Doctoral Study Plan

The definition of the PhD topic is carried out in the Doctoral Study Plan in several stages by updating the research project for which the candidate student has been selected and subject to remarks and suggestions along the whole duration of the thesis. The Doctoral Study Plan is consequently subject to supervision and validation by the Eu2P degree-awarding institutions through the Eu2P Doctoral Board members and the approval of their related local doctoral school.

Supervision of the Doctoral Study Plan

The Eu2P Doctoral Board sets the standards that doctoral students must achieve and approves for each student, an academic plan and a project programme involving mobility called "Doctoral Study Plan".

For this purpose, the Doctoral Board appoints during the first induction month a PhD Supervisor in line with the student Research project synopsis. The PhD Supervisor must belong to a Eu2P academic partner and is full or associate professors (or equivalent) with full authority to graduate PhD, i.e. shall be PhD and have an academic accreditation to supervise research.

In the first three months of the programme, the PhD Supervisor oversees the student's progress, strengths or weaknesses, and guides him/her to the preparation of the Doctoral Study Plan that will be submitted to the Doctoral Board at the end of the first trimester. The PhD Supervisor in particular helps the student in the adoption of the most appropriate methodology to carry out his/her research successfully and guides him/her in the necessary research and drafting of a final thesis. There must be at least two meetings a year gathering the PhD student and the Supervisor. Video-conferencing facilities may be used for meetings. The doctoral student may also benefit from other forms of peer monitoring in hosting academic and research centres.

Students and supervisors shall be familiar with the recommendations to be found in "the European Charter for Researchers" (and the "Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers").

Setting up and annual validation of the Doctoral Study plan

A Doctoral Study Plan shall be established for each selected Eu2P PhD Student.

Eu2P members explicitly invite innovative, project proposals which are prepared to strike out into new fields. Within the programme, public and private Eu2P members can provide expert supervision and academic accompaniment in a wide variety of fields and their interconnections.

• The Doctoral Study Plan, drawn up during the first term of the PhD curriculum between the PhD student and his/her Supervisor, shall detail:
• The thesis research project supervision such as appointment rules, names and roles of the Supervisor
• The thesis research project conduct locations and the description and scientific justification of the mobility within the Hosting academic and research centres
• The research activities main lines and expected results
• The programmed portfolio activities

The plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Doctoral Board by the end of the first term. In case of minor or major corrections requested by the Doctoral Board, the student shall be granted an extra deadline of one month to establish an updated Doctoral Study Plan that shall be re-presented for final approval by the Doctoral Board.

The Doctoral Study Plan must be yearly updated and validated together with the PhD student and Supervisor. Each annual update must be sent to the Eu2P Central Office to be recorded and available for consultation by the Doctoral Board and each related doctoral school of Eu2P academic partners.

Requests regarding a change in subject and/or Supervisor are to be made formally in writing by the student and are to be addressed to the Supervisor who will consequently liaise with all members of the Doctoral Board and the various research centres involved.

Mid-term report and review

At mid-term of the PhD curriculum, e.g. 18 months for regular setting, the student will establish with his/her Supervisor his/her mid-term report. This report is in line with the Doctoral Study Plan and details the overall progress of the research and portfolio activities. This report is essential to check that the research activities are well-advanced and are reasonably foreseen to be completed by the time the PhD thesis shall be defended.

The student will orally present the mid-term report to an appointed board. Such board shall comprise the PhD Supervisors and two external experts, independent from the research project and who have obtained a doctoral degree. This oral presentation may take place in public at one of the Eu2P Academic Partner's premises or under web-based format. Following the oral presentation, the board, together with the PhD student, shall decide of any necessary adjustments or changes to be made to the Doctoral Study Plan.

Doctoral study location and mobility

The Eu2P PhD student shall be advised to make the most of the Eu2P consortium possibilities and build a close research network among the Eu2P partners. Each PhD student shall be based primarily at one Eu2P Home academic institution depending on his/her PhD Supervisor.

The student is strongly encouraged to work at least 6 months of the programme at another public or private Hosting Institution.

• The Eu2P PhD student has the opportunity to perform the thesis research project in the premises of:
• A Eu2P Academic Partner
• An Higher Education Institution which it is not a Eu2P partner
• or
• A non-Higher Education Institution, which may or may not be a Eu2P partner

In all cases, the Eu2P PhD student must be supervised by the PhD Supervisor appointed by the Doctoral Board, belonging to a Eu2P Academic Partner and full or associate professors.

When the student is conducting research in another location than the Supervisor institution, a local Tutor will be appointed by the Supervisor. In any case, the Tutor shall be full or associate professors or equivalent with full authority to graduate PhD i.e. must have an academic accreditation to supervise research.

Mobility to a public or private institution will be justified in the Doctoral Study Plan.

For PhD students currently pursuing in parallel their work at one of the Eu2P Associated Partner's premises, the mobility requirement may be adapted in the Doctoral Study Plan, upon specific agreement granted by the Eu2P Doctoral Board.