The faculty’s new PhD scholarship model, which comes into force at the turn of the year, will not only give the departments increased basic funds but also greater responsibility for ensuring the appointment and (co-)financing of PhD programmes that demonstrate targeted support for departmental research and recruitment strategies.

2019.12.11 | Sabina Bjerre Hansen

In 2020, a new model for PhD-scholarships will take effect. Photo: Lars Kruse.

The faculty management team is now in the final phase of transferring the PhD scholarship funding to the departments. This means more basic funds for the departments, but also an obligation in the form of target figures for PhD enrolments.

At the same time, the Graduate School will in future offer twenty full-funded ‘elite faculty scholarships’ in two annual rounds supplemented by on-going enrolment. These will be offered via two annual calls for applications – next time in February-March 2020.

"Over the past few years, we’ve been working to transfer more funding to the departments so we can support a strategic (co-)financing of the PhD students close to their research environments. And the latest fall in enrolments has helped reinforce the need to ensure that all of the faculty's PhD scholarship funds actually end up supporting the training of the early career researchers of the future," says Head of Graduate School Helene Nørrelund.

Falling enrolment and surplus scholarship funds
The decrease in the number of enrolments and a surplus of scholarship funds due to non-activated funding were precisely the factors which led the faculty to take the next step in the transfer of funds to the departments. 

The goal of the new model is to increase the number of enrolled PhD students, and to give the department heads the opportunity to use the funds more strategically – for example by allowing funding for PhD students to be included in the start-up packages for newly appointed researchers.

"We hope that with the redistribution element in the new scholarship model, we’ll be able to help the departments resolve the task they face when it comes to the recruitment and external financing of the PhD degree programme. The department head will now be responsible for ensuring that the local PhD recruitment contributes to putting the department’s strategy into practice,” says Helene Nørrelund.

She is heading the implementation together with Damian A. Hertoft Goldberg, who is Division Manager at the PhD programme at Health.

The new model addresses some of the issues

Department Head Ole Bækgaard sees an advantage in the way in which the new scholarship model – to some extent – gives the departments the opportunity to include strategic considerations in the awarding of PhD funds.

"On the other hand, it frustrates me that the model doesn’t alter the recurring issue of research groups – in connection with co-financing of PhD projects via the allocation of partial funding from the PhD funds – often being unable to find the remaining funds from external foundations within the current fiscal year," says Ole Bækgaard Nielsen before elaborating.

"Our funding can only be transferred to a new financial year to a limited extent, so we can again be left with unused PhD funds at the end of the financial year, just as is the case with the PhD programme under the existing model. We still need to find a solution to this," he says.

Graduate school responsible for the academic level
While the departments get increased influence and responsibility, the Graduate School still has an obligation to safeguard the academic level and educational activities. The Graduate School is also responsible for the administrative implementation of the new scholarship model.

"Replacing a scholarship model isn’t straightforward. In addition to the agreement on governing principles and financial impact calculations, there are guidelines and administrative processes that must be put in place. We must also contribute to ensuring that everyone in the organisation feels well-prepared for the new model. And we need to gradually phase out the funding at the departments, not least because we’ve already offered PhD scholarships for the coming period," says Helene Nørrelund.

However, potential applicants will not notice many changes for the next round in February-March 2020. The head of graduate school underlines that potential applicants should prepare and apply as planned. If they have a funding requirement – and do not secure a fully funded scholarship – they can subsequently be considered for funding from the relevant department.

The precise funding which the five departments will receive in regard to the target figures they must meet has not yet been finalised. But the departments will be notified as soon as possible.

Key points of the new scholarship model: 

• The departments receive increased basic funds. The size of the increased basic funds is negotiated by the dean and the department head.
• The increased basic funds obligate the department to (co-)finance the PhD degree programmes.
• In collaboration with the scholarship committee, the Graduate School carries out
• an assessment of the suitability of the project as a PhD project and of the candidate's qualifications.
• The faculty awards twenty annual fully funded scholarships. They are awarded to particularly talented applicants and/or applicants with projects of particular high quality.
• Opportunity for on-going enrolment with full external financing.

 Ambitions of the new scholarship model:

• To support the research and recruitment strategies at departmental level.
• To ensure assessment of all applicants for enrolment on an equal footing regardless of financing.
• To maintain the goal of having 25 per cent international PhD students.
• To ensure high quality PhD applicants and projects.
• To increase the incentive to apply for external funding.
• To give the Graduate School and the departments a shared responsibility for the PhD degree programme.
• To optimise the utilisation and budgetary security of the scholarship funds.

Contact

Head of Graduate School Helene Nørrelund
Aarhus University, Health
Mobile: (+45) 9350 8486
Email: hwn@clin.au.dk