Conditions for enrolment as PhD student and possibly employment as PhD scholar

 

Conditions for enrolment

The conditions which must be met in order for an applicant to be enrolled as a PhD student and possibly employed as a PhD scholar are described in detail below.

 

Actions required from the department

A brief description of the actions that the department must take in relation to the enrolment and employment of a PhD candidate is available here (Danish).

 

 

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Description of conditions

 

Conditions in the academic environment

The academic content of the project must be comprised by the department’s portfolio – the department must have competences within the field

1. The presence of a principal supervisor, who is a tenured associate professor or professor, is familiar with LIFE’s PhD rules, has supervised PhD students before (if not as principal supervisor, then as co-supervisor), has competences within the project content and has permission and the time to take on the supervisor task

 

Conditions concerning the applicant

Must hold a relevant Master’s degree from a recognised university or have similar qualifications

1. Or must be enrolled on a relevant LIFE Master’s degree programme and have passed exams equivalent to approx. 60 ECTS (4+4 programme)
2. Must have a regulated average of just over 8 (on the 7-point grading scale) or Q (alternative grading)
3. Must provide documentation of English-language skills (IELTS or TOEFL test)
4. Must complete LIFE’s application form S/F1 and append the enclosures appearing from the form
5. Must, in collaboration with the future principal supervisor, have completed the preliminary PhD plan form – S/F2 – including having considered any ‘IPR issues’

 

Financial conditions – taximeter funding (course fee, project funds, supervision fee, if any, overhead), salary or funding of living expenses

Existence of a grant to cover the operating expenses

1. If the student is to be employed as a PhD scholar – a grant to cover the salary according to the collective agreement of the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) (AC-overenskomsten)
2. If the student is employed elsewhere in Denmark – a grant to cover/guarantee of cover of the salary during the enrolment period, corresponding as a minimum to the collective agreement of the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations
3. If the student is employed abroad or is to be enrolled for free or financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – documentation of a monthly expendable income which, as a minimum, complies with the rate recommended by the Danish Immigration Service

The existence of the grants must always be documented through the signatures of the grant donor(s).

 

 

Special information on jointly financed scholarships

In most cases, PhD programmes are financed by a grant donor, but projects are jointly financed in many cases – often by three parties, but not necessarily so. In most cases by far, LIFE is a party to the joint financing.

 

If the funding involves joint financing with LIFE funds, the following must always be concluded:

1. A joint financing agreement, and
2. A cooperation agreement (if, during the course of study, the PhD student spends time at more than one grant donor)

If LIFE is party to the joint financing, the LIFE paradigms must be utilised.

 

If the joint financing involves parties from outside LIFE only, the existence of the grant must be documented in some other way. The LIFE paradigms may form the basis of such documentation.

 

 

Employment as PhD scholar – advertisement of positions

In cases where LIFE finances (fully or partially) PhD programmes, the PhD student will be employed at LIFE. This is also the case if LIFE manages external funding (e.g. from the EU, research councils, ministries and government agencies, foundations etc.).

 

If the student is to be employed as a PhD scholar (with LIFE as the employing authority), a position must be advertised. This is handled by HR, and the following conditions must be fulfilled beforehand:

1. The academic environment formulates the project content and guarantees supervisor resources; in connection with ordinary scholarships, a broadly formulated advertisement is drawn up in which it is made clear to applicants that the subject content will be defined by the applicant and the future principal supervisor
2. Documentation must be available for the existence of the grant (the Budget Office carries out a legality check)
3. LIFE’s paradigm for advertising positions is used
4. HR publishes the advertisement in such a way that it comes to the attention of all suitable and qualified applicants (via web, newspapers and academic/scientific journals)

 

Departmental processing

The processing of all applications for enrolment and possibly employment is initiated at the department which is to host the project. For each applicant, the department must do as follows:

1. Ensure that the future principal supervisor, in collaboration with the applicant, has completed the preliminary PhD plan form – S/F2 Ensure that the future principal supervisor conducts an interview with the applicant – a summary must be provided in form S/F4 Appoint an assessment committee – see below
2. Guarantee the availability of the resources (both supervisor resources and financial resources)
3. Submit the complete application for processing in the PhD study committee
4. And if the applicant is also going to be employed – submit a staff form to HR (once a decision on enrolment has been made)

 

Assessment committee

The department must appoint an assessment committee for all PhD applicants. The committee consists of two people (with qualifications at the level of associate professor as a minimum), who submit a written assessment of all applicants’ qualifications in relation to the advertised/proposed PhD project. Only applicants deemed to be qualified can be considered.

If the PhD application is received on the basis of an advertised position, the assessment committee must be appointed immediately after the expiry of the deadline for applications.

 

 

Final approval from the PhD study committee and the head of the graduate school

If the applicant is qualified for the proposed PhD project, the applicant can be enrolled. The PhD study committee and the head of the graduate school base their assessment on the conditions described above, which can be summarised into the following checklist:

1. Relevant academic content
2. Competent principal supervisor employed at LIFE (assistant professorship level or above)
3. Qualified applicant (relevant Master’s degree from a recognised university with a regulated average of 8/Q or above)
4. Fully detailed application (application form S/F1 incl. requested enclosures, preliminary PhD plan – form S/F2, as well as summary of interview between principal supervisor and applicant – form S/F4)
5. Existence of signed grant confirmation, incl. documentation of the salary/funding of living expenses
6. In connection with joint financing, also a signed joint financing agreement and possibly a cooperation agreement
7. Signed departmental guarantee of the availability of the resources (both supervision and finances) – form S/F5 Positive assessment from the assessment committee

 

Effecting employment

When an applicant has been approved for enrolment on the PhD programme, he or she can be employed as a PhD scholar (in cases where the enrolment is the result of an advertised position) – NOT UNTIL THEN!

 

This is done after the following has taken place:

1. The position has been advertised
2. The Budget Office has carried out a legality check in respect of the existence of the grant
3. The PhD study committee and the head of the graduate school have approved enrolment on the PhD programme
4. The department has submitted a staff form to HR