant subject, minimum of 2i or equivalent, or first degree and relevant research experience.
MD: Doctor of Medicine.
Length of study: 3 years part time
Minimum entry qualification: This is a professional doctorate available to clinically qualified candidates.
LIMM does not currently offer any taught MSc or undergraduate courses.
Postgraduate research students are funded in a number of ways:
Details of tuition fees can be found at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rds/prospective_students/tuition_fees.html
LIMM currently underwrites the following annually: up to 3 Bramall Fellowships for Clinical Training Fellows advertised around June & up to 3 LIMM PhD studentships advertised around November
Other University scholarships are available; further information can be found at:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rds/postgraduate_scholarships/postgraduate_scholarships.html
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medhealth/research.html
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medhealth/grad/
Information on individual supervisors’ research interests can be found within the LIMM Research pages.
For informal discussion contact either the relevant group leader (emails addresses are in the annual report in the above link) or contact Dr Rashida Anwar, Lead Postgraduate Research Tutor (r.anwar@leeds.ac.uk)
Formal applications should be submitted via the Graduate School. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medhealth/postgradresearch.html or by emailing AnneMarie Knaggs, Faculty Graduate School Manager a.m.knaggs@leeds.ac.uk Individual studentships are often available throughout the year as funding becomes available
Further information on Research degrees at the University of Leeds can be found at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rds/