Checklist 2 keeping on track during the PhD program

Radboudumc PhD thesis guidelines

• Background information

  The PhD thesis is a proof of the ability to perform independent academic research. It is up to the manuscript committee to decide whether a thesis meets this criterion, thereby using the assessment criteria as defined in the Doctorate regulations of the Radboud University (Dutch / English). The (co-)supervisors (‘(co)promotors’) will decide whether the PhD thesis is of sufficient quality to be presented to the manuscript committee.

  The requirements for the academic and non-academic part of the PhD thesis are defined in Chapter 5 of the Doctorate regulations of the Radboud University. In addition to these general requirements, applicable to all faculties, Radboudumc PhD candidates adhere to the Radboudumc guidelines.

  Radboudumc guidelines provide clarity to all involved, such as to the PhD candidate and PhD supervisors but also to the members of the Manuscript Committee, Cum Laude Committee and Doctoral Examination Board.

• A typical Radboudumc PhD thesis contains

  • a. Title page
  • b. Table of contents
  • c. General introduction
    • PhD candidates describe their view of the current state of the field, point out gaps in scientific knowledge, introduce an overview of the PhD thesis and give rationales for the performed studies. The general introduction contains information that the reader needs to know to understand the context of the research chapters. The general introduction may take the form of a review article.
  • d. Research chapters
    • Each research chapter contains work in which PhD candidates follow the scientific research cycle: identifying a gap in scientific knowledge, outlining an approach, describing the appropriate collection and analysis of data or existing relevant databases, and finally reflecting on the results in the context of the specific field.
    • The thesis demonstrates that PhD candidates have familiarized themselves and have worked with the principles and methodologies of international scientific practice and theory formation, methods and studies of the relevant discipline. Preferentially, the thesis contains variation in terms of the methods used.
    • Focus on quality instead of quantity. PhD candidates demonstrate that they are competent researchers by completing a coherent set of empirical (or conceptual) chapters plus an introduction and discussion. If there is a coherent thesis of sufficient quality, there is no need to produce more research chapters when the term of the contract expires. There is no requirement for the number of research chapters in addition to the general introduction and general discussion chapters.
    • While it is of course in the line of PhD candidates’ ambitions to get their work published, there is no obligation to have a certain number of chapters published before sending the thesis to the manuscript committee. If not published, the quality of the chapters should be as such that they can be submitted for publication to a scientific journal.
    • In principle, only chapters of which PhD candidates are (shared) first author are included in their PhD thesis. Occasionally a chapter as co-author may be included in the thesis if the content is consistent with the rest of the PhD research. Other publications may be listed in the publication list.
  • e. General discussion
    • The general discussion should be the PhD candidates’ own product, while the research chapters and sometimes the general introduction are more collaborative efforts. In this concluding chapter, the PhD candidates reflect on the research chapters and their findings with a bird's eye view, identify limitations as well as future research opportunities and discuss the impact on the research field and society.
  • f. Summary of the thesis
    • If the PhD thesis is written in English, it includes at least a summary in Dutch. The summary should be brief and to the point.
  • g. Description of the research data management
    • All Radboud University researchers are obliged to have all research data comply at least with the F (sustainably findable) and the A (proper access management) of the FAIR guidelines. The Radboudumc Data Management Plan tool should be used to prepare a Research Data Management (RDM) plan at the start of a PhD trajectory and to keep it up to date. PhD candidates can include a summary of the RDM plan in the PhD. For more information and examples click here.
  • h. List of publications (not mandatory)
  • i. Acknowledgements (not mandatory)
  • j. Curriculum vitae
  • k. Portfolio
    • Including a report of the doctoral education, e.g., courses, seminars, international conferences, lecturing, supervision of internships, as outlined by the research institute (click here). 

  At least chapters b up to g (see above) should be completed before the manuscript can be reviewed by the Manuscript Committee.

  Note: There are different kinds of PhD candidates at Radboudumc, differing in the length and type of contract, as well as additional (sideline) functions. The requirements for a PhD thesis are identical for all PhD categories.

• Submission manuscript

  After finishing the manuscript (at least chapters b up to g, see previous item), PhD candidates upload their manuscript to Hora Finita. Subsequently, the supervisor is asked to perform a plagiarism check, assess the manuscript and motivate why the PhD thesis meets the Radboudumc PhD thesis guidelines. After this assessment the manuscript can be reviewed by the Manuscript Committee. Hora Finita tutorials are available for these different steps.

• Lay-out PhD thesis

  • Portfolio and cover guidelines can be found here.
  • Guidelines for PhD candidates who are part of the Donders Graduate School can be found here.

Go/maybe/no go meeting

To safeguard a successful PhD, we strive for an objective, clear evaluation and a guarantee that PhD candidates receive timely guidance to complete their PhD trajectory within the specified time.

• About this meeting

  With regard to safeguard a successful PhD, the formal evaluation meeting (with the entire supervision team and an independent advisor!) at Checkpoint 2 is an important decision point: with a positive evaluation both sides express confidence that the PhD trajectory will be completed successfully

  • In case of weaknesses timely additional supervision will be provided via an intensified supervision trajectory
  • A timely negative evaluation prevents PhD candidates from wasting time and prevents unnecessary project money from being spent.

  The evaluation procedure is described in the "Regulations for training and supervision of PhD candidates at Radboud university medical center (versie 1)" and the accompanying "Procedure for the evaluation of PhD candidates (versie 1)”.

  Please make sure to have the evaluation meeting completed 12 months after the start of the contract.

• Possible outcomes

  Go

  The supervision team expresses confidence in the PhD candidate. The expectation of the supervision team is that the PhD trajectory can be successfully completed in a timely manner. It is important that the 'go' decision is mutual, i.e. that the PhD candidate also evaluates the PhD trajectory and decides to continue with a 'go'.

  Maybe

  There is doubt about whether the PhD candidate is able to successfully complete the PhD trajectory in a timely manner. In the event of a 'maybe', an intensified supervision trajectory is started. You can read more about this in the “Procedure for the evaluation of PhD candidates (versie 1)”. A new Checkpoint “Result Intensified supervision trajectory” will be scheduled.

  No go

  The supervision team is of the opinion that the PhD candidate is not sufficiently capable and/or the PhD trajectory cannot be completed successfully (in a timely manner). A 'no go' can only be issued after an intensified supervision trajectory has been completed, which has not led to the desired improvement. An intensified supervision trajectory lasts a minimum of 4 months and a maximum of 9. In the event of a 'no go', an intensified supervision trajectory must be started no later than in month 8. In other cases, the outcome at 12 months will be 'maybe'.

• The independent advisor

  • Is an experienced researcher with a PhD degree;
  • Is neutral to the project, but works on a similar research topic;
  • Has no role in the research project and is not part of the research group(s) of PhD and supervisors;
  • May also work outside Radboudumc;
  • Will also join the Checkpoint 3 meeting;
  • Can be part of the manuscript committee at a later stage (provided it is in agreement with RU policy);
  • Is another person than the mentor of the PhD candidate.

• Evaluation procedure

  • The PhD candidate proposes a potential independent advisor
  • The PhD candidate together with the supervision team make a decision who will be the independent advisor
  • The PhD candidate is responsible for approaching the independent advisor and for scheduling the evaluation moment
  • The PhD candidate, the supervision team and the independent advisor will schedule a meeting no later than 12 months after the start of the PhD project
  • Prior to the evaluation, checkpoint 2 is pre-filled in by the PhD candidate
  • The PhD candidate starts with a presentation of the original Training and Supervision Plan (TSP), gives an update on the progress of the project (incl. potential bottlenecks and problems), and suggests future steps (~ 20 min.). This presentation can be open to other people, e.g., group members.
  • After the questions based on the presentation, all other people leave the room. Together with the PhD candidate, supervision team and the independent advisor the presentation is followed by a discussion about the project and the progress thereof.
  • Supervision team leaves room: PhD candidate can freely speak about potential problems about the project or the supervision with the independent advisor. The PhD candidate proposes whether they would like to continue with the PhD project.
  • PhD candidate leaves room: Supervision team shares with the independent advisor their opinion on the progress of the project and potential problems that they foresee. The supervision team discusses whether the PhD progress is satisfactory and proposes a continuation of the PhD project, the start of an intensified supervision trajectory, or a discontinuation of the PhD project in case of an unsatisfactory outcome of an intensified supervision trajectory that already started in month 8.

• Decision go/maybe/no go

  • The group comes back together and discusses the opinions regarding the continuation and potential problems concerning the progress of the project and/or supervision (the latter only if PhD candidate agrees). The checkpoint form is used as a guideline for the discussion. A decision for a GO, MAYBE or a NO GO will be discussed. If there is no consensus between the supervision team and the independent advisor the director of the Graduate School will be informed.
  • After the evaluation procedure:
    • PhD candidate updates the checkpoint form and submits the checkpoint form in Hora Finita.
    • In case of a MAYBE or a NO GO the HR advisor and the Graduate School coordinator (contact) will be informed by the PhD supervisor.
    • In case of a MAYBE the HR advisor will be involved in the intensified supervision trajectory.

FAQ about Hora Finita

• General

  What is Hora Finita?
  Hora Finita is the PhD project monitoring system of Radboud University and Radboudumc. With Hora Finita Radboud University and Radboudumc have an all-in-one system for the monitoring of all PhD projects. More information can be found on this page of the Radboud University's website.

  What is the link to Hora Finita?
  The URL is https://horafinita.ru.nl

  Is registration in Hora Finita necessary?
  For all PhD trajectories Hora Finita must be used, according to the Doctorate regulations. This is because all steps in the PhD process, e.g. registration, Training and Supervision Plan (TSP), submission and review of manuscript, are performed exclusively through Hora Finita. Logging in into Hora Finita is done via SURFconext and is only possible with a Radboudumc (or RU) account.

  Why can't I login into Hora Finita?
  Logging in into Hora Finita is done via SURFconext and is only possible with a Radboudumc (or RU) account.  

  Therefore it is important that all PhD candidates (employed PhD candidates, employees in PhD track, external PhD candidates) are registered with HR in time. More information about registration of different types of PhD candidates can be found here.

  If the PhD trajectory is not completed within the contract period, action should be taken so that access to Hora Finita and associated Radboudumc facilities remains possible. More information can be found here.

  If you are unable to login, even though you have a Radboudumc account, please contact horafinita@radboudumc.nl.

  Where can I find Hora Finita manuals?
  There is an extensive set of manuals available in Dutch and in English for both PhD candidates and supervisors.

  For additional questions about Hora Finita, please contact Hora Finita or your Graduate School (Radboudumc Graduate School or Donders Graduate School).

• PhD Checklist

  How can I agree to the Code of Conduct for Research Integrity?
  If you click on the link behind the "Code of Conduct for Research Integrity" in the checklist you can read the code (ENG, Dutch) and check that you agree.

  I attended all required courses but the “required courses” are not ticked off in the PhD checklist on my dashboard
  The Graduate School will add the two introduction courses (General introduction for research personnel and PhD introduction) to your training portfolio. You must add all other activities, including the required courses, to your portfolio yourself. You can do this for required courses through the tab "required courses". For all activities this can be done via "training activities". For more information please check the manual (ENG, Dutch).

  “Required course are completed” on your PhD checklist will only be ticked off when you select these courses via the tab “required courses”, or select these courses from the course list that is already available in Hora Finita. If you added a required course and its details yourself, please delete the course and add it again via the above mentioned procedure.

  My TSP has been approved before but “TSP has been approved” is not ticked off or the date is not correct
  Please contact your Graduate School (Radboudumc Graduate School or Donders Graduate School).

• Checkpoints

  What are checkpoints and where can I find more information?
  Checkpoints are moments of supervision used to monitor and evaluate the progress of a PhD candidate's PhD project during the research phase.

  For more information about the checkpoints please check the interactive infographic of the Radboudumc PhD trajectory on our website. More information about the PhD trajectory of the Donders Graduate School can be found here.

  Six weeks before the checkpoint date you will receive an automatic email announcing the checkpoint. In this email and on the checkpoint page is described what is expected of you.

  When is a checkpoint created?
  After the PhD candidate’s registration has been approved, Hora Finita automatically creates checkpoints. A new checkpoint will appear on your dashboard 6 months before the checkpoint date. Six weeks before the checkpoint date (exception: 3 months before checkpoint 2) you will receive an automatic email announcing the checkpoint. Checkpoints are automatically created until the first promotor approves the manuscript.

  Is a checkpoint meeting the same as my annual appraisal interview ("jaargesprek")?
  The checkpoint (annual review) meeting is different from your annual appraisal interview, but you may choose to combine the two. In that case, please cover both the topics of the Hora Finita annual review questionnaire and the topics of the Radboudumc annual appraisal interview. Afterwards you have to submit both the annual review questionnaire (via Hora Finita) and the report of the annual appraisal interview (via email to "Postbus Personeelsdossier").

  Please note that for Checkpoint 2 (the go/maybe/no go meeting) and 3 (1 and 2 years after start PhD trajectory) an independent advisor is present at the checkpoint meeting.

  Who should approve a checkpoint in Hora Finita?
  Checkpoints 2 (go/maybe/no go) should be approved by the first promotor and the daily supervisor of the PhD candidate. The other checkpoints should only be approved by the daily supervisor. After the PhD candidate submits the Checkpoint, the daily supervisor automatically receives a request to approve the Checkpoint. 

  The Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) should be approved by the daily supervisor, the promotor and the Graduate School.

• Training activities (portfolio)

  How and when do I add activities to my PhD portfolio?
  The Graduate School will add the two introduction courses (General introduction for research personnel and PhD introduction) to your training portfolio. You must add all other activities, including the required courses, to your portfolio yourself. You can do this for required courses through the tab "required courses". For all activities this can be done via "training activities". For more information please check the manual (ENG, NL).

  Annually, if you have a checkpoint, you will be asked to add the activities you did during the past year to your training activities (portfolio) in Hora Finita. Of course, you can also add an activity immediately after you've completed it.

  Please note that for PhD candidates affiliated to the Radboudumc Graduate School it is not necessary to upload proofs of attendance.

  I attended a required course but the course is not present in my portfolio
  The Graduate School will add the two introduction courses (General introduction for research personnel and PhD introduction) to your training portfolio. You must add all other activities, including the required courses, to your portfolio yourself. You can do this for required courses through the tab "required courses". For all activities this can be done via "training activities". For more information please check the manual (ENG, NL).

  Please note that for PhD candidates affiliated to the Radboudumc Graduate School it is not necessary to upload proofs of attendance.

  When do I have to complete my portfolio and submit it to my Graduate School for approval?
  After your manuscript has been approved by your first promotor you will receive a request to complete your portfolio and submit it to your Graduate School for approval.

  Please note that for PhD candidates affiliated to the Radboudumc Graduate School it is not necessary to upload proofs of attendance.

  Your Graduate School will decide whether you have completed all the necessary components of your institute’s PhD program in order to be awarded with your Graduate School’s education certificate. You will be informed of this decision in due course. The Graduate School will also provide you with a Word document of your final portfolio, which can be added to your PhD thesis.

• Manuscript

  How do I, as supervisor, perform a plagiarism check?
  Indeed, according to the Doctorate regulations, the supervisor must check the PhD thesis for plagiarism. For this purpose, a similarity report, generated by the program iThenticate by colleagues at Radboud University, will be sent to the promotor via e-mail. Questions about the working method or the program can be sent to Hora Finita or the RU helpdesk. Together with the report, the promotor receives a manual, explaining how to use the program.

Mandatory courses

All PhD candidates follow a set of mandatory courses, supplemented by tailored training.

• For all (internal and external) Radboudumc PhD candidates

  • Radboudumc general introduction for researchers (link)
  • In the lead - Radboudumc introduction for PhD candidates (link) (for Radboudumc Graduate School)
    • or Donders Introduction for PhD candidates (for Donders Graduate School) (link)
  • Scientific integrity course (link)

• For PhD candidates, employed at Radboudumc

  • who are responsible for and/or involved in the preparation, execution and/or completion of human-based scientific research: e-learning “Human-related scientific research in Radboudumc” (English / Dutch).
  • who are responsible for and/or involved in the preparation, execution and/or completion of human-based scientific research that falls under the scope of the WMO, CTR and/or MDR: national "Basic Course Regulatory and Organization for Clinical Researchers" (Dutch abbreviation: BROK®) (NFU eBROK course).

• For PhD candidates working with laboratory animals

  • Laboratory animal science (link)

Core competencies for PhD candidates and postdocs

Radboudumc has defined a set of core competencies for PhD and postdoc candidates as a guideline for professional career development.

• About

  During their training, PhD candidates and postdocs are expected to become independent researchers skilled in (financial) project management, policy/decision making and management. These types of transferable skills stand candidates in good stead not just for an academic career but also for the professional job market beyond the university setting. 

  Self-assessment tool

  Collectively the Dutch university medical centers designed a competence model as a self-assessment tool to help you further develop yourself, and to recognize acquired competencies. See the PhD competence model.

  Types of core competencies

  An overview including description of each competence can be found below. For each type of competence we offer a number of courses if you feel that you can use some extra training to enhance these skills.

  

• Competence: Communication

  Demonstrate interpersonal, written, verbal, listening and non-verbal communication skills to be able to effectively and appropriately communicate facts, ideas or opinions to others.

• Competence: Leadership and management

  Equipped to manage and develop project ideas as well as facilitate effective team work including problem solving skills. Also able to mentor others (e.g. students).

• Competence: Personal effectiveness

  Adapt personal qualities and behaviors to achieve improved results.

• Competence: Professional development

  Improve professional skills to further career prospects.

• Competence: Research skills and knowledge

  Formulate clear research questions and hypotheses, design solid research protocols as well as demonstrate in-depth knowledge of ones field.

• Competence: Responsible conduct of science

  Demonstrate the ability to make sound ethical and legal choices based on knowledge of accepted professional research practices, relevant policies and guidelines.

• Competence: Teaching

  Define the learning outcomes for the target group as well as adequately and suitably convey the material in a motivational manner.

• Additional: Radboudumc-specific courses and events

  Like attending introduction days.