Research Plan and Annual Assessment
Before completing their first year of in the doctoral program, students must prepare a research plan, endorsed by their Tutor and Thesis Advisor and submitted for approval to the Academic Committee of the corresponding Doctoral Programme.
The Research Plan (WORD) must include the following:
- Title of proposed research
- Tutor and Advisor(s)
- Introduction to the research topic
- Literature review
- Working hypothesis / Research questions
- Proposed goals
- Methodology
- Available resources
- Calendar
- Bibliographical references
The doctoral student will send the Research Plan in PDF format, with the corresponding signatures, to the Doctoral Program Coordinator. The Academic Committee will assess this Research Plan as indicated in the Assessment Report. Once approved by the Committee, the Assessment Report and the Research Plan should be submitted to the Escuela de Doctorado. Likewise, the Academic Committee will inform the student of its assessment of the Research Plan.
The Research Plan can be improved and developed throughout the program. When significant changes are made (affecting the title or subject matter, for instance), the Academic Committee must send the new version of the Research Plan, with its corresponding approval, to the Escuela de Doctorado before depositing the Thesis.
According to Article 11.7 of Real Decreto 99/2011, which regulates PhD studies, doctoral candidates will be monitored and assessed annually but the Academic Committee of the doctoral program.
To this end, the following procedure must be followed:
- The Tutor / Thesis Advisor must complete a report (PDF) on his/her doctoral candidate. If the Thesis Advisor is different from the Tutor or when there are various Advisors, each will write an individual report. The emphasis of the report will be on the completed training activities and the progression of the Research Plan, or of its draft if it has not yet been approved.
- This report, together with an updated copy of the Record of Activities Document, must be sent in good time to the Coordinator of the Academic Committee.
- The Academic Committee will assess the work done by PhD candidates taking into account:
- The report(s) of the Tutor and/or Thesis Advisor(s)
- The student’s the Record of Activities Document
- Once the assessment has been completed, the Academic Committee will complete the corresponding annual assessment and follow-up reports (PDF) and and will send them, along with the Tutor and Advisor’s reports to the Escuela de Doctorado.
A positive assessment is required to continue in the PhD Program.
If the assessment were negative, the doctoral candidate would have to be re-assessed in six months. If his/her research Plan had already been approved s/he would have to develop a new one.
If the second assessment were negative the student would have to definitely leave the Program.
You may visit the assessment calendar here.