Overview
Overview
Overview
Curriculum
The CGSC program includes both required and elective components. All doctoral students must take a course on scientifc integrity and attend the PhD Symposium. Three natural science lectures at the master’s level are also required. Courses on transferable skills are highly recommended.
Training
Scientific Lectures
Doctoral candidates necessarily focus on the subject of their research project to become an expert in the area. After successful completion of the doctorate, the candidates will receive a Dr. rer. nat. in Chemistry or Biochemisty, which can be seen as a mandate for a broad scientific background in the whole area of chemistry. Therefore the doctoral candidates will attend three lectures on Master level. These might be the P-Module lectures in Chemistry, but also lectures of the adjacent departments might be of interest, i.e. in Physics, Biology or Crystallography or Summer Schools. We strongly recommend the lectures of our partner chemistry department at the University Bonn.
For the P-Module lectures of the Chemistry Department please check Klips 2 as well as for the Master level lectures of the neighboring disciplines.
For the course of the Chemistry Department of the University Bonn have a look here.
In addition, all doctoral candiates are expected to attend the GDCh colloquium as well as the institute and group seminars regularly.
Scientific Integrity Workshops
The CGSC considers scientific integrity as the backbone of top-quality research. Since research is self-regulated there is a high responsibility of every researcher to carefully conduct his or her research program. Since research often involves a great deal of cooperation, scientific integrity promotes values like trust, accountability, and fairness. All doctoral candidates have to attend a workshop on Scientific Integrity.
The next workshops on scientific integrity will be on September 19th, 2023, 9:00-16:00. Registration by email.
The workshop is fully booked. You may register for the waiting list!
20 Participants at each workshop,
Lectures: Prof. Giernoth, Dr. Henneken
The workshop will cover the following aspects:
Research aspects such as:
- data evaluation
- data storage
- research progress
- confidentiality
Publication aspects such as:
- formal rules and habits
- authors and responsibility
- content of publications
- data handling in papers
Authority aspects such as:
- communication
- mentoring
- group dynamics
- conflict with supervisors
Transferable Skills
The CGSC doesn’t offer transferable skill courses at the moment, but the courses of the following institutions are highly recommended.
The Albertus Magnus Center (AMC) regularly offers a wide range of workshops/courses.
For training offered by Personnel Development of the University of Cologne, check their website.
The Female Career Centre offers courses for women.
The IT Center University of Cologne (ITCC) frequently offers courses on software.
The Centre for University Didactics / Zentrum für Hochschuldidaktik (ZHD) offers many courses in German and some in English.
Gateway offers support and workshops for those interested in starting their own business. All courses are in German.
International Office offers intercultural trainings.
Start
Start doctoral project
Within 3 months
Find at least one independent mentor and register with the CGSC
After supervisor’s approval
Send first year report to your TAC members
Within 12 months
TAC Meeting
Within 12 months
Take part in a Good Scientific Practice Workshop
After 12 months
Take part in the PhD Symposium
Within 24 months
TAC Meeting
Take part in 3 lecture on Master level within the PhD project.
Within 36 months
TAC Meeting
Within 48 months
Further TAC meetings every 12x months or as defined by TAC
After the registration in the office of the coordinator, the route card will help you to follow up with the program of the graduate school. The completed route card has to be approved by the CGSC coordinator before the Gesuch is signed.
Advisor
It is obligatory to sign a supervision agreement between the principal advisor and the doctoral candidate.
Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)
Latest at the end of the first year each doctoral candidate chooses the thesis advisory committee (TAC), which comprises at least one mentor besides the advisor. The mentor must not necessarily be the second reviewer in the PhD defense. She/he can be another professor from another (even international) university, a research institute or industry. She/he should be at least an independent group leader experienced in supervising PhD candidates. The mentor must be independent of the first advisor, i.e. shouldn’t have performed his academic career in the work group of the first advisor. Ideally, she/he is not from the same institute. For doctoral candidates, who work on their PhD project externally, the mentor must be a professor of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The coordinator of the CGSC has to be informed about the members of the TAC within the first year. The members of the TAC can be changed in mutual agreement with all involved parties.
The TAC with the doctoral candidate at least once per year to discuss the progress of the research project, the next steps towards reaching the goal(s) of the thesis, and any other matters of importance. The TAC reads and comments upon the first year report and all further annual presentations. The TAC feedback form needs to be filled in in all meetings and a scan of the signed document needs to be sent to the coordinator of the CGSC.
Annual Progress Reports
All doctoral candidates have to provide an annual report. The first year report is sent to the TAC only (progress report, 2-3 pages plus literature). Only the feedback form needs to be handed in to the CGSC Coordinator right after the meeting.
All further annual reports are open in format. It could be an oral presentation in the group seminar, a publication or a conference contribution. The thesis committee must be invited well in advance. For all annual reports the feedback form needs to be filled and a scan of the signed document needs to be sent to the coordinator of the CGSC.
In general a doctorate takes 3-4 years. If the doctorate extends four years, the steering committee will meet separately with the doctoral candidate and his/her thesis committee to find out the reasons.
Broad scientific background
Doctoral candidates necessarily focus on the subject of their research project to become experts in the respective research area. After successful completion of the doctorate, the candidates will receive a Dr. rer. nat. in Chemistry or Biochemistry, which can be seen as a mandate for a broad scientific background in the whole area of chemistry. Therefore, the doctoral candidates will attend three scientific lectures on Master level. These might be the subject module lectures in Chemistry or Biochemistry, but also lectures of the adjacent departments might be of interest, i.e. in physics, biology or crystallography, or summer schools. We strongly recommend the lectures of our partner Chemistry department at the University Bonn. In addition, they are expected to attend the GDCh colloquium as well as the institute and group seminars regularly.
Scientific integrity
The CGSC considers scientific integrity as an integral part of top-quality research. Since research is self-regulated there is a high responsibility of every researcher to carefully conduct his or her research program. Since research often involves a great deal of cooperation, scientific integrity promotes values like trust, accountability, and fairness. All doctoral candidates have to attend a one-day workshop on Scientific Integrity. The offered workshops can be found here.
Transferable skill courses
In addition to their scientific expertise young scientist are asked for a number of other abilities and skills. To support their future career the doctoral candidates are asked to take advantage of the broad transferable skill program offered by several institutions within and outside of the university. For more information have a look here. The CGSC candidates are not obliged to follow a pre-defined curriculum, since it is believed that the needed transferable skills differ from candidate to candidate.
PhD symposium
In addition to their scientific expertise young scientist are asked for a number of other abilities and skills. To support their future career the doctoral candidates are asked to take advantage of the broad transferable skill program offered by several institutions within and outside of the university. For more information have a look here. The CGSC candidates are not obliged to follow a pre-defined curriculum, since it is believed that the needed transferable skills differ from candidate to candidate.
Teaching
Most doctoral candidates will be involved in some kind of teaching duties, which is seen as one of the qualification goals. Graduates will receive a certificate about their participation in teaching.