Role of the supervisors

The direct supervisor, the scientific director and the education director play a crucial role throughout the staff member’s trajectory in Career Paths in Science and Engineering. Each of these supervisors can offer the staff member advice on anything related to the development of their individual research line and teaching portfolio, on their role in the basic unit, the research institute and the degree programme, or on anything else that will help make their position and academic development successful. The supervisors also offer advice and support in building a national and international research network to increase visibility and fundraising.

While each of the aforementioned supervisors can offer guidance and support, they do have different roles and responsibilities in the staff member’s trajectory:

• The direct supervisor--typically the chairperson of the basic unit or leader of the research discipline in which the staff member is embedded--is the supervisor with whom the staff member will have contact most frequently. Two particularly important responsibilities of the direct supervisor are to help the staff member have a good start and to hold Result and Development interviews with the staff member.

• The education director of the research institute is responsible for assigning teaching tasks to the staff member, as well as for offering guidance in the development of the staff member's didactic skills.

• The scientific director of the research institute remotely monitors the staff member's development as well as the supervision provided by the direct supervisor.

If necessary, the staff member can at any time take the initiative for discussions about supervision with the direct supervisor or directors of the institute.