Typically, three supervisors will be responsible for controlling phases and milestones: First supervisor from the Institute for Geoinformatics, co-supervisor from the Institute for Geoinformatics or external, co-supervisor from the hosting institution of the mobility measure. Doctoral studies will consist of several phases with the following corresponding milestones for each cohort:
- Phase 1 - Introduction, M 1-6: Milestones: preliminary course programme (M1), quarterly progress reports (M3, M6), dissertation proposal, including an assessment of the state-of-the-art and publication plan (M5), plan for exchange period (M6).
- Phase 2 – Exploration, M 7-18: Milestones: quarterly progress reports (M9, 12, 15, 18), defense of revised dissertation proposal (M 12), publication submitted to international conference (M 18), optional: additional publications.
- Phase 3 - Implementation, M 19 - 30: Milestones: quarterly progress reports (M 21, 24, 27, 30), publication submitted to international journal (M 30), optional: additional publications.
- Phase 4 – Wrap-Up, M 31 - 36: Milestones: quarterly progress report (M 33), thesis synopsis (M 33), thesis final version (M 36).
- Phase 5 – Mobility, between M 7 and M 36: typically three to six-month exchange period on an individually planned schedule. Milestones: quarterly progress report, exchange report.
- Optional phase: In justified cases, additional phases can be defined on an individual basis.
Phase 1 is an intentionally brief preparation phase. It serves to refine the dissertation topic based on the application, to become familiar with the research environment, to take one or two foundational courses from pertinent disciplines, and to attend the first semester of the research colloquium. The phase begins with an orientation camp and closes with a formal thesis proposal and a literature survey report for the research track in which the dissertation is carried out. As in all phases, quarterly doctoral researchers’ progress reports are required. Early in this first phase, students have to provide a preliminary study plan including the chosen courses of their education and training program. This plan will be part of all future quarterly progress reports and their discussion with advisors.
Phase 2 produces the first scientific results of the dissertation. Major steps are to defend an updated dissertation proposal and to submit a publication to an international conference as a first or single author, in order to receive substantial feedback on the scientific work. Doctoral researchers keep attending the research colloquia at their site and can take additional block courses. They acquire multi-disciplinary theoretical and practical experience through their involvement in the broader activities of their research track (other theses, workshops, experimental implementations). But primarily, they perform the experimental and theoretical work required for their thesis, leading to two or more internationally submitted publications as a first or single author. They attend a Summer School module, and doctoral researchers will organize a doctoral symposium, contribute by organizing this event and through paper submissions. Summer School and doctoral symposium can alternatively be performed in phase 3. Careful attention is paid to anchoring doctoral researchers within relevant international communities. This is why doctoral researchers are encouraged to attend international conferences and to begin publishing results early in their dissertation work. Such an intense learning experience in a top research environment advances the doctoral researchers’ understanding of research methods and establishes international networks of young researchers.
Phase 3 is the main production phase in terms of final scientific results. The key result is a submission of a journal paper as a first or single author. Depending the individual publication plans, further publications will be submitted.
In Phase 4, the doctoral researchers finish writing their theses, preferably in six more months (completing the three years). They submit a synopsis of their thesis - assuming that most of the doctoral researchers will write a cumulative thesis, it bases on at least 3 high-level publications as a first or single author.
Phase 5 is a three-to-six-month exchange period at an external partner (Academia or Industry or Government); the mentor of the external partner is typically the second co-supervisor of the dissertation project. The main purpose of this phase is to continue the thesis work. Phases 2 or 3 are the most suitable phases for the exchange period, though a placement in phase 4 is possible, depending on their research plan. The exchange complements the methodological, application, and cultural background of the doctoral researchers by perspectives and experiences gained at the partner site. Duration depends on the individual conditions: A scholarship grant-holder will rather perform a six-month mobility measure, whereas a doctoral researcher engaged in a project, going along with project obligations, will rather perform a three-month mobility measure. In exceptional and justified cases, e.g., due to family situation, alternative models can be defined to replace the mobility phase.
Optional phase:
Due to external requirements (e.g., an institutional funding program) or individual requirements of the doctoral researchers, additional phases can be defined, e.g., a one-month internship in a company, a six-week research visit to a university, or the conduction of a Master courses by the doctoral researcher.
The duration of 36 month targets doctoral candidates with no or few other obligations than working on a PhD, e.g., grant-holders of scholarship programs. For doctoral candidates with additional obligations, e.g., project work, duration can be up to 4.5 years. Duration will be defined at the beginning of the doctoral studies. Extensions can be permitted in duly justified cases
