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• TAC – thesis advisory committee

  • Is there a guideline for the TAC meetings?

  Yes, the TAC meeting template is available here: https://vds-ecology-evolution.univie.ac.at/phd-programme/annual-progress-report/ 

  • Is it mandatory to have a TAC?

  Yes, for PhD students who started after 2020WS and students who have not yet passed the public presentation. However, we recommend that all early-stage PhD students set up a TAC.

  • What exactly is the TAC and how do I select it?

  Check out our webpage explaining the TAC!

  After admission to the PhD studies, the PhD student together with the supervisor will set up a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) consisting of at least three members: the supervisor plus two co-mentors encompassing disciplines relevant to the doctoral thesis project.

  The TAC discusses the thesis outline/ideas/methodology/workplan with the student and ensures that the student receives adequate training in the research area relevant to the thesis. The TAC meets with the student once a year and the provided feedback is summarised in written form. This summary is added to the Annual progress report/Fortschrittsbericht, Form DZ/V02) according to the PhD regulations of the University of Vienna. Additionally, career coaching should be done during the annual meetings. Only the TAC co-mentors can be recruited from the Senior PostDoc level up and can be from external institutions. These are however not official supervisors according to the regulations of the University of Vienna.

  • If I am part of two doctoral schools, do I need two different TACs or can they be the same?

  PhD students can be assigned to only one Doctoral School of the University of Vienna.

  • Does the TAC also review my thesis? 

  No. However, we recommend consulting the TAC or specific members at the final stages of the project. This can avoid any complications with the thesis and provide valuable feedback before the official submission of the thesis. https://doktorat.univie.ac.at/en/phd-process/final-phase/completion-and-public-defense/ 
• Will I have to follow mandatory courses and/or activities?

  Yes.

  • Code of good practice
    To become a full member, VDSEE students must sign the code of good practice for doctoral schools.
    The Code of Good Practice for Doctoral Schools provides guidelines of good practice that are binding for all doctoral schools at the University of Vienna. It includes the responsibilities of directors, supervisors as well as PhD students. Therefore, all VDSEE members have to sign the code.

  • Public presentation at faculty
    Further, all PhD students, according to statutes of the University of Vienna (Die Satzung der Universität Wien) are required to complete the public presentation. We recommend presenting within 6 months after admission, as university regulations require a presentation within your first 12 months (e.g. in Curriculum §6).

  • Doctoral thesis agreement
    After the public presentation of your dissertation project, you should prepare the dissertation agreement, which has to be approved and signed by your supervisor and the Directorate of the VDSEE..

  • Annual report & TAC meeting minutes
    A good tool to regularly evaluate and discuss the results and your progress and agree on adjustments if necessary. Career coaching should also be provided during these annual TAC meetings and the summary should be included in the report.

  Further information on study law/Studienrecht (German only) by the Büro Studienpräses (German only) https://studienpraeses.univie.ac.at/infos-zum-studienrecht/; by the Teaching Affairs and Study Services at https://studieren.univie.ac.at/studienorganisation/

  • Additionally we highly recommend participating in the following activities:
    
    • Seminar series and Journal clubs:
      Please talk to your supervisor about any compulsory activities in your work group or department.
    • VDSEE seminar series
      The VDSEE seminar series started in WS2021 and will continue each semester. It is organised by PhD-students in cooperation with PIs. You can participate as many times as you want, but you can receive the ECTS for each semester only once (maximum 2x2 = 4 ECTS for participation once in the summer and winter semester).
    • Annual Retreats:
      Usually take place in autumn and last two to three days. Find out more about the next retreat under Activities & PhD News! 2 ECTS are awarded for attending the retreat, and 3 ECTS for presenting or participating in a poster session.

  More details here: https://vds-ecology-evolution.univie.ac.at/phd-programme/  
• What is the purpose of mandatory courses and activities?

  • Public presentation at faculty (FÖP):
    You will have to present your planned PhD thesis project publicly and pass successfully within the first year after admission to your doctoral studies. The public presentation will be evaluated to help avoid potential pitfalls for your thesis project, such as time constraints, suitability of chosen scientific approach, methodology etc.
  • Doctoral thesis agreement/Dissertationsvereinbarung:
    This written agreement between the PhD student and the supervisor(s) regulates important issues for your doctoral studies, such as frequency of feedback, access to infrastructure, agreement on planned coursework composed of (internal and external) scientific lectures, transferable skills and active participation in international conferences. Last but not least, we highly recommend agreeing on the number of accepted/published peer-reviewed journal articles (first and co-authored) for your cumulative thesis.
  • Annual progress report & Annual TAC meeting minutes:
    A good tool to regularly evaluate and discuss the results and your progress and agree on adjustments if necessary. Career coaching should also be provided during these annual TAC meetings and the summary should be included in the report.
    
  • Seminar series and journal clubs:
    Please talk to your supervisor about any compulsory activities in your work group or department and the rules of your department.
  • VDSEE Seminar Series:
    This series is student-initiated and organised. External speakers are invited to present topics of interest followed by a discussion and a roundtable session. This is a great opportunity to meet experts from all around the world!
  • Annual retreats:
    are a great opportunity to network and exchange with VDSEE PhD students and PIs outside your working group or department.
    Usually retreats take place in autumn and last two to three days. Find out more about the next retreat under Activities & PhD News! 2 ECTS are awarded for attending the retreat, and 3 ECTS for presenting or participating in a poster session.
  • Forms & Bureaucracy:
    You can check out the PhD programme website for more infos and find all the necessary forms for the PhD life cycle at All Forms!
    Additionally, we have a Moodle course called "VDSEE Intranet" with all forms plus guidelines and templates! Every VDSEE member should have access to this course, otherwise you can contact antonia.vogel@univie.ac.at to get access.
• How often will I have to...?

  • How often will I have to submit my annual report?
    Doctoral students have to submit the Annual Report/Fortschrittsbericht (form DZ/V02) every year once they have passed the public presentation and the doctoral thesis agreement has been approved. These reports are attachments (annexes) to the doctoral thesis agreement. This report is written by the PhD candidate, approved and submitted to the TAC two weeks before the annual TAC meeting. You will report on your progress during the previous year, including all relevant adaptations compared to the doctoral thesis agreement with its appended exposé, or compared to the previous annual report. After the TAC meeting the annual report with attached TAC minutes (both must be approved with signatures of all parties) are submitted to the VDSEE office (docschool.vdsee@univie.ac.at) for approval by the study programme leader.

  • Who reviews my annual report?
    See pervious question. Further, annual reports and annexed TAC minutes will be checked by the VDSEE executive manager for completeness and will be forwarded for approval by the VDSEE study programme leader.
• Funding - General

  • Is there a way to get funding by the VDSEE though I already started the PhD studies?
    
    • Travel grants:
      VDSEE offers research fellowships to fund attendance at international conferences or summer/winter schools. Applications can be sent on a regular basis to docschool.vdsee@univie.ac.at, but at least two months before the planned trip. Students are eligible to maximum one grant during active PhD studies and a maximum of €1000 in total will be funded.
      Find out more at Travel grants!
    • Completion grant:
      With the completion grant, the VDSEE supports doctoral candidates in the final phase of their doctoral studies. The funding period is up to six months during which the doctoral candidates should complete and submit their doctoral thesis. Successful candidates receive € 1,200 per month for a maximum duration of six months. The scholarship does not entail employment with the University of Vienna nor a working space. The scholarship holder is responsible for paying insurance and taxes which may arise in connection with the scholarship.
      Find out more about the requirements, the application and selection procedure at Completion grant!
    • On our Fellowship opportunities website, we have listed some additional non-VDSEE scholarship programmes that might be of interest to some of our students!
  • Are there any possibilities to receive (re)funding for project costs?
    
    • Our Travel grants fund participation in international conferences or summer/winter school. For more information, please visit our Travel grants section!
    • Otherwise, the VDSEE does not provide (re)funding for field work or other project-related costs.
• Can "independent" students be part of the Doc School?

  VDSEE is an all-inclusive doctoral school of the University of Vienna. Anyhow, in order to be eligible for  financial support offered by the VDSEE, you must be member of VDSEE by agreeing online to the Code of good practice for doctoral schools.