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Supervisor FAQs

Welcome to our Supervisor FAQs. Our aim is to create a one-stop location for all the information you need to have a great JRA experience. If there are other questions you think we should include, we'd be grateful if you let us know.

2023 Timeline 

13 February - JRA applications open
27 March - application submission deadline
31 March - applications submitted to Schools
03 April until 03 May - applications assessed by Schools panels
04 May - results of application assessment returned to Doctoral School
11 May - Doctoral School notify applicants, supervisors and DRaKEs of allocation of JRAs
05 June - JRA projects start
01 Sept - JRA projects end and posters are submitted
18 Oct - Poster exhibition

How do I get involved in the JRA programme?

If you'd like to be a supervisor, there are a few ways of getting involved. How you do so will depend on your subject, your students, and whether you have any pre-existing research projects. 

If you would like to provide a project outline for a JRA:

If you have an ongoing research project (i.e.you operate a laboratory) or research question (i.e. you are collating a large amount of data and material for future book publications or ongoing critical analysis) then you might wish to consider how you could integrate a JRA project within the parameters of these existing investigations. In our experience, such projects work extremely well for both the JRA and the supervisor. The JRA undertakes an independent research project, in turn contributing to a larger body of work, while the supervisor's research also benefits. For example, many supervisors stress the positive impact of having a top student, with a fresh perspective, work alongside them on their project for eight weeks.

If you would like to supervise a student-led JRA project:

Many of our supervisors supervise projects that the JRAs propose themselves, based on their own interests. These projects tend to develop organically - i.e. the student approaches the supervisor with an initial idea. This then starts a dialogue through which the idea is refined and transformed into a project that can realistically be completed within eight weeks. If you're interested in being a supervisor - perhaps you have some students in mind that you think could particularly benefit from the scheme - then it is a good idea to disseminate information about the scheme to such students, encourage them to apply, and offer them guidance in formulating a strong research proposal.

Our one request...

The one request we have is that a JRA student should never be simply a research assistant. What we mean by this is that each project should have the level of autonomy potential for discovery characteristic of independent research.

I'm not on a permanent contract. Can I supervise a JRA?

Yes, early career researchers / those on non-permanent contracts can be JRA supervisors, as long as the term of the contract covers the full duration of the JRA studentship. If you are grant funded you will need a supporting statement from the Principal Investigator on the grant.

How does the application process work?

We've broken the application process down in some detail on our 'Interested in applying' pages, which will give you a good understanding of applying from a student's perspective. As a supervisor, you will likely either be approached by, or yourself will approach, a student interested in undertaking a JRA research project. It is likely that some discussion between yourself and the student will take place, as the idea for a research project emerges and is then refined.

Ideally, the final research proposal should be the student's own work, but we understand that in some disciplines where the student is joining an existing research project, it is necessary for the supervisor to write the research proposal. In that case we ask students to write an additional statement reflecting on the importance of the research, the wider context, and why they feel the research needs to be undertaken.

A complete JRA application consists of four separate documents. While it is the JRA's responsibility to collate these documents and submit them, supervisors will be asked to fill in one of these forms - a statement providing information on how you view and will participate in the proposed research, and how you will support the student. If you don't wish the student to see your supervisor statement you can submit it separately to undergraduate-research@sussex.ac.uk; in either case, all JRA applications should be submitted by the specified deadline.

The 2023 submission process may be changing to an online form. Further details will follow in January.

How long does the JRA scheme last?

Projects are eight weeks in length and must take place over the summer months between the terms - in 2023, across any eight weeks between 5 June and 1 September. 

Once your JRA's project has ended there are extra events that should be noted. Chiefly, each student is required to make an academic poster summarising their research project, and to subsequently attend an exhibition at which this poster will be displayed. We encourage all supervisors to attend this exhibition, and hope that you will come along to celebrate the achievements of our JRAs. In 2022, the Poster Exhibition took place in October in Mandela Hall, Falmer House.

How many students become JRAs each year?

This changes each year, so it is difficult to state. Seventy Sussex undergraduates became Junior Research Associates in 2021, and 96 in 2022 (partly due to research culture funding). Each School receives a specific allocation of JRA places based on undergraduate population. Speak to your DRaKE for updates on this.

What is the time commitment for a JRA supervisor?

As a supervisor, you must commit to a minimum of weekly supervision for the eight weeks of the student's project. We also strongly encourage supervisors to attend the poster exhibition celebrating the end of the JRA scheme in October.

What will be expected of me as a JRA supervisor?

We’re not academics, nor are we teaching experts, so we are understandably reluctant to give any instruction on this. What we do have, however, is an understanding of what JRAs respond well to, based on the many conversations we've had with such students over the years. Based on these observations, we‘ve listed five elements that, when combined, lead to great JRA supervision.

1. Prepare — At only eight weeks long, JRA projects are admittedly quite short. It is therefore important that the student hits the ground running, feeling both confident and capable. We've found, in the past, that some early steps can be taken, and that students react particularly well to this. For example, scheduling a meeting before the project begins, providing a short preparatory reading list, ensuring any concerns or requirements around ethical approval are addressed, and proposing a working timeframe and initial research objectives will all serve to ensure the JRA makes the most of the eight weeks allotted to their projects. 

A note on ethics: although it is the student's responsibility to submit any forms/claims needed for ethical approval, the supervisor has an ultimate responsibility to ensure such approval is attained in good time. 

2. Advise — upon starting their projects, some students may initially feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of ideas and routes available to them. While encouraging the sense of curiosity that underpins good academic practice, it is important that you also maintain regular contact in these early stages, to ensure the JRA commits to an area and question that can realistically be answered in eight weeks. Such guidance will ensure the JRA does not waste too much time traveling down theoretical tangents which, although interesting, may have little relevance to their final project. 

3. Report — Over the past couple of years, we've been trying to reduce the amount of bureaucracy, but we do need to ask you to complete a short interim report JRA Interim Report 2023 [DOCX 32.22KB] in week four and a longer evaluation at the end of the scheme. This short interim report lets us know that the JRA is fulfilling their duties, and highlights any problems early in the process, leaving us enough time to resolve any issues before the progress of the project is seriously impacted. 

4. Celebrate — Completing a research project is a big achievement, so help us celebrate the work our JRAs do. We’ll be holding a poster exhibition later in the year, and we'd be very happy if you could attend both. We'd also be grateful if you could celebrate your JRA by connecting them with others in their field, and generally spreading the good word and highlighting any opportunities you know of that might be of interest to them.

5. Advocate — As our JRAs move on, a lot of them will draw on their JRA experiences, and as a supervisor you can act as a really valuable advocate, recommending their character and their research abilities to others as they progress through their lives and career. Many supervisors and their JRAs still keep in touch years after their projects have ended.

While the five principles above will contribute to a rewarding JRA project, we know that each supervisor will vary in how they approach the role. In 2021, 100% of our JRAs claimed that working with a supervisor was a rewarding experience, and 100% claimed that they would recommend the scheme to other students. Naturally, then, we have a huge amount of trust in our supervisors, who are clearly challenging, engaging and transforming their JRAs, and we will work to support you in any way we can.

How much is the JRA bursary and when will it be paid?

In 2023, each JRA will receive a bursary of £1,800, paid in two installments of £900, to allow them to work full-time on their research. JRAs will receive their first payment at the beginning of the scheme, and then the second payment will be processed in the fifth week, once SURO has received the supervisor's interim report confirming that the research project is progressing accordingly.

As well as the £1,800 bursary, each JRA will receive a £200 expenses allowance to cover costs directly supporting their research. Here are some examples of things that JRAs commonly claim for:

• travel and subsistence whilst undertaking fieldwork
• ordering books not available from the library
• buying specific software required for research (i.e. data analysis software)
• money used to pay participants to engage in research.

To make a claim, JRAs must send a completed student expenses form (Student Expense Form [PDF, 165KB]), along with original receipts for all items being claimed for, to undergraduate-research@sussex.ac.uk. As we need to see receipts for any item claimed, we can unfortunately only reimburse you once the purchase has been made. 

For those JRAs within the sciences, SURO will transfer the £200 research expense budget to the supervisor at the beginning of the scheme. This is done on a request basis. If you would like us to do this for your JRA, drop an email to undergraduate-research@sussex.ac.uk and we can arrange this for you.

Does my JRA have to submit a poster, and why?

All JRAs are required to submit an A1 academic poster, portrait orientation and in PDF format. This is a condition of the scheme, and will be stated in the contract which you and your JRA will sign at the beginning of the scheme. Academic posters are commonly used in the research community to communicate key findings in a quick and accessible way. It is also a method which students from all disciplines can adopt, thus allowing us to showcase a variety of subjects and research projects in a single event. All JRAs need to do is design the poster – the Doctoral School will have them professionally printed for the exhibition.

By designing a poster, students gain valuable experience of presenting their findings to a wider audience. For JRAs who have never designed an academic poster before, SURO organises workshops on how to create academic posters. We will disseminate resources and guidance nearer the time.

What is the poster exhibition?

Every year the Doctoral School organises the annual 'Celebrating Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition'. In 2022, the exhibition took place in October in Mandela Hall, Falmer House. All JRAs must attend the event to display and discuss their academic posters. This is often a very busy event, attended by students, faculty, staff and other members of the general public.

There is a competition element to the exhibition. A judging panel comprised of faculty members will shortlist the best posters. The shortlisted JRAs will then be interviewed by the panel about their research, and the winners announced on the day of the exhibition.

Additionally, the first and runner-up prize winners will be invited to represent the University of Sussex at BCUR's Posters in Parliament exhibition, an event celebrating the UK's best undergraduate researchers, held in Westminster.

All JRA students will have the opportunity to present their work at the British Council for Undergraduate Research (BCUR) annual conference, which happens every year around April. If they choose to do so, SURO will offer them support and assistance to ensure their trip is successful. 

As many JRAs have never designed an academic poster before, SURO organises workshops on how to create a research poster. You will be emailed the dates for these training workshops.

What happens if my JRA's research doesn't go to plan?

Each year, the feedback we receive from JRAs and supervisors is overwhelmingly positive. That being said, we are occasionally made aware of certain problems, and do what we can to resolve them. If you are experiencing issues of any kind please let us know as soon as possible and we will do what we can to help. As academics, summer is often your allocated research time, and we don’t want you to spend time dealing with a problem that we may have been able to help with.