Qualification & Supervision
The second pillar of a Research Training Group, besides the Research Progam, is the Qualification Program & Supervision concept. Detailed information about our concept is provided below.
Qualification Program
Our goal is to provide excellent scientific and methodological training to all PhD students within the RTG and to foster cooperation and scientific independence. We will invite international experts as workshop instructors and speakers to present cutting-edge topics.
The PhD students are invited to actively shape and improve the qualification program, for example the workshops offered or the program of the annual retreats. The qualification program is structured into three modules:
[GeSkill] The General Research Skills module is conducive to academic but also nonacademic careers. It will help the PhD students acquire general knowledge and skills as scientific writing, good scientific practice, open and reproducible science, data management, and peer reviewing.
[TopMeth] The Research Topics and Advanced Methodology module is specifically tailored to the needs of the RTG’s research program and aimed at providing the PhD students with knowledge and skills that are specifically relevant for their doctorate within the RTG. This includes both in-depth knowledge of content from the research program (e.g., theories of self-regulation) and advanced methods (e.g., power analysis, multilevel modeling).
[ExNet] The Exchange and Networking is designed to facilitate the scientific exchange between PhD students, to build an RTG identity, and to enable the PhD students to establish their international network. It includes joint PhD activities, such as a journal club and writing weeks, and events for all RTG members, such as retreats, which foster collaboration and communication.
Supervision
Each PhD student will be supervised by a primary and a secondary supervisor.
The primary supervisor is the PI who heads the project the candidate has been admitted to and the person whose research group the PhD student is integrated into. The primary supervisor assumes the major responsibility of leading the PhD student to a successful doctoral degree. The secondary supervisor is another RTG senior researcher with expertise in the PhD student’s project’s area. Both supervisors ensure that the PhD student is making adequate progress in the doctoral project and advise the student in selecting appropriate training opportunities and other research groups for short-term visits. Supervision also includes ensuring that PhD students regularly present their work at appropriate conferences and helping them to prepare publications for submission.
In addition to a primary and a secondary supervisor, PhD students is assigned a mentor. Mentors are senior researchers of RTG projects that the PhD student is not directly involved in. They give advice on scientific and organizational matters, including strategic career planning in and outside of academia.
To get an idea of the extensive support structure, take a look at the image on the right.
Support structure within the RTG
