Supervision

The supervisors' research qualifications must cover the necessary research fields in such a way that the group as a whole has competence in all research aspects of the PhD candidate's research project. Each supervisor can provide feedback on different parts of the research project. In collaboration with the PhD candidate, the supervisors shall draw up the project description and support the PhD candidate throughout the doctoral training period. The supervisors have a particular responsibility for ensuring that the PhD candidate is trained to develop as a researcher with high ethical standards, and to avoid research misconduct. In addition, all supervisors are responsible for including the PhD candidate in the academic community as a colleague of the research group.

A supervisor can also be a co-researcher or a co-author, but also a project leader responsible for the research idea for a larger research project. The supervisors and the PhD candidate should be aware of these different roles so that all involved parties are aware of the expectations. The supervisor role is clearly defined in part B of the PhD contract, the part relating to the doctoral training programme, which is signed by both the PhD candidate and the supervisor(s).

The PhD contract is a mutual agreement defining obligations and rights. It is advisable that the project plan contain information, if applicable, on who will be co-authors of papers that will form part of the thesis. Ethical guidelines for the relationship between the PhD candidate and the supervisors are set out in a separate document, and both the PhD candidate and supervisors are obliged to familiarise themselves with the contents of this document.