Promovierendenvertretung

Dear doctoral candidates,

the FAU is currently searching for reseachers interested in a blended-lerning-programe. Please find below the following information from the Central Institute of Medical Engineering:

Calling young scientists with a PhD / Postdoc in healthcare (med, pharma, medtech)

From Scientists to Innovators for Industry (Sci Fi) is a three-month blended learning programme geared towards scientists with a PhD / Postdoc in healthcare wanting to transition from academic research to the medtech / pharma industry.

We have teamed up with a large consortium of academic and industry partners to offer a programme that will equip participants with crucial skills needed in an industry setting.

The programme runs from September to December 2021 and offers:

1. 1. 7 online learning modules in soft skills, creative skills and business skills
   2. 3 modules in industry-specific skills (IP, Medical Device Regulation and Digital Transformation)
   3. Webinars with Q&A and assignments
   4. Teamwork: developing a solution to a real-life industry case (pitch at final event)
   5. Mentoring from industry experts
   6. 3 events with workshops and networking with industry

Depending on time commitment the programme offers two tracks of learning: a Full Programme and also a Light Programme.

For further information please visit: https://eithealth.eu/project/sci-fi-2021/

Applications are open till the 30.06.2021

Coordinator FAU: Victoria.goldberg@fau.de

As your representatives we are actively shaping the university politics! In our work, we want to constantly change and improve the situation of doctoral candidates. For this purpose we are active members of several committees of the university and are also interconnected with all important decision makers. We are working on exciting projects and events such as active networking and exchange at the state and federal level. The Promovierendenkonvent is always characterized by teamwork and interdisciplinary exchange among doctoral candidates in order to achieve our goals.

You have now the chance to join us and to become a representative of the doctoral candidates soon! Please find all necessary information here [1]. A timetable for the election can be found here [2]. The election period is one year, lasting from October 21 until September 22.

If you have any questions about the elections themselves or what we are doing specifically, please feel free to contact us. Get active, become a candidate for the representatives!

[1] https://www.fau.de/fau/leitung-und-gremien/hochschulwahlen/#collapse_9

[2] https://www.fau.de/files/2021/04/zeitplan-promovierendenwahl.pdf

If you are planning to do your doctorate at the faculty of medicine (Dr.med./Dr.med.dent.), there are some new doctoral regulations. Most importantly, a provisional admission to a doctorate is now possible before graduation. In addition, the time limit for evaluation has been shortened to two months. For further information concerning additional changes see [1].

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at promovierendenkonvent@fau.de at any time!

[1] https://www.med.fau.de/forschung/wissenschaftlicher-nachwuchs/promotion-2/interessierte/

As you may have heard through the university’s mailing lists, new doctoral regulations have been approved at the Faculty of Engineering.

At the Faculty of Engineering now exists a separate Doctoral Examinations Board [1], which handles doctoral affairs previously handled by the Faculty Council.

Besides that, the biggest change is, that it is now, as at most of the other faculties, possible to hand in a cumulative thesis. Details can be found in the official document [2], but to sum it up: You’ll need the approval of your supervisor and at least three publications, in which you were the main contributor. Additionally, your co-authors have to sign a form [3] that they indeed see you as the primary contributor. Note that if you hand in a monograph that shows cumulative aspects, you may be required to provide these forms as well. Further explanations can be found in the official handout [4].

If you don’t want to be subject to the new Doctoral Regulations, you can finish your doctoral degree according to the previous regulations [5]. For this, you have to hand in a written and signed declaration at the Office of Doctoral Affairs by 30.04.2021. This declaration should state that you want to finish your doctoral degree under the regulations in the version of 18.08.2017, a short one-liner suffices.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at promovierendenkonvent@fau.de at any time!

[1] https://www.tf.fau.de/fakultaet/gremien/promotionsausschuss/

[2] https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/01/promo-techfak-dez2020.pdf

https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/03/promo-tf-dez2020-englisch.pdf

[3] https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/02/2021-01-15_bestaetigung-der-beitraege-von-ko-autorinnen-in-publikationen_final.pdf

https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/02/2021-01-15_bestaetigung-der-beitraege-von-ko-autorinnen-in-publikationen_final_eng_sd.pdf

https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/02/2021-01-15_bestaetigung-der-beitraege-von-ko-autorinnen-in-publikationen_final_formular.docx

https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/02/2021-01-15_bestaetigung-der-beitraege-von-ko-autorinnen-in-publikationen_final_eng_sd.docx

[4] https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/01/2021-01-15-handreichung-fuer-kumulative-dissertationen_final.pdf

[5] https://www.tf.fau.de/files/2021/01/promo-techfak-aug2017-englisch.pdf

A remarkable year in many ways is coming to its end. Before you all leave for the winter holidays, we wish you all the best for the next year, and a merry christmas! We are looking forward to see you all in 2021!

Your Doctoral Candidates’ Representatives

The Corona virus makes work on a dissertation harder for most people. Books are less easy to get, laboratories can’t be used as freely as usually, conferences have to be cancelled and so forth.

For some of us, organizational challenges from outside the university add even more stress to difficult working conditions. Female doctoral candidates (like all female researchers) get hit especially hard by familial obligations like child care. Although scientific and scholarly publications have statistically increased over all, publications by female authors have dropped during the pandemic.

For international doctoral candidates, likewise, the virus poses particular problems. The expiration dates for visa have not automatically been delayed, so extensions must be sought. Navigating German burocracy has not gotten easier with face-to-face offices closed and almost all interaction with clerical personnel digitalized (but not necessarily speeded up).

If you are working on your dissertation during the Corona-crisis, the following might be of interest to you:

• In theory, all research assistants and other university staff with a regular position („Haushaltsstelle“) are supposed to be able to get their contract prolonged if they apply for an extension based on Corona-related delays. This might turn out to be difficult if your supervisors disagree with your assessment of the necessity of an extension. In that case, you are free to contact the respective Dean of Students („Studiendekan“) of your faculty and ask for mediation in this matter. (For doctoral candidates without a regular position there is, unfortunately, no regulation of this kind).
• If familial obligations put additional strain on you outside the university, please contact the womens‘ representatives („Frauenbeauftragte“) or the family service („Familienservice“) and share your trouble. The staff in those offices are aware of the new difficulties arising with Corona and will both try to help you and be glad about any additional data about the overall situation that you can provide.
• We have been told that the FAU Welcome Center offers support and guidance to international students and doctoral candidates in matters of Corona-related problems with the expiration of visa and other deadlines.
• The city of Erlangen has promised to be very obliging in matters of extensions of all sorts if appliants can relate their need to extend deadlines to Corona.

The ballot papers for electing your representatives for your faculty have reached you via mail. All candidates introduce themselves here on our blog: „Nominated Candidates 2020“

Please send back the voting letter with the completed ballot papers via mail. The deadline, by which your letter must have reached the eletions office, is July 14 at 3 PM.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Mittlerweile haben euch die Wahlunterlagen daheim erreicht, mit denen ihr eure Vertretung für eure Fakultät wählen könnt. Alle Kandidatinnen und Kandidaten stellen sich hier auf unserem Blog kurz vor: „Nominated Candidates 2020“

Bitte schickt die ausgefüllten Briefwahlunterlagen am besten über die Hauspost ans Wahlamt zurück. Eingangsfrist dort ist der 14. Juli, 15:00 Uhr.

*** Bitte scrolle runter für die deutsche Fassung. ***

Dear doctoral candidates!

You will get mail at the end of May. You can then again vote for your faculty’s representatives for the Doctoral Convent. Prerequisite for getting the postal vote forms is that you are registered at docDaten.

Being registered at docDaten is also required if you want to become a candidate for your faculty. We are looking for new members for the Convent across all faculties. Many of us will finish their doctorate in the upcoming months (Yay!) and will not run again for the next term.

The deadline for handing in nominations for doctoral candidates’ representatives is already on May 11. You can find all information here [1]. Are you interested or do you have questions? Please contact us [2].

We are so looking forward to welcome YOU to the Convent!

[1] https://www.fau.eu/fau/organisation-and-committees/university-elections/#collapse_1
[2] promovierendenkonvent@fau.de

*** Deutschsprachige Fassung. ***

Liebe Promovierende,

Ende Mai werdet ihr Post bekommen. Ihr könnt wieder eure Vertreter*innen für den Promovierendenkonvent für eure Fakultät wählen. Voraussetzung dafür ist, dass ihr bei docDaten registriert seid.

Die Registrierung bei docDaten ist auch Voraussetzung, euch als Kandidat*in für eure Fakultät aufstellen zu lassen. Wir suchen neue Mitglieder über alle Fakultäten hinweg. Viele von uns werden in den kommenden Monaten ihre Promotion abschließen (Juhuu!) und nicht noch einmal kandidieren.

Schon am 11. Mai endet die Frist, Vorschläge für die Kandidatur zur Promovierendenvertreter*in einzureichen. Alle Informationen findet ihr hier [1]. Hast du Interesse oder Fragen? Melde dich bei uns [2].

Wir freuen uns sehr auf DICH!

[1] https://www.fau.de/fau/leitung-und-gremien/hochschulwahlen/#collapse_9
[2] promovierendenkonvent@fau.de