Doctoral Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

To be officially accepted, the PhD student (“student”) has to submit his/her exposé to the VDSEE Executive Manager / and to present his/her project in a public presentation at faculty/Fakultätsöffentliche Präsentation (FÖP) no later than 12 months, preferably within 6 months after being admitted to the PhD/doctoral programme. This public presentation is a valuable tool for giving/receiving feedback and thus improving the outcome of planned thesis projects.

To build upon this feedback in regular intervals, every thesis will also have a thesis advisory committee (TAC), ideally set-up already until FÖP. The TAC shall consist of at least three members: the supervisor plus 2-3 co-mentors encompassing the relevant disciplines of the doctoral thesis project. The student and his/her supervisor(s) will agree on TAC co-mentors together and are encouraged to look outside of their own working groups. The only mandatory requirement from any of the 2-3 co-mentors is that they are experts/experienced researchers beyond PhD level in one or more fields of the thesis subject, ideally those in which supervisor(s) and the student could most benefit from additional expertise.

TAC’s main purpose is to discuss jointly with the student the study plan and shall ensure that the working plan is feasible for timely completion of the thesis, that the student will obtain sufficient training in all the required research areas, but as well in career development skills. Furthermore, in this capacity, co-mentors can act as mediators in case of divergent opinions between supervisor(s) and the student. The TAC is an opportunity to foster collaborations, encourage cross-disciplinary approaches, provide technical support as well as increase the research networks of supervisor(s) and the student.

The TAC-Meeting will be summarised in written form and annexed to the annual report of the doctoral thesis project.

TAC-Meeting

The TAC will meet at least once a year, ideally shortly before the Annual Report/Fortschrittsbericht is submitted. The PhD/doctoral students should send to the TAC the completed university Annual Report (form DZ.V2 Annual Report/Fortschrittsbericht) and the draft or submitted papers for peer-review publications serving as basis for the meeting at least 2 weeks before the TAC meeting. Those TAC meetings are non-public, chaired by one TAC member, last for approximately 1.5 hours and should have the following format:

Presentation & Discussion

The student presents the thesis project with additional input from the supervisor(s), its current progress, achievements, goals as well as obstacles and ways to overcome/avoid these. This is followed up by a discussion.

Individual Talks

In each meeting, the student and supervisor(s) speak to the TAC co-mentors confidentially without the other party present. This time should be seen as a tool for the resolution of divergent opinions and a way for the TAC to strategically formulate its recommendations to the supervisor(s) and the student.

TAC-Recommendations

The TAC formulates jointly final recommendations to the student and the supervisor(s), this form (see below) has to be sent to the university along with the university annual progress report (DZ.V2 Annual Report/ “Fortschrittsbericht”).

TAC Meeting Minutes

Date:

PhD Student:

Title of research project:

Expected PhD completion date:

Supervisor:

(Optional) Supervisor:

TAC member 1:

TAC member 2:

(Optional) TAC member 3:

Meeting Summary

Insert brief summary here

(A) What specific challenges, opportunities and milestones were addressed by the supervisor(s) and the student?

e.g. brief summary of the presentation focusing on major points

(B) What specific recommendations were made to the project?

e.g. scientific feedback about analyses, definitions, ways to overcome challenges etc.

(C) Have there been any changes to the research proposal? Was appropriate reasoning given for them?

e.g. fieldwork could not happen because snow cover had not receded enough yet on Ötscher

(D) What specific recommendations were made to the student and the supervisor(s) to improve the outcome of the project?

to the supervisor(s):

the supervisor(s) were recommended a meeting to brainstorm alternative approaches with their student etc.

to the student:

e.g. the student was recommended a paper writing seminar, or a summer school, potential collaborative contact.

We, the TAC members, are responsible for the answers to questions (A) - (D) above together and were present at this meeting on the aforementioned date.

I have attended this meeting and agree with the evaluation with my signature:

PhD student:

Supervisor(s):

TAC members:

. The Annual Report has to be submitted the first time after one year the doctoral thesis agreement got approved.