Annual Report

f a c u lt y o f h e a lt h s c i e n c e s university of copenhagen

ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Graduate School of Health Sciences

Introduction In this report, we present selected study statistics for the Graduate School of Health Sciences in 2011 The Graduate School is currently undergoing considerable change. After a series of years with a significant growth in the number of PhD students, the focus in 2011 have been on increasing the quality of the PhD programme. To achieve this goal, the Graduate School’s management cooperate with the graduate programmes which are pivotal to the School’s ambition to provide education of a high academic standard. Among others, in 2011 we initiated cooperative efforts to increase the academic quality of the PhD programme through the introduction of new initiatives and approaches to supervision and evaluation.

In order to focus and prioritise the efforts to increase the quality of the PhD programme, it is also important to know how PhD students evaluate the training provided. In 2011 a “final evaluation” was introduced. The evaluation covers a range of aspects relating to the PhD training experience, including supervision, academic and social environment, PhD courses, graduate programmes, etc. The evaluation reports are available for download here: http://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/current/ schoolstructure/evaluation/ In late 2011, the University of Copenhagen decided to merge the Faculty of Health Sciences with the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the veterinary field at the Faculty of Life Sciences. The overall objective of the merger of the faculties is to provide a stronger platform for research in the field of health and to improve the professional environments into which research efforts are embedded. The objective is, among others, to forge a stronger link between basic research and strategic and more use-oriented or applied research in interaction with the surrounding society, including hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, the agricultural sector and the food industry.

At the new Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, approximately 1,500 PhD students enjoy the services of the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences. We look forward to the practical work to implement the above objectives, including the continued efforts to strengthen the quality of the PhD studies with a view to educating world-class researchers.

Nils Billestrup Professor, Head of Graduate School April 2012

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PhD students enrolled and target figures for enrolment A total of 305 new PhD students were enrolled in the Graduate School in 2011.

The illustration on the right shows the development in enrolment and target figures from 2008 to 2011.

The target figures are a result of the University’s Performance Contract with the Danish University and Property Agency, which establishes targets for PhD enrolment and other similar areas.

TARGET FIGURES FOR ENROLMENT

ENROLMENTS

NEW PHD ENROLMENTS FROM 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER

350

337 300

305 280

277

250

256

238

275

275

200

150

100

YEAR

50

0

TARGET FIGURES FOR ENROLMENT

ENROLMENTS

2008

2009

NEW PHD ENROLMENTS FROM 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER

2010

2011

350

337 AVER AGE AGE AT TIME OF ENROLMENT 300

277

100

50

0

275

QUALIFYING DEGREE

200

150

275

Qualifying degree and average age at the time of enrolment 238 256

Average age

Medicine 153 people Other 152 people

The average age at the time of enrolment was 30.9 years.

Qualifying degree

As in preceding years, approximately half of the newly enrolled PhD students held a qualifying degree in a discipline other than medicine. In 2010, this was the case for 52.8%, whereas in 2011 49.8 % of the students enrolled with a 2008 degree other than 2009 medicine 2010 candidate

AVER AGE AGE AT TIME OF ENROLMENT

30.9 years

Gender distribution

The gender distribution of the 305 enrolled students in 2011 was as follows:

YEAR

250

30.9 years 305

280

2011

45.2% male

54.8% female

QUALIFYING DEGREE

Medicine 153 people Other 152 people 3

In 2010, females comprised 61% of new enrolments; thus, 2011 marked a slight increase in the share of male students at the Graduate School.

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Students enrolment

PhD degrees awarded

By the 31 December of 2011, a total of 1,044 PhD students were enrolled in the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

A total of 225 PhD degrees were awarded in 2011 by the Academic Council, an increase by 42% compared with 2008.

Note: The number includes students on leave

NUMBER OF STUDENTS 1.200

1.000

859

250

908 200

150

400

100

200

50

YEAR

600

0 2008

2009

2010

196

210

225

158

YEAR

800

997

PHD DEGREES

1044

0

2011

2008

2009

2010

2011

Duration of the PhD studies AVERAGE DURATION OF PHD STUDY AT SUND AVERAGE DURATION OF PHD STUDY AT UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN

The average duration of a PhD study at the Graduate School of Health Sciences was 3.1 years in 2011.

DURATION/YEARS 3.5

Note: Calculated as the period from the enrolment date to the date of submission of the thesis. Numbers were adjusted for leave periods.

3.0

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.3

3.1 3.2

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

YEAR

0.5

0.0 2009

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2010

2011

Enrolments in 2011 by department ENROLMENTS IN CLINICAL DEPARTMENTS ENROLMENTS IN PRECLINICAL DEPARTMENTS

13.1 %

PU BL IC H E A LT H

51

40

31

10.2 %

BIOM E DIC A L SCI E NC E S

6.2 %

N EU ROSC I E NC E A N D PH A R M ACOL OG Y

N EU ROL OG Y, PS YCH I AT RY A N D SE NSORY SCI E NC E S

48 27

24 19

I N T E R N AT ION A L H E A LT H, I M M U NOL OG Y A N D M ICROBIOL OG Y

2.6 %

1%

ODON TOL OG Y

18 6

3

0.7 %

FOR E NSIC M E DICI N E

SU RG E RY A N D I N T E R N A L M E DIC I N E

8.9 %

ORT HOPA E DIC S A N D I N T E R N A L M E DICI N E

G Y N A ECOL OG Y, OB S T E T R IC S A N D PA E DI AT R IC S

2

5.9 %

DI AG NOS T IC SCI E NC E S

3.6 %

11

8

BIOT ECH R E SE A RCH A N D I N NOVAT ION

15.7 %

7.9 %

16

5.2 %

C E L LU L A R A N D MOL ECU L A R M E DIC I N E

2%

PROT E I N R E SE A RCH

0.3 % 1

5

16.7 %

E X PE R I M E N TA L M E DICI N E

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Enrolled PhD students by graduate programme Graduate programme

Head of programme

Students*

Cellular and Genetic Medicine

Professor Peter E. Nielsen

35

Molecular Mechanisms of Disease

Professor Anders H. Lund

88

Basic Metabolic Research

Professor Torben Hansen

66

Muscle Metabolism

Professor Michael Kjær

31

Cardiovascular Research

Associate professor Morten Schak Nielsen

117

Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Professor Mogens Holst Nissen

81

Oncology and Haematology

Professor Inge-Marie Svane

47

Medical and Molecular Imaging

Professor Andreas Kjær

31

Neuroscience

Professor Morten Møller

101

Psychiatry

Professor Merete Nordentoft

37

Global Health

Professor Lars Hviid

34

Public Health and Epidemiology

Professor Torben Jørgensen

158

Biostatistics

Professor Niels Keiding

6

Medical Science and Technology Studies

Professor Thomas Söderqvist

13

Clinical Research

Professor Vibeke Backer

165

Skeletal and Dental Science

Professor Peter Schwarz

8

Odontology

Associate professor Anne Marie Lynge Pedersen

10

Forensic Medicine and Anthropology

Professor Niels Morling

13 * Number of students as per 31 Dec 2011

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Recruitment of pre-graduate research year students STUDENTS

In 2011, the Graduate School continued to have an increased focus on the research year programme. Under this programme, undergraduates are affiliated to a research group and gain knowledge, experience and a network that may help them jumpstart a research career.

More information on the research year programme: http://healthsciences.ku.dk/ phd/studentresearch

150

124

120

90

74 60

56 30

40

41

2007

2008

YEAR

In 2011, the Graduate School enrolled 124 research year students. This is a 68% increase from the previous year and a tripling in the number of enrolments since 2007.

13 0 2006

2009

2010

2011

Scholarship funding FULLY FACULTY-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS CO-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS EXTERNAL FUNDING

FUNDING

The Graduate School strives to ensure a transparent and proactive scholarship strategy. The Faculty offers a number of PhD scholarships every year (advertised in two rounds: spring and autumn). However, as illustrated here, only a limited number of enrolments can be financed

by Faculty scholarships. Applications are submitted in open competition and assessed by the Faculty Research Committee .

350

53 300

39

250

200

20 61

22 75

180 150

31 50

54 230

29 237

200

157

100

YEAR

50

0 2007

7

2008

2009

2010

2011

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Success rates for applicants for the Faculty’s ordinary scholarships Out of 214 applicants for the Faculty’s ordinary scholarships in 2011, a total of 42 were successful. This corresponds to an average success rate of 20% (marginally lower than the overall 2010 success rate of 23%).

APPLIED SPRING 2011 GRANTED SPRING 2011 0

5

PRECLINICAL SCHOLARSHIPS

10

15

20

25

30

35

28

4

CLINICAL SCHOLARSHIPS

35

6

CAREER SCHOLARSHIPS

14

7

27

CO-FINANCED SCHOLARSHIPS

5 3

PHD INTERNSHIP

0

APPLIED AUTUMN 2011 GRANTED AUTUMN 2011 0

5

PRECLINICAL SCHOLARSHIPS

15

20

25

5

CO-FINANCED SCHOLARSHIPS

2 PHD INTERNSHIP

0

35

37

7

CAREER SCHOLARSHIPS

30

31

6

CLINICAL SCHOLARSHIPS

8

10

15 21

3

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Councils and committees under the Graduate School of Health Sciences PhD Study Board

PhD Coordinator Committee

The responsibilities of the PhD Study Board are, in part, derived from the University Act of 22 June 2011. The PhD Study Board is elected and is made up of representatives from the scientific staff and PhD student representatives. In pursuance of the University Act, the Board has the following responsibilities: 1. To recommend members to the assessment committee for the assessment of PhD theses 2. To approve PhD courses 3. To prepare proposals for the internal guidelines of the Graduate School of Health Sciences, including guidelines for PhD supervision 4. To comment on evaluations of the PhD Programme and the PhD supervision efforts made, including international evaluations 5. To approve applications for merit and exemption 6. To comment on issues of relevance to graduate training and supervision.

7. To give recommendations concerning the enrolment of the PhD students

The object of the PhD Coordinator Committee is to act as a liaison body between the Graduate School’s management and the PhD coordinators, and to ensure exchange of experiences between the coordinators. All coordinators are represented on the Committee.

The Graduate Programme Committee

The object of the Committee is to act as a liaison body between the management of the Graduate School and the heads of the Faculty’s Graduate Programmes. The Committee also serves as a forum for the exchange of experience and collaboration, and all programme heads are therefore represented on the Committee.

A list of the current members of the PhD Study Board and the Committees is presented at www.healthsciences.ku.dk/ phd under ’About the Graduate School’.

Structure of the Graduate School Vice-Dean for Research Head of Graduate School PhD Study Board

Graduate School

Faculty Research Strategy Committee

Graduate Programmes

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G r a d u at e S c h o o l o f H e a lt h S c i e n c e s F a c u lt y o f H e a lt h S c i e n c e s University of Copenhagen Blegdamsvej 3B DK-2200 Copenhagen N Denmark phdschool@sund.ku.dk Tel: +45 35 32 79 00 w w w . h e a lt h s c i e n c e s . k u . d k / p h d

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