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Published:  10 Jul 2024

MSCA starts survey to collect best practice examples on supervision

The European Commission is looking for best practices and success stories to support the existing MSCA guidelines on the supervision of researchers during their project.

Female student discussing with her female supervisor

The European Commission has published a survey to gather inspirational examples of supervision practice from across the MSCA community.

The survey is targeted to researchers and research support personnel who have been involved in MSCA projects. This includes

  • doctoral and postdoctoral fellows
  • academic and non-academic supervisors
  • mentors
  • coaches
  • administrative and technical staff

Highlighting best practices

The European Commission is working on an evidence-based guidance document that will support the existing MSCA guidelines on supervision.

The new document will provide best practices and success stories from the broader MSCA community covering both individual and institutional perspectives and expanding on key themes addressed in the guidelines, particularly

  • defining supervision
  • acknowledging and supporting individual diversity
  • managing individual supervisor-supervisee relationships
  • navigating the benefits and challenges of team supervision
  • facilitating collective academic supervision
  • introducing institutional structures for evaluating and supporting supervision
  • training effective supervisors and supervisees

The testimonials gathered in the survey will help ensure that the future guidance document represents the full diversity of the programme across its funding schemes, disciplines and organisations in various countries.

Selected stories will be featured in the document, while others will be used as case studies in training and promotion. They will showcase and strengthen positive supervision practices across the MSCA and beyond.

MSCA guidelines on supervision

As the EU’s flagship programme for the training and career development of researchers, the MSCA promotes effective supervision, mentoring and appropriate career guidance.  

The MSCA guidelines on supervision are a set of recommendations for individuals and institutions who receive MSCA funding.

These guidelines are in line with the principles set out in the European Charter for Researchers.

They complement other initiatives and codes of practice and serve as a reference to ensure that researchers receive adequate supervision during their research project. 

Published:  10 Jul 2024