Research student representatives

The Graduate College Steering Group (GCSG) is responsible to the Research Degrees Committee and Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee. They come together at least 3 times a year to discuss:

• research students training
• networking opportunities
• quality, standards, promotion and operation of the research programmes and degrees.

The terms of reference, meeting papers and minutes can be found on the GCSG Google site.

Current Research Student Representatives

• Chris Blythe - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Alara Erenel - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Zhihao Patrick Chen - Oxford Brookes Business School
• Aleida Gomez De Caso Villa - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Babz Clough - Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment
• Tochukwu Onyeogulu - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Larissa Thurlow - Oxford Brookes Business School
• Alice Walker - Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

The Research Degrees Committee (RDC) has devolved responsibility for all matters related to the University’s research degree programmes and research students. It produces regulations and codes of practice in line with external requirements and HEFCE guidelines and reports to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee on all areas of its remit.

The Committee is also responsible for continually monitoring the programme at all levels across the University to ensure that faculties are working within the regulations and codes. Meetings are held four times in the year.

The committee monitors:

• supervision
• students’ progress
• reviews facilities both at faculty and University level
• reports its findings to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee and the University via its Annual Report.

Meeting papers and minutes can be found RDC Google site.

Current research student representatives

• Bethy Airstone - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (RKEC) holds primary responsibility for the functional operation of the powers of Academic Board in relation to research activities and postgraduate research students.

RKEC is responsible to the Academic Board for policy and processes for research and knowledge exchange, research students and the quality, standards and operation of research programmes and degrees.

The Committee also develops strategic policy, for recommendation to the Academic Board, including policies and practice relating to recruitment and admission, develops research training and monitors the work of schools and directorates in relation to research and knowledge exchange.

Meeting papers and minutes can be found on the RKEC Google site.

Current research student representatives

• Alu Abdullah Al-Saadi - Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment
• Mitaali Katoch - Oxford Brookes Business School
• Lottie Smith - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

The University Research Ethics Office is looking for up to 8 PhD student representatives for the 2024/2025 academic year. At Oxford Brookes all research involving human participants, material, or data is subject to ethical review. In this role, student representatives will gain insight into this process by becoming members of a research ethics sub-committee and helping to review ethics applications.

Previous experience in research ethics is not needed: simply a willingness to learn, and a curiosity about the research that takes place across the University. Training will be provided to all student representatives. Please note that this is an unpaid role. The total commitment is on average 30 hours for the year (see below for details). The role is available for the 2024/2025 academic year with a possibility to extend into subsequent years. This role can be included in a C.V. and as part of a portfolio of training and development.

Benefits of the role:

1. Training in research ethics and its associated procedures, including attaining the skills of a peer reviewer;
2. Networking with academic and professional services colleagues across the University;
3. Gaining insight into a wide range of research methodologies and subject domains.

Responsibilities of research student representative (overview):

1. Attending 3 Sub-Committee meetings and ensuring that a PhD representative is present at each meeting. Students will be assigned either to the Health and Social Care Research Ethics Sub-Committee (HSCRES), which considers research primarily from the Health and Life Sciences, and the Cross-Faculty Research Sub-Committee (CRES), which considers research from all other faculties. These Sub-Committees meet 12 times a year. With 4 students per Sub-Committee, this will mean attending 3 meetings per year. The meetings last between 1 to 1.5 hours and are online.
2. Reading and reviewing ethics applications in advance of 3 Sub-Committee meetings. Representatives will provide bullet-point notes on all ethics applications for the meetings that they are attending. This will take around 30-45 minutes per application. There is a maximum of 12 applications per meeting, though usually there are fewer – around 7 for CRES or 3 for HSCRES on average.

Current research student representatives

• Shannon Skeffington - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Ali Golchoobian - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Elizabeth Okoro - Oxford Brookes Business School
• Carley Moore - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Aasia Rajpoot - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Matthew Albrighton - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Please contact the University Research Ethics Officer at ethics@brookes.ac.uk for further details or to apply.

Meeting minutes and papers for the faculty Research Degrees Sub-Committees and faculty Research and Knowledge Exchange Committees can be found on the Academic Board & Sub-Committees Google site.

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

• Alara Erenel - Biology
• Felicity Lucas - Sports Science

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Cansu Dalci - Education
• Sarah Gilbert - English
• Mike Power - History and Philosophy

Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

• Madhusha Mendis - Architecture
• Alice Walker - Real Estate