Recap: The role of supervisors in fostering a positive research culture
Recap:
The role of supervisors in fostering a positive research culture
24 March 2026, 10:00-11:00 GMT
On 24 March 2026, UKRIO hosted the fourth session of its Expert webinar series – public forums for leading voices to share insights on emerging topics in research integrity.
The session focused on the role of supervisors in fostering a positive research culture. Guest speakers explored how supervisory practice directly shapes research integrity and the wider research environment, highlighting what supportive supervision looks like in practice and how it can be sustained.
Drawing on evidence from the cross-sector Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), the webinar offered practical insights into how supervisors and institutions can better support doctoral supervision and strengthen integrity-driven research cultures.
About the speakers
Dr Owen Gower
Owen serves as the Director of the UK Council for Graduate Education, shaping national strategy to strengthen and diversify the UK’s postgraduate and doctoral landscape. He has contributed to a range of UK-wide initiatives, including the UKRI Talent and Skills Advisory Group and Student Space, alongside projects focused on equity and innovation in doctoral education. His work centres on the purpose and public value of doctoral study, with particular interests in supervision, leadership and researcher autonomy.
With a background at the interface of research and public policy, Owen has fostered interdisciplinary partnerships across social policy, collaborating with organisations such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Runnymede Trust. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and has taught at King’s College London and Royal Holloway, University of London.
Dr Karen Clegg
Dr Karen Clegg is Co-Director of the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), a four-year national initiative transforming the culture and practice of research supervision in partnership with 58 practitioner and industry organisations, including the BBC, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Opera North. She is currently seconded as Reader in Doctoral Education and Practice within the School of Arts and Creative Technologies.
Previously, she led researcher development at the University of York, shaping institutional strategy and delivering accredited programmes for researchers and academic leaders. An elected trustee of the UK Council for Graduate Education and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she holds a PhD in pedagogy specialising in self and peer assessment.