The Student Personal Committee

Within the Institute each student has a personal committee which supports them through his/her studies. This consists of their ‘Supervisor’ with whom he or she has day-to-day contact to plan and monitor work (particularly during the first few months) and to advise on the putting together of the thesis. Another point of contact within the Institute is the ‘Mentor’: usually someone working in a similar field, the Mentor acts as a second point of call for the student and can offer broad advice on experimental design, laboratory techniques etc., and day to day questions in the absence of the Supervisor.

In addition, each student has an ‘Assessor’. This person is from another laboratory, or may be from outside the Institute, and acts to review the student’s progress independently. Formal assessments occur at fixed points throughout the 3 or 4 years of the PhD course. Students write a 2 month Report to ensure that they are clear with the aims and objectives of their thesis project and that all the necessary reagents and equipment are in place for their studies. They write an 8 month Registration Report to ensure that the aims of the project are being fulfilled and that no unexpected complications have arisen with their project. Both reports are formally considered, together with the student's training needs, at an interview with the student’s Personal Committee. The recommendation of this Committee on the 8 month Report is considered by the Graduate Committee who will recommend whether the student should be formally registered with the University of Cambridge for the PhD degree.

The student writes a Thesis Plan outlining the work they have already carried out and the work they need to finish off for each of the potential chapters at the beginning of their 3rd year (and it is revised at the beginning of the 4th year for 4 year studentships). This report is reviewed in meetings with the student’s Personal Committee who report to the Graduate Committee.