Public presentation at the Faculty (FÖP)


Aims

Doctoral candidates have to present their intended doctoral thesis projects at the public presentation at the Faculty. The presentation serves to introduce doctoral candidates and their research topics to the faculty staff, and to offer all participants a platform for exchange and feedback. Doctoral candidates present their research proposal and ethical considerations related to their doctoral thesis project. The doctoral advisory boards give advice and issue an opinion on the intended project.

Outcome

Following the public presentation of a doctoral thesis project, the Directorate of Studies decides on the research proposal based on the recommendations of the doctoral advisory board. If a doctoral thesis project is not approved, the candidate may withdraw the project and then has the possibility of presenting again at a later point in time.

Organisation and procedure

Public presentations at the Faculty are organised by the Directorate of Studies together with the StudiesServiceCentre. The presentations take place four times a year: in October, January, March and June. Each doctoral candidate holds a 10-minute presentation about their intended doctoral project, followed by a discussion with the respective doctoral advisory board and a short internal discussion of the board members. If two doctoral advisory boards are responsible for your research field, the StudiesServiceCentre will inform you in front of which board you will present your doctoral thesis project. The supervisor/s is/are expected to attend the presentations. They are invited to the board’s internal discussion, but do not have the right to contribute to the joint recommendation of the board.

Please bring the PowerPoint presentations with you on the day of your presentation. Deregistration is possible until four days before the presentation at the latest.

After the presentation, the StudiesServiceCentre will send you the comments of the board members on your research proposal and your presentation. This may take up to three weeks.

For the registration for the public presentation at the Faculty you need

  • The form “R­egistration of the doctoral thesis topic and announcement of the supervisor/s” (SL/D11) (The form has to be signed by all supervisors. If your second or third supervisor is an external supervisor, please enclose the external supervisor’s curriculum vitae and list of publications.)
  • The form “Regulations relating to good scientific practice” (SL/W1)
  • A research proposal (max 4,000 words not including literature, font size 12 pt., font Times New Roman, line spacing 1.5)
  • A half-page abstract
  • The confirmation that you have successfully conducted the Research Ethics Pre-Screening for PhD Projects
  • A curriculum vitae based on this form
  • In the case of resubmission: one page about how the proposal has been revised, signed by the candidate and the supervisor/s
  • If required: the form “Approval of financial support of the doctoral thesis project as part of a doctoral/PhD degree programme” (SL/W4) (Please submit this form, if a department of the University of Vienna needs to provide special resources for the doctoral thesis project, such as access to labs or technical equipment.)

The documents have to be submitted via e-mail (as PDF files) to the StudiesServiceCentre within the application period. Please name your PDF files as follows: family name_first name_student ID number_expose.pdf; family name_first name_student ID number_abstract.pdf etc.

Please note: Stipulations of additional exams from a bachelor or master programme need to be passed before the public presentation at the Faculty.

Introduction Course

The Directorate of Doctoral Studies offers the introduction course From Research Proposal to Successful Public Presentation. The course is dedicated to the preparation of a research proposal and its public presentation to the Faculty.

ViDSS activities: Peer mentoring for the FÖP

The ViDSS offers a mentoring programme aimed at supporting doctoral candidates in writing their research proposals and preparing for the public presentation at the Faculty.