An increased number of applicants leading to an increased number of rejections in the current round of applications to the popular research year at Aarhus University, Health. This is partly due to a very large number of applications and partly to the financial situation in the coming years. Applicants and supervisors will receive notification at the end of January.

2015.12.04 | Kirsten Olesen

Health is now compelled to return to a more normal level with 60 enrolments in the current, biannual round of applications. Photo: Lars Kruse, AU.

After a number of years where the number of health science students enrolled as research year students at Aarhus University has steadily increased to approx. 150 in 2015, Health is now compelled to return to a more normal level with 60 enrolments in the current, biannual round of applications.

The level of interest in the programme, which is open to students at Odontology and Medicine, has increased strongly since 2010 in the case of medical students: Today, up to one third of a year group enrol in the research year programme. At the latest biannual application deadline on 15 November there were 83 applications. This corresponds to around 160 on an annual basis, which is the highest yet. The faculty management team has therefore decided to provisionally stop enrolment once the 60 best-qualified applicants have been found.
An alternative option for enrolment independent of the round of applications via ‘fast track’ in cases where applicants have found full external financing will also be suspended from today's date and until further notice.

"I am well aware that the decision will have consequences for some applicants and for some research units, who will miss out on a recruitment opportunity that they had calculated with. But when viewed in an overall perspective, we have now reached a level of enrolment that is no longer sustainable if the research year is to be an option for those students who are especially interested in research and if the administrative support, including offers of participation in PhD courses, can be expected to be able to cope," says Vice-dean and Head of Graduate School Lise Wogensen Bach, Health.

The economic situation is a factor

In addition, there are the economic consequences of the huge success of the research year. Due to the fact that students take a leave of absence from their studies while they try their hand at research, Aarhus University misses out on a completion bonus, and because of the study progress reform, the university further risks receiving a study progress fine. In addition, funding will in future be transferred from student full time equivalents (FTEs) to completion bonuses, which means reduced FTE funding for the university:

"Of course we’re sorry that we are saying no to more applicants than normal. But we have to limit the number now and help to ensure that the faculty's revenues and expenses will be better balanced in the coming years," says Lise Wogensen Bach.

The question of what will happen with the round of applications in the spring is awaiting a decision by a committee under Health's faculty management team. The committee must decide on the future level for admissions of research year students and is expected to have a recommendation ready in the spring.

Normal procedure for assessments

The decision to stem the many applications follows in the wake of a new report from the Centre for Health Sciences Education (CESU) at Aarhus University. This shows that research year students acquire good and relevant academic, personal and communicative competences, and that the research year works well as a springboard to a PhD degree programme.

"So it looks as if the research year is a success for both students and the research environment. But in the interplay with the financial framework, its own success comes back to bite it to such a degree that we have to limit the influx and return to a level slightly below the 2014 level, where we enrolled 127 in total," says Lise Wogensen Bach.

The applications will be processed as normal by a selection committee and the applicants will be notified by email according to the normal procedure at the end of January.

Facts:

• The research year consists of 12 months' full-time research under the supervision of one of the departments at Health. Students must apply for a minimum of six months leave of absence from their degree programme during the research year.
• AU loses completion bonuses if the Master’s degree programme is interrupted while students take their research year, because they must complete their studies within the prescribed time plus three months to trigger a completion bonus to AU.
• As part of the study progress reform, AU must improve the completion time for its degree programmes. If this does not happen, AU will be subject to a study progress fine.
• The criteria for the assessment of applicant and project are described on the PhD programme website.

Further information:

Vice-dean, Head of Graduate School Lise Wogensen Bach
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

katl@au.dk