Relevant steps taken during the PhD studies at Swiss TPH At the beginning of the PhD, discuss with your supervisor the aims and objectives of your PhD, which will be written in a proposal in the first six months. Throughout the PhD studies the student and the supervisor need to meet regularly to discuss the required next steps of the PhD process (annual meeting mandatory, copies thereof need to be given to the Student Administration Office). The final product of PhD study and research are peer-reviewed publications and/or a written thesis. Following the completion of the thesis, an oral exam is held. The below sections outline these processes.
PhD proposal
Swiss TPH procedures do not depend on the faculty of your PhD subject, thus, information below applies to all PhD candidates at the Swiss TPH.
New PhD candidates are required to first prepare a PhD proposal in collaboration with their supervisor – use the proposal template available at the Research Commission coordination. Guidelines for writing a proposal are available. Candidates have to indicate whether their proposal is part of a research project which has already been peer-reviewed by a funding agency (such as SNF). If the PhD study is part of a larger research project, it is important to outline the specific role and responsibility of the PhD candidate. In addition to the description of the research planned, information about the composition of the doctoral committee, ethical issues, internal and external support, a budget plan, training to be undertaken during PhD studies (see below) and a detailed timeline must be provided. The planned research should allow for production of at
least three scientific manuscripts although a target of five publications is desirable. Once your supervisor agrees with your proposal, all PhD proposals are thereafter reviewed by three senior Swiss TPH staff members (including one statistician). Once the supervisor and reviewers agree with the revised version, it will be discussed for approval at a meeting of the Research Commission of the Swiss TPH (The PhD proposal evaluation process). The Research Commission meets regularly and the meeting dates are communicated in advance on the Intranet and the Institute’s hompage www.swisstph.ch/teaching/doctorate.html (see list of links towards the bottom on the right).
46 – Guidelines for Doctoral Studies at Swiss TPH
