Forms, rules and other related material for current PhD students
Information for current PhD students
Forms, rules and other related material for current PhD students
Information for current PhD students
Click the topics below for additional information
Forms applied
- Application for Enrollment
- Template for the PhD Plan
- Student and Supervisor Agreement - read carefully at the start of the PhD study.
Forms applied during the PhD
- Application for financial support to stays abroad
- Portfolio template - used in connection with progress reports
- ECTS for conference participation
- Application for leave of absence
Forms applied when finishing the PhD Study
THE 2 MONTH PHD PLAN
The PhD plan is a crucial step in any PhD study and its importance must not be overlooked. It is a requirement that the PhD plan follows the provided template since it contains information regarding the scope and the content required in the PhD plan - link to the template at the bottom of this page. The Phd plan must be submitted through PhD manager no later than 2 months after the enrollment date.
UPDATED PHD PLAN
The updated PhD plan must ensure a feasible and realistic research approach in line with fulfilment of general rules such as course portfolio and external collaboration. The updated PhD plan requires a great deal of attention from the PhD student and supervisor and unfortunately experience shows that the updated PhD plan is often delayed. This makes it significantly harder to adjust the research strategy for the remainder of the PhD project. The pre-defense seeks to adress this issues by involving external opponents.
PRE-DEFENSE
Before the deadline for the updated PhD plan (11 months after enrolment), it should be presented (pre-defence) at a suitable meeting in the various research groups (e.g. internal research meetings). The form is a 20 min presentation followed by 20 min discussion. If it is not possible to present the PhD plan at a suitable scientific forum due to logistics, the supervisor must organize a meeting where the presentation and discussion can take place.
The supervisor appoints an internal opponent (eligible as PhD supervisor, but not directly involved in the project) with expertise within the field. The intention is not to invite externals.Based on the presentation and the written Phd plan, the opponent should challenge the PhD plan with focus on scientific content, feasibility, novelty, flow of studies, etc. Questions and comments from the participants of the meeting are also encouraged. If required, the updated PhD plan is revised accordingly.
A short written evaluation (5-10 lines) is prepared by the opponent and must accompany the updated PhD plan when it is submitted for approval to the head of the doctoral programme. A positive recommendation is a prerequisite for further processing. In case revisions are requested the PhD student also submits a cover letter describing the revisions done based on the suggestions from the opponent.
OVERVIEW
PhD student submits the PhD plan no later than after 2 months of enrollment - must be approved by supervisor and head of program via PhD manager - deadline cannot be extempted from.
Updated plan is uploaded along with comments from the predefense after 11 months of enrollment - must be approved by supervisor and head of program via PhD manager.- extemption from the deadline can only be granted by the PhD Study Director.
RESEARCH STAY ABROAD
The Doctoral School recommends that you go abroad for your external research stay/collaboration. Going abroad and putting your research into a whole different context allows you to strengthen your international network and gain new perspectives on your research.
PURPOSE
The main purpose of the stay should be to develope and further your research, develope new ideas in a new setting and of course to expand your network.
It is a requirement that you during your PhD Study have a form of external research collaboration.
WHERE TO GO AND FOR HOW LONG?
The external research stay can compose of one long stay or a combination of several short stays (minimum duration of one month if you want financial support from the Doctoral School).
Stays shorter than one month are also viable but you cannot receive financial support from the Doctoral School.
If you have questions in relation to the duration, contact your supervisors or AAU PhD. The location needs to have an active research environment - it can be both universities, organizations or other institutions.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL
Application for financial support must be sent to the Doctoral School no later than one month prior to the travel. The applied template must be filled out and signed by all required parties.
The support covers:
- Own transport (one roundtrip, cheapest way)
- Tuition fees
- Own expenses for food and small necessities
According to the rules in the Tax Assessment Act (Ligningsloven) Section 9 A.
AMOUNT:
5.000 kr pr month with a travel length over 3 months and up to 6 months (the travel can be longer but we can only cover up to 6 months)
3.000 kr pr month with a travel length between 1-3 months
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 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).
FAQ
The application for financial support must follow the template and be sent to the Doctoral School (aauphd@adm.aau.dk) 1 month prior to the travel.
Stays with a minimum duration of 1 month can receive financial support from the Doctoral School.
Stays shorter than 1 month are approved in relation to the requirements in the ministerial order - but cannot receive financial support.
Rules concerning PhD courses:
- You must accumulate approximately 30 ECTS:
- 10 ECTS from general PhD courses
- 10 ECTS from specific PhD courses
- 10 for free distribution
- 6 ECTS can be gained from active conference participation and the like
- ECTS from conferences and the like only needs approval from your supervisors if it counts as part of the 6 ECTS that you can usually use for this purpose. If you want conference participation to count as “regular-ECTS” you need your head of programs approval.
All courses must be at PhD level at identifiable institutions. In general, no single course should exceed 6 ECTS credit points.
Finding the right PhD courses:
- www.phd.moodle.aau.dk - all PhD courses at Aalborg University
- www.phdcourses.dk - all PhD courses in Denmark (usually free of charge for PhD students)
- https://www.nordochealth.net/courses - PhD courses in scandinavia (usually free of charge for PhD students)
It is possible to find courses elsewhere but if they are not listed as PhD courses they may require approval from your supervisor or the head of program.
FAQ:
- It is your head of program that approves courses that are not PhD couses, study circles and ECTS from conferences that are not part of the 6 ECTS allocated
- There are 4 mandatory elements:
- Introduction to the PhD Study
- Applying the Danish Code of Conduct of Research Integrity to Your Research
- Active participation in the PhD Day
- Mandatory program specific course
A PhD student has the right to apply for leave of absence from the Doctoral School. The application must be signed by the supervisor and forwarded to the Doctoral Shool.
Leave of absence will normally be granted in cases of:
- Illness
- Childbirth
- Military service etc.
Leave of absence means that the applicant’s PhD programme 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.
If you are employed as a PhD stipend remember to notify the HR Department.
Questions in relation to a leave of absence can be sent to Maria Bredvig or the mail below.
The application must be sent to aauphd@adm.aau.dk
Find the template in "forms and templates" above.
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
Submission of PhD thesis - VBN
Support for PhD students