While Health prioritises the coveted research year, financial conditions form the basis for expectations that 100 medicine and odontology students will be admitted in 2017, compared to 120 this year. Application is open from 15 September.
2016.09.15 |
Opportunities for students at medicine and odontology to enrol on a research year at Aarhus University, Health, will be slightly reduced next year. In the first round of applications, which opens today on 15 September, it will be possible to admit a total of 50 students. Expectations are for a similar number of places to be available in the spring.
This is the conclusion of work carried out by a committee headed by Vice-dean for Talent Development at Health, Lise Wogensen Bach, which has looked into the framework for admission to the research year 2017, including whether the number of students and the criteria for admission should be adjusted.
"There is no doubt that in-depth study of a specific area over a longer period of time improves your academic skills and knowledge. For this reason, the research year has many good aspects, as was shown by a report from CESU last year. Neither is there any doubt that the research year can be seen as an opportunity for securing the young research talents of the future," says Lise Wogensen Bach.
"However, calculations that take into account worst-case scenarios show that it could end up being very costly if we admit 120 research year students. Based on an overall evaluation we have therefore decided to reduce the number for this round."
The calculations which form the basis for the estimate include e.g. the size of expected student FTE funding, completion bonuses and study progress reform fines, and the ongoing misalignment of the distribution of the total funds from the pool between these items.
The calculations operate with a high degree of uncertainty, among other things because the final amount is also dependent on the students' progress through the degree programmes at the other universities in Denmark.
While students will continue to be able to take a 12 month leave of absence for a research year at AU, Health, both the University of Southern Denmark and Aalborg University operate with a six-month flexible research leave and the possibility of a six month leave of absence, while the University of Copenhagen offers a six-month research leave without the possibility of a leave of absence. At AU, Health, it is also possible to make do with a leave of absence of six months during a research year, but the volume of the complete report must correspond to one year's work.
"But even though it is a difficult task to put a price on a research year, we as a faculty must ask ourselves, how many research year students we dare to enrol – and not how many we would like to enrol," says Lise Wogensen Bach.
Applications must meet specific criteria for both the project and the applicants themselves, as well as for the research environment that provides the framework for the project. The criteria are the same as previously. However, there are a few clarifications:
Find the application form and further information on the website for the PhD Graduate School.
Vice-dean Lise Wogensen
Aarhus University, Health
Tel.: (+45) 8715 2012
lwb@au.dk
PhD Administrator Katrine Lehmann
Aarhus University, HE Administrative Centre, HE PhD Administration
Tel.: (+45) 8715 3717
katl@au.dk