Forms, templats and other relevant information for current PhD students
For Current PhD Students
Forms, templats and other relevant information for current PhD students
For Current PhD Students
The PhD plan is a crucial element of your PhD study. It must be completed in collaboration and agreement with your supervisor. Make sure to discuss and align mutual expectations with your supervisor. You must use the template provided by the doctoral school. The template thoroughly explains the requirements for the PhD plan.
The PhD plan must be uploaded through the PhD manager portal no later than 2 months after the enrolment date. An AAU email/login is required.
12 MONTHS' UPDATED PHD PLAN
After approximately 10 months of your PhD study, you must start preparing an updated version of your PhD plan reflecting the progress during the first part of your PhD and possible changes of plans relative to the initial plan. The template for the PhD plan contains explanation and points of attention (in italic) regarding the update. The updated PhD plan should be uploaded via the PhD manager portal after the 11 months’ status seminar (see below) and no later than 12 months after the enrolment date.
THE 11-MONTHS’ ORAL STATUS SEMINAR
The purpose of the seminar is to improve the evaluation of the first 11 months of the PhD study and the 12 months’ update of the PhD plan. The seminar is moreover an opportunity for the PhD student to present and discuss with a broader audience of colleagues the results obtained so far and the ideas for the future research. A more detailed description of the 11 months’ seminar can be found here.
TIMEFRAME
2 months: deadline for submission of 2-months’ PhD plan
10 months: start preparing the status seminar and the 12-month’s PhD plan
11 months: status seminar
12 months: deadline for submission of 12-month’s PhD plan
The document found below contains information for 4+4 PhD students and is based on typical questions related to this type of PhD.
Forms applied during the PhD study
- PhD plan template
- Portfolio document
- Status seminar template
- Status seminar process
- 10 months' status talk (former one year)
- Supervisor student agreement (discuss and complete when commencing the PhD study)
- Paradigm for outcome of a study circle
- Paradigm for outcome of conference participation
Forms in connection with submission
MISCELLANEOUS
- Application for financial support - E-form, no signatures needed.
- Application for extension of your PhD study (enrolment)
- You do not need to use the full duration of the extension.
- You can always submit your thesis - also if you are not enrolled.
- Make sure all signatures are present when submitting the application.
- If applicable you also need to renew your work/residence permit.
- Application for leave of absence
It is required by the Ministerial Order that the Doctoral School continuously monitors the progress of the individual PhD studies. As a result of this your are asked to confirm/comment on a progress report made by your supervisor after 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 months.
You will receive an email notification when a progress report is ready for you. The process is fully automatic and you are not required to take any action before receiving a notifcation email.
Progress reports are found in PhD manager.
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE
The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science recommends an ongoing discussion between the student and supervisor(s) in order to track the progress of the PhD study. In addition to the progress reports done every 6 months, the Doctoral School suggests the following procedure:
The student gives an oral presentation for all supervisors (main- and co-supervisors).
The oral presentation secures that the supervisors are kept up to date with the status of the project. If deemed necessary, it is recommended that a revision of the updated study plan is elaborated. Such a revision will secure that both the student and the supervisor(s) deal with the new/altered study plan and deadlines in the project.
The evaluation of the project work is suggested to comprise the following;
15-20 minutes presentation of the project work performed within the last 6 months
Are there any changes according to the study plan?
How does the student evaluate the work performed and the project in general?
In which courses has the PhD student participated?
The extent of working obligations performed by the PhD student? (Number of hrs. and types of working tasks)
DISCUSSION
- The work performed by the PhD student
- The future prospects of the project
- Future course participation
- Future working obligations
- How should the supervisor and PhD student deal with unexpected circumstances introducing a delay in the project?
- External/international collaboration. What has been established within the last 6 months? What should be done the next 6 months?
EVALUATION OF THE SUPERVISOR-STUDENT COLLABORATION
A meeting is suggested between the student and the main/ co-supervisor with whom the student is mostly in contact with, (or including all supervisors if one of the parties want this) where the methods of supervision and the collaboration are discussed.
If the supervisor or the PhD student wants it a 'third' party can be invited to lead the discussion. The below mentioned list indicates some of the points, that could serve as a base for the discussion.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SUPERVISOR AND THE PHD STUDENT
How is communication established and maintained between the PhD student and the supervisor?
What does the student expect from the supervisor? And has that been fulfilled within the last 6 months?
What does the supervisor expect from the PhD student? And has that been fulfilled within the last 6 months?
EVALUATION OF MEETINGS/CONTACT DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS
Which type of communication has been performed? (e-mail, single questions, informal talk in the hall way, longer meetings with a planned agenda)
Has it been difficult to establish meetings/contact between the PhD student and the supervisor?
How was the structuring of the meetings?
How was the mutual orientation of the work during the period?
Which functions does the PhD student expect the supervisor to take on?
Which functions does the supervisor expect the PhD student to take on?
The supervisor and PhD student are encouraged to make a note on the most important decisions about the future collaboration between the two parties, and the future work of the PhD student.
According to the Ministerial Order on the PhD education you must complete PhD courses totalling 30 ECTS. Project specific courses and general PhD courses should each cover at least 10 ECTS. In general, no single course should exceed 6 ECTS credit points.
General courses concern PhD relevant competencies of relevance across several PhD-programs. Examples are courses regarding statistics as a tool in scientific research, courses on dissemination skills, or courses on career planning. Project specific courses cover topics specific to the PhD-program that the student belongs to, including topics of direct relevance for the student’s PhD project.
All courses must be at PhD level at identifiable institutions.
Two PhD courses are mandatory:
- Introduction to the PhD Study
- Applying the Danish Code of Conduct
Conference participation can count up to 6 ECTS as course activities. PhD courses can also be in the form of study circles or upgraded master courses. More information regarding these options is given in the template for the PhD plan.
Applications for financial support in connection with studies abroad should be submitted to the Doctoral School. The application form must be duly filled out and signed by both the applicant and the supervisor.
By signing the application, the supervisor annotates the application with a positive recommendation. Please note that the application should be submitted well in advance and no later than one month prior to the commencement of studies abroad.
The support covers transport, tuition fees (up to a maximum of 15,000 DKK) and an amount to cover own expenses for food and small necessities according to the rules in the Tax Assessment Act (Ligningsloven) Section 9 A.
According to AAU’s internal guidelines the amount is maximum 4,300 DKK per month in Europe and maximum 5,000 DKK per month overseas. When accompanied by spouse/cohabitor and child(ren) the monthly amount for the PhD student can be increased by 1,000 DKK and 500 DKK per child.
The monthly grant is paid in advance and calculated relatively according to the whole duration of the study abroad. The Doctoral School provides financial support between 1-6 months.
The amount is paid as an advance. Therefore a final settlement with the university must take place immediately upon return (no later than 10 work days after return according to AAU’s guidelines). It is extremely important that this deadline is met in order for AAU to comply with SKAT’s guidelines for correct filing.
In some cases it is possible to obtain a tax deduction (Differencefradrag). However it is not possible to calculate this before the end of the stay abroad and final settlement with the university. If you wish to take a tax deduction (and are eligible to a deduction) the Doctoral School must be contacted.
The application for a tax deduction takes place by contacting SKAT directly bringing along the final settlement from AAU (Please do not contact SKAT before talking to the Doctoral School).
A PhD student may apply for leave of absence from the Doctoral School. Applications for leave of absence must be sent to the Doctoral School. A leave of absence will normally be granted in relation to the following:
- Illness
- Childbirth
- Military service etc
Leave of absence means that the applicant’s PhD program is prolonged by the duration of the leave of absence.
If the leave is due to PhD related activities the leave must be for a period of minimum three months. Please note that an application for leave must generally be received by the Doctoral School no later than one month before the beginning of the leave.
Please note that if you are employed, the HR department will require additional forms to be completed.
If you have any questions regarding a leave of absence please contact Maria Bredvig at the Doctoral School
The following sections present information regarding the requirements in relation to the submission of PhD theses through the VBN portal (www.vbn.aau.dk).
FORMAT
Prior to beginning the actual writing on your PhD thesis it is advised that you familiarize yourself with the advices in relation to the format. The requirements that are found are only related to the provided templates, the templates are NOT mandatory to use.
If you have any questions regarding the format, consult the VBN website. If the issue remains unresolvable contact Aalborg Universitets Forlag. It is required that your thesis follows the formatting guidelines (if you wish to submit in the standard format).
The VBN office provides fixed templates for a variety of formats. These are found here: https://www.en.team.vbn.aau.dk/phd-submission/
REQUIREMENTS FROM THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL
Before uploading/submitting your thesis the following elements must be in order:
- Assessment committee: Your assessment committee must be established and approved. You will receive information from the Doctoral School once this matter is handled.
- Co-author statements: If your thesis is a collection of papers you must have submitted co-author statements for all included articles to the doctoral school. Once these are approved by the PhD Study Director you are informed by the doctoral school.
- Your supervisor must have submitted a supervisor statement to the Doctoral School. Once this is approved by the PhD study director you are informed by the Doctoral School.
- You must have submitted a declaration concerning good scientific practice to the Doctoral School.
- Your thesis must contain a Danish and English Summary.
- 3-4 weeks prior to submission your PhD thesis must undergo a reference check -read more here
If any of the elements above are not in order, you must not upload your thesis.
Please contact the Doctoral School if you have any questions.
THESIS THAT ARE UPLOADED WITHOUT HAVING THE ELEMENTS ABOVE IN ORDER WILL BE REJECTED AND A NEW SUBMISSION MUST BE MADE.
Once you have uploaded your thesis it is considered as being submitted. It is therefore crucial that all references and so on are entered correctly. You cannot alter the thesis in any way or form once it is submitted. Only in the case of a negative preliminary assessment is this sometimes possible.
The submission date is when the thesis is received at the Doctoral School from the printers.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU HAVE SORTED ALL POTENTIAL ISSUES REGARDING COPYRIGHT/PUBLICATION. IT IS THE PHD STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE RIGHTS TO RE-USE HIS/HER MATERIAL IN THE PHD THESIS.
FAQ from Aalborg University Press (pre-print, printing and other important elements)
If you want to include your papers in the published version of your PhD theses, please ensure copyrights from the publisher (not required if OA).
VBN office - checklist for submission, procedures, requirements, templates and support.
VBN portal - submit your thesis here (login at the bottom of the site using your AAU single sign-on). If you are unable to log in - contact your Department or the Doctoral School.
When your PhD study is about to expire you will receive information from the Doctoral School about the application for an extension - you can apply for an extension two times.
FAQ
- You do not need to use the full duration of the extension.
- You can always submit your thesis - also if you are not enrolled.
- Make sure all signatures are present when submitting the application.
- If applicable you also need to renew your work/residence permit.
Download the application for extension
ENROLLMENT
When applying for enrollment it is required that you fill out the application for enrollment template. Please ensure that all required appendix and signatures are present. The template can be downloaded here.
PREPARATION OF A PHD PLAN
No later than 2 months after enrollment the PhD student must upload a PhD plan for approval through the PhD manager portal. The PhD plan is prepared by the PhD student in co-operation with the principal supervisor.
This provisional outline of the PhD programme must satisfy the requirements of the general programme for the particular field of research in which the applicant wishes to participate. It is a precondition that research in the chosen area takes place within the Faculty. The PhD study plan must follow the template found here.
PREPARATION OF AN UPDATED PHD PLAN
Before the completion of the first year of the PhD program (after 12 months), an updated PhD must be uploaded throuh the PhD manager system.
The updated PhD plan must comprise a description of the academic progress and a precise indication of the undertakings during the remainder of the program. The updated PhD study plan must follow the template found here. Comments from the status seminar must be incorporated into the plan.
EVALUATION OF THE PHD STUDY
According to the Ministerial Order, the Doctoral School must ensure that the PhD student is making progress according to her/his approved PhD plan. This requirement is met by the progress reports through PhD manager. The evaluation is conducted automatically through the system and all parties will be informed when an evaluation is pending.
RE-ESTABLISHMENT
If the performance during a study program is not satisfactory, this must be declared to the Doctoral School trough the progress reports. This declaration must be accompanied by an explanatory statement. Together with the principal supervisor, the PhD student prepares a detailed plan of action in order to ensure that her/his performance becomes satisfactory after a 3 month period. Subsequently, it is the duty of the principal supervisor to judge whether the performance progress has been re-established. If the PhD student is unable to recover lost ground, the registration of the student will be cancelled at the end of the 3 month period.
COMPLETION OF THE PHD STUDY PROGRAM
The PhD program is completed with the preparation of a PhD thesis. The thesis is submitted to the Faculty and must be publicly presented and defended. The thesis and its defence must be evaluated by an assessment committee. The appointment of the assessment committee must take place before the PhD thesis is submitted to the Faculty. Before the appointment of the assessment committee, the principal supervisor must fill out a declaration that all other components of the program have been successfully completed.
The assessment committee is appointed by the Dean upon recommendation from the PhD Board and consists of 3 members, of which 2 must be extramural. Supervisors do not participate in the assessment committee with voting rights, but the principal supervisor should nevertheless always participate in the committee's evaluation. The assessment committee performs its recommendation in two stages. Prior to the assessment committee deciding on the date for the public defence, it must have formed an opinion as to whether the thesis qualifies as suitable for defence. Should the assessment committee view the thesis negatively, the assessment committee shall state in the recommendation whether the PhD thesis may be resubmitted in a revised version. After the defence of the thesis, the assessment committee sends a general evaluation of the thesis and its defence to the department as well as a recommendation as to whether the degree should be awarded or not.
After the Academic Council has awarded the PhD degree, the secretariat will prepare a PhD diploma in Danish and English.
Support for PhD students
The Doctoral School provides coaching for PhD students. The ambition is that coaching will support the process of the project and the wellbeing of the PhD student. Coaching is a process oriented dialogue between a coach and a PhD student aiming at enhancing the reflections, potentials and actions of the PhD student. The overall goal is to facilitate the development of good working routines and satisfactory work relations, to keep up motivation and use time and resources in an effective manner during the entire research project.
You can get more information about the initiative and the coach in the leaflet here.
You can access this service by contacting the coach directly. Normally you can expect to get an appointment within a week or 14 days.
Contact:
PhD Coach and Associate Professor Pia Bøgelund
Department of Developement and Planning
Mobile: ( 45) 31313397
Email: pb@plan.aau.dk
All PhD students at Aalborg University can receive support in relation to scientific computing, mathematics and statistics. This is free of charge for PhD students and primarily consists of two meetings with a member from the consultancy team. See the website www.phdconsult.aau.dk for more information.
Being enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School means that you automatically join the PhD student organisation PAU. PAU stands for "PhD Network of Aalborg University" and PAU is the PhD association and network for all PhD students at Aalborg University.
If you wish to contact the PAU board, please use board@pau.aau.dk.
All PAU information and activities are posted on Facebook:
As a PhD student at Aalborg University you have access to a variety of career supporting initiatives - including DISC profiles and other offers. Read more on the PhD career website.
All Danish Universities must comply with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles for data management.
See our explainer video, where CLAAUDIA's Carina et al. provides an "easy to eat" introduction to FAIR data at fair.aau.dk