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Teaching
The course is exclusively by research. The project and supervisor are determined during the application process. The student can expect to receive one-on-one supervision at least twice per month.
The Predoc Course (also known as the Core Course) introduces you to the state of the art in molecular biology and provides an overview of current research at EMBL. The course is compulsory and lasts for c. three months. The logistics are organised by EMBL Heidelberg.
All students in this programme will be members of the University’s Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS) who offer a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. Visit the Researcher Development page on the PSLS website for more information.
| One to one supervision | Students are supervised by their PI and postdoctoral scientists within the group on a daily or weekly basis. The regularity with which postgraduate students meet with their Supervisor varies throughout the year but meetings are likely to be more frequent to start with, during the planning stages, and during the writing-up phase. All students should have the opportunity to seek formal feedback from their Supervisor, and Supervisors should have the opportunity to give such feedback. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Seminars & classes | Student Seminar Day: The annual Student Seminar Day features short talks by all second- and fourth-year PhD students at EMBL-EBI. Participation in this is compulsory. |
| Lectures | Seminars: EMBl-EBI benefits from several weekly seminar series held on campus. External speakers are often invited to speak on current topics spanning the life sciences. |
| Small group teaching | The training programme at EMBL-EBI organises bioinformatics training courses that serve life scientists at all career stages. In addition, each of EMBL-EBI’s major resources organises training workshops that help users make the most of our many databases and tools. As a PhD student here, you are welcome to register for these courses. Some students also get involved in teaching in their own areas of expertise. |
| Journal clubs | Each research group at EBI arranges its own group meetings, journal clubs etc. In addition, there are numerous campus-wide groups meeting regularly. |
| Literature Reviews | Each research group at EBI arranges its own group meetings, journal clubs etc. In addition, there are numerous campus-wide groups meeting regularly. |
| Posters and Presentations | PhD Symposium: Held in the autumn and organised by predocs, this Heidelberg symposium invites young researchers from several institutes to a series of talks, poster sessions and panel discussions led by top-level researchers. An excellent networking opportunity. Predoc retreat: Organised by predocs for predocs, the retreat serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and experiences. |
Feedback
Students have regular individual and group meetings with supervisors, thesis committee members and the PhD programme coordinator, at which their opinions are actively solicited. They are free to volunteer further information at any time. Their views are considered and passed on to relevant staff for action as appropriate.
Students will receive feedback and advice from the supervisor about performance and research direction throughout the course and can also expect to receive termly formal feedback reports via the online feedback and reporting system.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The PhD thesis assessment is in accordance with University rules. Candidates should write as concisely as possible, with clear and adequate exposition, and within the Degree Committee's prescribed word limit.
Current word limit
The thesis should not exceed 60,000 words (80,000 by special permission) exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography and appendices.
Viva
- The oral examination will ordinarily take place in Cambridge
- It is carried out between yourself and the two examiners
- There is no set duration, but expect it to last between 90 minutes and three hours.
Other
All PhD students must successfully undertake a First Year Registration Assessment, involving submission of a report which is assessed by two examiners in an oral examination, before they can be formally registered for the PhD and permitted to continue to the second year.