PhD candidate career management
At the beginning of the Programme, the candidate’s academic position and any specific obligations attached to the scholarship or research project should be clearly identified.
| Information to verify | Relevant details |
|---|---|
| Academic position | PhD cycle, Programme, curriculum and official starting date. |
| Research pathway | Research topic, Supervisor, co-supervisors and partner institutions. |
| Financial position | Scholarship, funding source, research project or position without scholarship. |
| Additional obligations | Mobility, reporting, milestones, project activities or requirements established by agreements. |
The candidate prepares an individual research and training plan with the Supervisor, taking into account the research project, Programme requirements, SAS activities, curriculum-specific training and any obligations connected with the funded position.
| Plan element | Content |
|---|---|
| Research | Objectives, expected results, methods and annual milestones. |
| Training | SAS, Programme, curriculum and external training activities. |
| Mobility | Expected research periods at partner or host institutions. |
| Funding obligations | Project deliverables, reporting, mandatory activities and deadlines. |
The plan and any substantial subsequent changes must be submitted to the Academic Board where formal approval is required.
| Responsible person or body | Monitoring activity |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Keeps the Supervisor informed and maintains updated documentation. |
| Supervisor | Monitors scientific progress, training participation and compliance with deadlines. |
| Programme Coordinator | Ensures that relevant cases are brought to the Academic Board in time. |
| Academic Board | Adopts formal decisions and monitors the overall doctoral pathway. |
At the end of each year, the candidate documents the research, training and other activities completed according to the procedure established for the Programme.
| Area | Examples of evidence |
|---|---|
| Research progress | Results, reports, datasets, experiments and progress against milestones. |
| Training | Courses, seminars, examinations, credits and certificates. |
| Scientific outputs | Publications, conference contributions and other research outputs. |
| Mobility and external activities | Host declarations, mobility periods, missions and collaborations. |
| Teaching and tutoring | Authorised assignments and activity registers. |
The Supervisor verifies the report. The Academic Board carries out the formal annual evaluation, taking into account scientific progress and fulfilment of the applicable training requirements.
Admission to the following year is subject to a positive evaluation by the Academic Board. The decision must be clearly recorded and communicated within the timetable required for renewal of the doctoral career and, where applicable, continuation of the scholarship.
For externally or project-funded positions, annual confirmation may also require reports, timesheets, milestones, declarations or other documents requested by the funding body.
Missing credits, incomplete training requirements or delays in research activities should be identified before the annual evaluation and discussed with the candidate and Supervisor.
The Academic Board determines whether and how outstanding activities must be completed or recovered. Requirements established by the applicable Programme, Regulations or funding conditions cannot be informally waived.
| Phase | Required action |
|---|---|
| Request | Submit the request and supporting documentation before, or as soon as possible after, the relevant circumstance occurs. |
| Academic evaluation | Assess the recovery of activities and the revised end date of the doctoral career. |
| Formal approval | Obtain approval or ratification by the competent academic body where required. |
| Resumption | Formally communicate the resumption of activities and reactivate the career and any scholarship payments. |
An extension is not an automatic continuation of the scholarship or doctoral Programme. It must be requested for documented reasons and evaluated under the Regulations applicable to the candidate’s cycle.
| Decision element | What should be specified |
|---|---|
| Reasons | Documented academic, research or personal circumstances supporting the request. |
| Duration | Beginning, end and overall duration of the extension. |
| Revised deadline | New deadline for thesis submission or completion of the Programme. |
| Financial effects | Whether the extension is funded and whether scholarship payments continue. |
| Remaining obligations | Research, training, reporting or mobility activities still to be completed. |
Paid work, professional activities, teaching assignments and simultaneous enrolment in another university programme must be evaluated in advance for compatibility with the full-time doctoral commitment and the conditions of the candidate’s scholarship or funded position.
| Information required | Details |
|---|---|
| Activity or course | Type of employment, professional activity or academic programme. |
| Institution | Employer, contracting body or university concerned. |
| Duration and workload | Period, weekly or overall hours and expected timetable. |
| Remuneration | Expected income or compensation, where applicable. |
| Compatibility | Possible overlap with research, training, mobility and funding obligations. |
| Procedure | Effect |
|---|---|
| Scholarship renunciation | Where permitted, the candidate continues the PhD Programme without receiving the scholarship. |
| Withdrawal | The candidate formally closes the doctoral career. |
| Exclusion from the PhD | Requires a formal assessment and decision by the competent bodies in accordance with the applicable Regulations. |
The academic, administrative and financial consequences must be verified before the procedure is completed or communicated.
Withdrawal, scholarship renunciation and exclusion → Download the forms →
Academic Board decisions must contain all the information needed for their formal approval and administrative implementation.
| Information | What should be recorded |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Name, cycle, Programme and curriculum. |
| Request | Subject, period concerned and supporting documentation. |
| Decision | Approval, rejection, conditions, limits and deadlines. |
| Administrative effects | Career recording, scholarship adjustment, ratification or further implementation required. |
The Programme Coordinator must ensure timely transmission of the relevant decisions to the SAS Council and the Advanced Studies Office, where required.
Annual evaluations and requests affecting the academic, legal or financial status of the candidate must reach the Advanced Studies Office in time for the necessary checks and administrative action.
Contact the Advanced Studies Office before the Academic Board meeting when the applicable procedure, required documentation, financial implications or wording of the proposed decision is uncertain.
Forms and supporting templates → Contact the Advanced Studies Office →