Overview of DoSChem benefits:

  • Exchange with other students and PIs across DoSChem, beyond group and institute borders.
  • Broader, more diverse mentorship (scientific input of at least 3 PIs on your yearly oral progress report).
  • Financial support of your project ideas and promote your mobility: participation in programs New Ideas and International Exchange (first grant writing experience).
  • Opportunities for cross-disciplinary studies, networking and collaborative approach.
  • Enjoying ”beyond the bench” part of DoSChem’s events (co-)organized by students e.g. scientific retreats, international symposia, student’s social hour and get togethers.
  • DoSChem rewards ECTS for an active conference participation in case of poster and/or oral presentations.
  • Different points of contacts within DoSChem and your working group.
  • Tailor-made career support (tailored coursework; soft skills classes; career coaching by successful alumni).

Curriculum/ ECTS allocation overview:

  • 6 ETCS from curriculum based lectures and seminars (freely selectable and graded), summer schools
  • 4-6  ECTS from PhD seminars and “Journal Clubs” (1 ECTS each Semester)
  • 2-4  ECTS from faculty colloquia (0.5 ECTS per Semester)

DoSChem (12 ECTS in total, flexible – below you find the suggested ECTS points distributed to the different areas)

  • 2 ECTS from soft skills courses (freely selectable)
  • 4 ECTS from retreats (2 per retreat (full active attendance – attend at least 2 retreats)
  • 2 ECTS from International DoSChem Symposium (1 per symposium – attend 2)
  • 4 ECTS from international conference (1-2 per active participation – poster or oral; 2 conference visits, at least 1 international conference)

24 ECTS needed to graduate within DoSChem.

Detailed description you can find here

Your obligations with DoSChem and the doctoral curriculum of University of Vienna:

  • Get admitted to the doctoral program at the University of Vienna.
  • Be accepted to DoSChem.
  • Public presentation of your project to the faculty within 12 months (FÖP).
  • Sign dissertation agreement with supervisor and director of doctoral studies.
  • Acceptance of code of conduct and good scientific practice.
  • Annual submission of written progress reports. Please use the form available here.
  • Annual oral presentation of your progress with feedback from three PIs.

Does the curriculum comprise mandatory coursework? How will it be monitored?

Yes. The attendance of some DoSChem events is mandatory such as monthly faculty colloquia, focus area retreats, participation in student organized international symposium and in at least one significant international conference. However, our curriculum offers many opportunities on how to complete the program requirements allowing tailor-made solutions to best support your individual development. Required courses will be agreed on between student, supervisor and DoSChem (represented by the Director of Doctoral Studies) by signing the doctoral thesis agreement (Dissertationsvereinbarung) after successful presentation of the research project to the faculty (FÖP). Amendments are possible via the yearly written progress reports.

How do I pick the courses for my PhD curriculum?

You can pick the most suitable lectures/seminars/practical courses for your training in agreement with your supervisor and director of doctoral studies. Please also see the section description of curriculum elements below. Please note that ECTS will also be awarded for participating in and organizing DoSChem events and active conference participation.

There are no courses from the chemical doctorate program that fit. But there are plenty of courses at the University of Vienna or other universities that match. Can they be part of my curriculum?

You can visit any graded and certified courses from the University of Vienna, other universities, scientific institutes, and within other programs such as ITNs you need to accomplish your PhD thesis project. However, your supervisor and the director of doctoral studies have to agree. The best way to accomplish this is to include the external courses in your doctoral thesis agreement and/or yearly progress report. Please provide confirmation of participation (certificate) for each course outside the University of Vienna. The attendance of summer or winter schools (proof of registration/attendance required) will be recognized. An additional SSC recognition form “Request for recognition of studies and examinations” is required. Please visit the SSC website.

Is it possible to do ECTS at other universities and be able to get them recognized at the University of Vienna/DoSChem?

Yes. However, approval is needed (see above) and you need to obtain proof from a certified third-level teaching organization about grade(s) and ECTS.

How is the DoSChem curriculum organized? How does the focus area I chose influence the curriculum?

DoSChem is organized in three focus areas (=panels) reflecting the key research areas of our faculty and providing a backbone to our curriculum:

  • Panel A: theoretical/computational chemistry and functional/sustainable materials
  • Panel B: bio/environmental analytics and food chemistry/physiology
  • Panel C: synthesis/catalysis and biomedical/medical chemistry

Each focus area is led by a panel of 5-6 PIs, who reflect the scientific scope of the focus area and organize student training (PhD seminars, conferences, soft skills trainings, retreats). The focus areas provide a comprehensive exchange and dialog platform for students and supervisors.

Panel affiliation/ Switching the panel affiliation

DoSChem PIs can be affiliated with multiple focus areas, while students can only be affiliated with one focus area.

The student’s choice regarding the affiliation is important.  Your PI shall not decide on your affiliation alone. It is not necessary that student and supervisor are in the same panel.

If you notice that the development of the doctoral project suggests a switch to another focus area (e.g. the retreat of other panels would be a better fit etc.), this will be possible if student and supervisor agree. Please keep DoSChem informed regarding your proposal, so we can update your affiliation in our records.

Does joining DoSChem change any requirements for cumulative dissertations as described here

No. (Please see SSC Chemistry)

Do proceedings count as valid manuscripts for the dissertation?

No. Only published or accepted manuscripts in peer-reviewed, professional journals count. The supervisor must indicate that the paper was mostly written by the student. Reviews and proceeding can be included but do not count towards the two first authors manuscripts needed to submit a cumulative thesis.

DoSChem programs “New Ideas” and “International Exchange”: what is that?

  • These are two competitive programs that aim at encouraging you to “think across and beyond” the boundaries of your field of research and your immediate scientific environment.
  • Applications for International Exchange are currently continuously accepted and evaluated for every quarter of the year (we usually post the deadlines on our website & remind you via Moodle of the upcoming calls). For New Ideas: 1-2 times a year.
  • Funding is only available for DoSChem students. If you are a prospective (soon to be) DoSChem student you are not eligible to apply to these programmes.
  • More information about our programs can be found in the section funding on our website

Recognition of conferences:

  • General rules: ECTS are only awarded for an active participation in conferences (poster or oral presentations). Generally, the following conversion of time spend at a conference to ECTS applies: Conference attendance of up to 2 days will be rewarded with 1 ECTS and longer conferences with 2 ECTS (not more than that). If special circumstances apply, individual solutions need to be discussed with the director of doctoral studies.
  • Both poster and oral presentations count similarly as “active” participation.

Please submit information about the conference (weblink and your registration or confirmation of attendance) with your yearly progress report.

Recommendations on annual oral and written progress report

Written progress report:

  • The written progress report has to be submitted yearly, ideally a year after the public presentation and is part of the curriculum to be fulfilled.
  • What is the “attachment to the annual report”? This form (Forms (univie.ac.at) always download current form) allows you to document your 24 ECTS curriculum requirements and keep track on the ECTS allocation of all your DoSChem activities or coursework of other universities, programs and conferences. Please indicate all courses and achievements according to the curriculum and the doctoral thesis agreement you accomplished within the last year (not for pending or planed courses). You can download it from the SSC site as well.
  • Please submit this form via the email to SSC (ssc.chemie@univie.ac.at) together with your written progress report in a yearly manner. Please use this form only for accomplished courses and events (not for outstanding or planed!).
  • For all external coursework (other universities, programs and summer-, winter schools) please use the “usual” SSC form “Ansuchen um Anerkennung von Prüfungen”/ “Request for recognition of studies and examinations” in addition to the provided form.
  • Once submitted with your annual report this attachment will be first signed by you as a student and your supervisor, then emailed to SSC and after the directorate of doctoral studies has signed it, it will be returned to you via mail, so at the end you will have a record of all curricular accomplishments that were accepted within this form.

Oral presentation progress talk:

  • There are no specific requirements besides the presence & feedback of 3 PIs (with status “habilitated” or professor).
  •  Your own supervisor has to be one those 3 scientists.
  • "The lineup" can vary each year. You can decide & choose depending on the personal availability and situation, e.g. external professors.
  • There is no written feedback. After your talk, you receive verbal recommendations/suggestions/advise on your work and progress, promoting interaction and interdisciplinary research.
  • Within the attachment form you have to indicate the date of your annual talk along with the names and affiliation of present PIs (e.g. in a case of external PIs).
  • Talk duration & setting: there are no specific requirements. You can schedule your progress talk within a department talk, retreat (if you get selected for a talk, you can approach the organizing PI whether it could be possible), summer schools etc.

Description of curriculum elements:

  • 2-4 ECTS for faculty colloquia (0,5 ECTS per semester)

Attendance of the faculty colloquia with interdisciplinary invited speakers, which is held on a monthly basis (typically every 2nd Monday within the teaching periods at 16:00), is an important multidisciplinary part of your curriculum. It is expected to attend 3 of 4 colloquia in order to collect 0.5 ECTS per semester. Please note that only on-site attendance proof (without previous required Moodle registration) does not count, you have to sign up for it via Moodle as for any other regular course.

  • 4-6 ECTS for PhD seminars and “Journal Clubs” within each focus areas (1 ECTS per semester)

You have to regularly attend and present your progress of your research to student fellows and to principal investigators of the panel. The new guideline recommends the presence of 3 PIs of your choice (with your direct supervisor among them) during your yearly progress talk, yielding comprehensive input covering different angles on your project.

Journal Clubs - the discussion and presentation of scientific papers found in relevant journals could also be attended on a regular basis. Please note, you can participate in the same JC multiple times (up to 4).

  • 6 ECTS for DoSChem curriculum-based lectures, seminars

So far, the DoSChem curriculum relies in part on courses already offered in the Master program, which you can select freely. In addition, you can participate in all classes offered by the Vienna Universities (MedUni, TU Wien etc). Required courses will be agreed on between student, supervisor and DoSChem by signing the “dissertation agreement” after successful presentation of the research project to the faculty (FÖP). Amendments are possible via the yearly written progress reports. The attendance of summer or winter schools (registration/attendance proof) will be recognized as a seminar type and awarded with ECTS.

 

DoSChem (12 ECTS in total, flexible –suggested ECTS points)

  • 2 ECTS for Focus Area Retreats (up to 2 ECTS per retreat)

Each focus area of research organizes annual scientific retreats (2,5 days), which is an off-site meeting held in a relaxing atmosphere outside the university accompanied by a social program. The retreat provides opportunities for identifying and exploring new and innovative research directions, and encourages intensive peer discussions and exchange in a relaxed setting.  During the course of your PhD thesis you are expected to attend all retreats organized by your focus areas and all student symposia. Full participation for 2.5 days with poster or talk will result in 2 ECTS; the participation for 1-2 days with poster or talk resultsin 1 ECTS. For shorter participation no ECTS will be given.

  • 2 ECTS for International Symposium organized by DoSChem students (1 ETCS/Symposium)

Once a year – typically in September– a group of students organizes a two-day symposium with high-profile speakers representing the scientific span of the DoSChem faculty.

During this event there will be a session dedicated to DoSChem student presentations, whereas it is up to you (voluntary basis/research group choice) to give a talk to communicate your research. With hands-on experience, you are also responsible of approaching and inviting external speakers of your choice, for organization of social program and catering. In this way, you are challenged with collective responsibility, organization skills and with the experience of how to deal with the fixed program budget. You have to register for this event.  During the course of your PhD thesis you are expected to attend all retreats organized by your focus areas and all student symposia. Your participation (presence/talk/poster) will be equally rewarded with 1 ECTS.

Besides being fun social events, co-organizing retreats and organizing symposia proofs your personal responsibility, enhances your practical and social networking skills and makes you aware of facing strategic challenges of a common scientific event such as symposia or workshop. In this way your organizing activity awards you additional ECTS – 1-2 per event depending on the workload.

  • 4 ECTS for Conference participation (1-2 ECTS per active participation)

The DoSChem strongly promotes your participation in at least one significant (international) conference during your PhD training. By presentation of your work (talk or poster), your effort will be awarded. The solely attendance of the conference without the active participation is not awarded by ECTS. A conference of up to 2 days will be rewarded with 1 ECTS and longer conferences with 2 ECTS (not more than that). 2 conference visits, at least 1 international conference.

  • 2 ECTS from soft skills courses (freely selectable, flexible)

DoSChem training is committed to supply you with best possible tools to enhance your performance in getting successfully published, professionally present and discuss your data, writing a strong proposal, and skillfully manage your PhD thesis project. Depending on the concept/duration of the course, your effort will be awarded with 1 ECTS (up to 2 days course) and 2 ECTS (more than 2 days). This applies to the participation of University of Vienna (internal) and external courses.

 

1 ECTS can be flexibly used within the DoSChem part of the curriculum. Please make sure that the event used here meets the requirements of 1 ECTS (amount of work: ~25 h). Please provide confirmation of participation.

 

Please note that the workshop and courses from the Center for Doctoral Studies are not credited with ECTS! 

However, if you have questions regarding “free” German courses or other suggestions and questions for this section please contact us.

Affiliation of DoSChem on posters and articles

Please use the following affiliation for your posters and articles

[Researcher Name] a,b,

a University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of ...,  Währinger Str. ..., 1090 Vienna, Austria.

b University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem), Währinger Str. 42, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

DoSChem logo

Please find the DoSChem logo in our moodle course under forms