What are your goals?

Understanding how a supervisor will help you is a key step in deciding who to choose. You may be looking to start with a small project, something bigger or be starting a journey towards a higher degree. If you are looking for something more pre-packaged, going to a senior researcher may be the way to go. They will often have more ideas/projects than time and will likely be grateful for the offer of help. Even if this doesn’t lead to your dream project it can be a very effective way of creating further research related opportunities, such as integrating yourself into a research group. If you are hoping to work towards a higher degree, you may need to consider extra factors, such as the academic credentials and capacity of your supervisor, to understand if they are the right person to help you on that journey.

Are you looking for a supervisor, mentor or sponsor?

The roles of a supervisor, mentor and sponsor are all different. A supervisor is technically there to manage, oversee and provide feedback on your performance. A mentor’s role is to foster and develop the skills of a less experienced individual, whilst a sponsor is there to promote and advocate for the individual with others. While one person may fill all these roles, they all require different skills, and it may be best to think carefully about what kind of supervision you are looking for before approaching people.

What are your interests?

I think many of us have a very narrow ‘frame’ when it comes to thinking about research. Coming from a science background it can be easy to think only about clinical, physiological, or epidemiological studies but there are opportunities to do research in lots of other areas of healthcare (education, simulation, safety and quality). If there is an area you are passionate about, you should seek out a supervisor with expertise in that area, as there may be a research opportunity that you hadn’t thought about. It is important to find something you are passionate about, as it will make the experience more interesting.

Don't assume your sponsor needs to be a physician

There are outstanding researchers in every healthcare discipline. Think broadly about who you could approach to supervise you. Some of the leading researchers in the Australian intensive care community are nurses, physiotherapists, and dieticians. Research coordinators in your department may also have the capacity and skills to be excellent supervisors.

Considerations when choosing a supervisor

• Track Record
It is worth spending some time appraising the track record of a prospective supervisor - how many projects have they supervised before, and how successful have they been?
• Research Interests
Consider what a prospective supervisor’s research output is. It will help a lot if their research interests and outputs are aligned with yours and what you want to achieve.
• Availability
Whilst choosing the most senior supervisor might seem like the way to go, consider how available your supervisor is likely to be. It is also important to think how comfortable you are going to be asking them questions or admitting to mistakes.
• Expectations
We all work in different ways. Think carefully and ask your prospective supervisor about their expectations and check if they match yours. For example, if you need to be provided with deadlines, then be careful about choosing someone who expects you to be self-sufficient.
• Experience of others
If you have the opportunity, ask others about potential supervisors. This can provide you with valuable insights into someone’s supervision style and other peoples’ experiences

Ways to find supervisors

• Your local research office
They will help identify local people with aligned interests
• Conferences and larger research events (eg. ANZICS Datathon)
These are a great opportunity to meet likeminded people and those with complementary skills to your own
• Direct contact
Don’t be afraid to reach out directly to people, most researchers are delighted to know you have taken an interest in their work.

Summary

Like most things in research, a small amount of early planning can save you a lot of pain later on. Spend some time thinking about your supervisor and you should be able to find someone that meets your needs.

References and Resources

1. 1. Jabre L, Bannon C, McCain JSP, Eglit Y. Ten simple rules for choosing a PhD supervisor PLoS Comput Biol. 2021;17(9):e1009330
2. Mellon A, Murdoch-Eaton D. Supervisor or mentor: is there a difference? Implications for paediatric practice Archives of Disease in Childhood 2015;100:873-878
3. Harvard Business Review - What the difference between a mentor and a sponsor. https://hbr.org/2021/10/whats-the-difference-between-a-mentor-and-a-sponsor
4. Nature Career Podcasts Mentoring, coaching, supervising: what’s the difference? https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02656-7
5. ANZICs Novice Investigators Group – https://www.anzics.com.au/novice-investigator-group-novig/

Section Author

Dr Alastair Brown
Alastair is an ICU Research Fellow at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He undertook anaesthetic training in the UK before moving to Melbourne in 2016 for a warmer climate (little did he know…). His research interests include ECMO, ICU resource allocation and diuretics and he is passionate about helping trainees identify research opportunities aligned with their own interests. His most important job is as a father of two young boys.

Section Reviewer

Dr George Walker
George is an ICU trainee at the Alfred. He is an editor for The Bottom Line and sits on the CICM Online Education Committee. He is a former NHS escapee, who likes nothing more than watching England beat Australia on the sports field.