By Joeri Tijdink, Chair Doctoral School Board
The importance of proper supervision for PhD candidates has increasingly come into the spotlight over the past few years, which is a positive development. At Amsterdam UMC, there are more than 3,400 PhD candidates who are the driving force behind most research conducted at Amsterdam UMC. These young researchers need guidance, especially since they often have little experience with research and still have much to learn about the complexities of the (primarily) empirical process. Experience is essential at every step of this process to avoid unconscious mistakes. Additionally, they are often unfamiliar with the prevailing (scientific) norms within a department and do not yet know the many written and unwritten rules of the academic world. Therefore, good supervision is essential.
However, providing that guidance is not simple. Many supervisors have numerous other responsibilities, and the effective mentoring of young researchers is still barely recognized in evaluation criteria. The consequence is often that this task is considered less important. No rewards, no recognition, and thus most supervisors may not prioritize this important academic task. Moreover, the lack of adequate supervision is also one of the most common harmful research practices1. How can we bring supervision more to the forefront? Unfortunately, this requires a cultural shift, as this does not happen overnight.
Brian Nosek outlined several conditions for such a change: there need to be policies with clear guidelines that ensure supervision, an active community that emphasizes the importance of good supervision, and a solid infrastructure that makes it easy to engage in supervision. Motivation is thus crucial for supervisors. Supervisors can be motivated in two ways: on the one hand, by recognizing the intrinsic desire to become a good supervisor, and on the other hand, by giving them the confidence that they are capable of providing effective guidance. Training is essential for the latter.
In short, a cultural change takes time and commitment. What does come naturally, however, is the joy and satisfaction of trying to be a good supervisor. It is immensely rewarding to see young researchers grow and make progress. In the coming years, supervision will occupy a more prominent place within the research community of Amsterdam UMC, among other things by prioritizing it in the policies of the Doctoral School and developing training programs. An active community plays a crucial role in this process. Together with the Doctoral School Board, we hope we can contribute to this culture change and help our research community to reevaluate and emphasize the crucial role good supervision by supervisors plays in the research process.
1Ref: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0263023