From the turn of the year, the departments at Health will have increased funds available for PhD degree programmes as a consequence of a slight adjustment to the model for PhD fellowships.

2015.09.23 | Kirsten Olesen

"With this revision, we make the model more transparent and simple", says Head of Graduate School of Health, Vice-Dean, Lise Wogensen Bach. Photo: Jesper Rais, AU

The new fellowship model from December 2014 is being adjusted slightly, based on the experiences of the departments with the new structure for the awarding of PhD fellowships at Health. Among other things, 1/3 fellowships will be discontinued in favour of a grant of DKK 550,000 over three years – regardless of whether the applicant has full or partial external funding. As a new initiative, the funding will also be earmarked the PhD degree programme rather than the individual student.

"With this revision, we make the model more transparent and simple. You can use the funding for salary or to cover other costs associated with a PhD programme, if the entire salary is financed by other means. So we provide the possibility for the departments to build up a buffer for local costs such as maternity/paternity leave," says Head of Graduate School of Health, Vice-Dean, Lise Wogensen Bach, who has headed the revision work together with Division Manager at Health, Lise Terkildsen.

She adds that the revised model can be seen as an attempt to channel more funds to the departments as an incentive to increase the level of external funding.

Need to ensure the best utilisation of joint funds

Together, the new adjustments must ensure that grant funding supports the best research talents within Health's research areas. The key features of the model include:

• 30 full fellowships (of 3 x DKK 433,000) are still offered for targeted strategic objectives. The funds are transferred to the department of employment, and the award of a PhD fellowship thereby presupposes employment at AU.
• Previously, 130 1/3 fellowships per year (of DKK 433,000) were offered. The number is maintained, but is now altered to a grant to the PhD degree programme totalling DKK 550,000 distributed over three years.
• The grant is awarded to the best-qualified applicants independently of whether complete or partial external financing is obtained.
• A tuition fee must be paid to the graduate school for three years (and not two years as previously) for the 130 PhD students who receive grants.
• The grant is given to the department in which the PhD student is enrolled and not, as previously, to the place of employment. The grant is earmarked for the PhD degree programme, but not the individual student.
• The expectation is that 170 PhD students per year will be enrolled and that of these, ten will not receive funding from the faculty.

Fellowships and grants will be distributed to the most qualified candidates by the Award Committee, regardless of whether funding is already in place. It will also still be possible for a small number of PhD students to be enrolled, even if grants cannot be attained.

The revised model will enter into force on 1 January 2016.

• See the previous model 

Further information:

Head of Graduate School, Vice-Dean Lise Wogensen Bach
Aarhus University, Health
Tel.: +45 8715 2012
Mobile: +45 2548 8522
Email: lwb@au.dk

Division Manager Lise Terkildsen
Aarhus University, Health
Tel.: +45 8716 8387
Email: lte@au.dk

lte@au.dk