FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question which hasn't been answered in these FAQ's, please contact phd@gbiomed.kuleuven.be or your file administrator.

Progress report FAQ's

Q1 - Where can I find the submission deadlines for the provisional plan?

Q2 - What is the difference between a research seminar, a literature seminar and a journal club?

Q3 - Who will set a date for my research seminar?

Q4 - Who has to attend my research seminar? Where do I have to announce my seminar?

Q5 - What equipment can I use for the defense of my final plan and how much time do I have for this?

Q6 - At the end of the doctoral training I need to submit my e-portfolio. Which steps do I need to follow?

Q7 - Who are the chair and secretary for the evaluation of my thesis manuscript? What are their roles?

Q8 - When do I submit my thesis manuscript?

Q9 - Can I receive an ISBN for my doctoral thesis? Is this mandatory?

Q10 - Who will chair the public defence of my doctorate?

Q11 - How do I decide on a date for my public defence?

General FAQ's

Q1 - What do I have to do at the start of my PhD?

- Registration in the Doctoral School and enrollment in a doctoral school programme: check out the first two steps of the practical manual.

- Signature of your contract: you will be invited by the HR department.

- Within 6 months after starting: hand in your provisional doctoral plan (see practical manual, step 3)

Q2 - Who is my contact person at the Doctoral School?

The Doctoral School works with a system of personal file administrators. On our contact page you can see who your file administrator is.

Q3 - When is the administrative office of the Doctoral School open?

The Doctoral School has an open door policy between 9.00 and 12.00h. For afternoon visits you need to make an appointment. You can contact your file administrator

Q4 - Which Doctoral School programme do I choose when filling out the registration form for the Doctoral School?
Contact your promoter to discuss which doctoral school programme is most relevant for your doctoral training. Alternatively, you can also contact the programme coordinators for more information on the programme.

If there is no programme of interest, you may follow the generic track. Please note that if you affiliate with a doctoral school programme, you need to follow all programme activities.

Q5 - What title will I get after finishing my doctorate? When do I have to decide which title I want to obtain?

Since academic year 2009-2010 a new PhD degree 'Doctor of Biomedical Sciences' has been introduced. This title replaces the previous title ‘Doctor of Medical Sciences’ (for the Faculty of Medicine) and is added to the existing titles for the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and FaBeR.

Since 2009-2010, the situation is as follows:

- FaBeR: choice between 3 titles:

- Doctor of Kinesiology

- Doctor of Biomedical Sciences

- Doctor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy

- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences: choice between 2 titles:

- Doctor of Biomedical Sciences

- Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

- Faculty of Medicine: only 1 title:

- Doctor of Biomedical Sciences

All titles resort under the doctoral rules and regulations of the group Biomedical Sciences.

Practical implications:

New PhD students have to select the title of the PhD degree in consultation with their promoter at the time of initial enrolment at the university.

PhD students registered for doctoral training/doctorate Medical Sciences were automatically transferred to ' Biomedical Sciences'. No further action required.

PhD students registered for doctoral training Pharmaceutical Sciences/Kinesiology/Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy continue in the same programme. They can switch to 'Biomedical Sciences' when they register for the doctorate (i.e. after completion and approval of the doctoral training).

PhD students registered for doctorate Pharmaceutical Sciences/Kinesiology/Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy cannot switch to 'Biomedical Sciences'

Q6 - I am a predoctoral student. Which steps do I need to take during my predoctoral period?
Please consult our predoctoral manual for all necessary steps and please make sure to respect the foreseen timeline.

Q7 - Can I forward emails from my student email adress to another account?

Yes, this is possible and we advise you to do so if you don’t open your student account often. All official announcements are sent to your student account.

It is only possible to forward your student account to another account of KU Leuven.

You can find more information here.

Q8 - Did you know that there are 3 communities for you in Toledo?

PhD Biomedical Sciences: here you can find general info about the doctoral training such as the folder ‘New PhD Students’, specific info per faculty (see Faculty Medical Sciences), registration for courses, …

PhD Medicine / Faber / Pharmaceutical Sciences: this community is only used for mailings by the Doctoral School; you do not have to check this community

Community of the doctoral school programme you are affiliated with: here activities, courses, … organized by the thematic programme are listed. If you are not affiliated to a doctoral school programme, this community will not be visible.

Remark: Toledo is linked to your student e-mail account; therefore you log in to Toledo with your student number and not with your personnel number.

Q9 - Public defence and submission of manuscripts in summer time – how does it work?

You can defend during summer time if your jury members and promotors can be present.

The administrative office of the Doctoral School will be opened all summer. You can hand in your documents and manuscripts during the vacation period. Please note that the evaluation period for your jury will be 5 weeks, instead of the usual 3 weeks. This means that you should hand in your manuscript at least 12 weeks before your provisional defence date.

More information about this can be found in our manual.

Q10 - When can I register for the next academic year and should I immediately register for a PhD with a defense?
No, you can only register for a PhD with defense when you have received the permission to print your thesis. Please register yourself for your doctoral training via KU Loket. The studentadministration will send out an email to your student account in summer time to notify you that you can renew your registration.

Q11 - Who do I need to notify when I wish to discontinue my PhD?
First of all, if you have doubts about continuing your PhD, please discuss your concerns with your promoter at an early stage. Alternatively, you can contact the ombudsperson for help.

Should you still wish to stop your PhD, you will have to submit a letter to the doctoral school and the head of your department that is signed by both you and your promoter(s) and that states that the doctorate will be stopped on a specific date. Please also specify the reason. The student card has to be handed in at the student administration. Please also inform the HR department.

Q12 - Can I receive an ISBN for my doctoral thesis? Is this mandatory?

Yes, you can have an ISBN, but it is not mandatory.

If your thesis is public access, then you can opt to have an ISBN assigned for both the electronic and the printed versions. A separate ISBN is assigned to each version.

The ISBN is an internationally used standard to identify monographs unambiguously, and is assigned by the publisher. In the first instance, the number serves a number of commercial and administrative goals (ordering, stock-control, bookkeeping, rights management, etc.). But it is also an instrument for locating monographs in (library) catalogues and for referring to these publications.

In Flanders, ISBNs are distributed by the Boekenbank. Publications for which an ISBN is requested are automatically added to the title file of books published in, or imported to, Flanders. This databank is freely accessible via http://www.boekenbank.be.

The assigning of ISBNs can therefore be a choice to profile your doctorate more as a publication. It is, at the very least, a requirement for publicising and spreading your work. Electronic doctorates that are not published through a commercial publisher rarely have an ISBN.

Practicalities
If you choose to obtain an ISBN, then contact your library to learn the procedure followed by your faculty or department

The ISBNs are best mentioned in the work itself. For this, follow the guidelines of your faculty. Since the doctorates of the KU Leuven have been available in both printed and electronic versions from 2005 onward, it is important to mention to which version the ISBN applies, for example:
ISBN for the printed version: YY-YYY-YYYY-Y
ISBN for the electronic version: XX-XXX-XXXX-X

You can find more information concerning the ISBN at: http://www.isbn-international.org/

Through this link you can request an ISBN -number via 'raamcontract'.

Leuven University Press automatically allocates an ISBN number to the thesis.

Q13 - Do I need to compose an ISP for the doctoral programme?

As a PhD student you do not need to register courses in ISP. Please leave your ISP blank and send it to your ISP-responsible, Els Wellens.
There are two exceptions:

If you will be following the course 'Animal Laboratory Science Module 1' (this is a course in the training Bachelor for Biomedical Sciences, open to PhD researchers) add module E05E6A to your ISP

If you would like to follow a course of a Bachelor or a Master training and will take exam of this course. Please ask permission to your file administrator before registering for this module in your ISP.

Q14 - Re-registration at the beginning of each academic year: how does it work?

Each summer, everyone should receive an email from the student administration with instructions on how to re-register for the next academic year. This email is sent to your student account.

You have to register via KU Loket. For this you login with your student account. Further instructions on re-enrollment are mentioned on the website of the student administration.

Doctoral training FAQ's

Q1 - Which speakers qualify for the 15 seminars I have to follow for my doctoral training?

During the course of your PhD you need to attend at least 15 seminars given by guest speakers. You need to list these seminars in your e-portfolio.

These seminars need to be given by internationally renown speakers from outside KU Leuven. The seminars do not need to be organized by KU Leuven.

Although we do encourage you to attend them, seminars from fellow PhD students or professors from within KU Leuven do not count for your doctoral training. These can’t be listed in your e-portfolio.

Q2 - What is the difference between a research seminar, a literature seminar and a journal club?

Research seminar: This seminar counts as a progress report. You need to give an update on the progress of your research. Your promotors and members of the thesis advisory committee need to be present. They have to complete and sign the evaluation form. You should give this seminar during your 2^nd year.

Literature seminar: You have to choose one topic and study this topic in all literature. During your seminar you need to discuss your findings. You are expected to deliver a state-of-the-art overview of a broader research field.

If your literature seminar topic is the same as your research topic or if it is affiliated to and/or relevant for your research, it is strongly recommended to give your literature seminar during the 1^styear of your Phd.

Journal club: You are expected to critically and in depth analyze one research paper.

Since the journal club is not the same as the literaturer seminar, it can’t replace the literature seminar.

All seminars need to be announced online.

Q3 - What is a literature seminar, who has to attend it and when do I have to present it?

The Truncus communis of the Doctoral Training Programme demands the presentation of a literature study seminar. The PhD student is expected to deliver a state-of-the-art overview of a broader research field.

All research and literature seminars need to be announced in the online minimum 1 week in advance.

Q4 - Can the literature seminar be replaced by a participation in a journal club?
The literature seminar is part of the Truncus Communis and therefore an obligatory component of the doctoral training. It cannot be replaced by a participation in a journal club, since they aim for different skills. For the literature seminar, the PhD student is expected to deliver a state-of-the-art overview of a broader research field while journal clubs require the PhD student to critically and in depth analyze one research paper.

Q5 - Is the literature seminar obligatory?
Yes. As part of the Truncus Communis, the literature seminar is mandatory for all PhD students. .

Q6 - Where can I find the skills calendar and how do I register for a course?

You can find all the compulsory and optional courses in the skills calendar.

Q7 - When can I register for activities in the skills calendar?
Registration for skills development activities usually opens four to six weeks in advance fo the activity. You will be notified by e-mail when the registration opens. Please note that all mails are sent to your student account.

Q8 - Who needs to follow the mandatory skills?

Every PhD student who started his PhD from 01 October 2007 onwards has to follow the mandatory skills are:

- Notebook keeping: to follow in your 1st year

- Ethics in Science: to follow in your 2nd year

- HSE in laboratories: Health and Safety training in the lab, mandatory for everyone who works in a lab

Progress report FAQ's

Q1 - Where can I find the submission deadlines for the provisional plan?

The submission dates and meeting dates of the committees can be found in the online manual.

Q2 - What is the difference between a research seminar, a literature seminar and a journal club?

Literature seminar: You have to choose one topic and study this topic in all literature. During your research you need to discuss your findings. You are expected to deliver a state-of-the-art overview of a broader research field.

Journal club: You are expected to critically and in depth analyze one research paper.

Since the journal club is not the same as the literaturer seminar, it can’t replace the literature seminar.

All seminars need to be announced online.

Q3 - Who will set a date for my research seminar?

You are affiliated to a thematic programme: you will receive an invitation from the programme to organise your research seminar (except for Health and Technology).

You are a PhD student Biomedical Sciences, not affiliated to a thematic programme: you need to organise your research seminar yourself

You are a PhD student Faber or Pharmaceutical sciences, not affiliated to a thematic programme: you will receive an invitation of your Doctoral Committee to organise your research seminar

Who needs to be present: your promotors and your internal members of your Thesis Advisory Committee. They also need to sign the evaluation form.

More information: in the manual on our website

Q4 - Who has to attend my research seminar? Where do I have to announce my seminar?

Depending on your doctoral training programm, the following persons have to attend your research seminar:

Medical Sciences: promoter, co-promotor(s), your internal members of your Thesis Advisory Committee

Pharmaceutical Sciences: promoter, co-promotor(s), your internal members of your Thesis Advisory Committee, chair of the Doctoral Committee

Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy: promoter, co-promotor(s), your Thesis Advisory Committee, chair of the Doctoral Committee

Do not forget to announce your research seminar online and to hand in the progress report at the Doctoral School.

Q5 - What equipment can I use for the defense of my final plan and how much time do I have for this?

	Time limit	Equipment
Medical Sciences	No more than 25 minutes	Whiteboard/blackboard and marker/chalk. Projection of a presentation is not possible.
Pharmaceutical Sciences	No more than 15 minutes	Maximum 15 slides
Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy	No more than 15 minutes	Slides

Q6 - At the end of the doctoral training I need to submit my e-portfolio. Which steps do I need to follow?

First of all, the e-portfolio is best created at the start of your doctoral training, so you can easily keep track of all mandatory steps. The procedure to create and update the portfolio is explained in the manual on our website.

In the course of the 4th year (at least 3 weeks before the submission of the thesis manuscript) you should transmit the e-portfolio describing your doctoral training programme.

The E-portfolio approved by promoter and coordinator of doctoral school programme (if affiliated to a programme) should be shared with:

Chair of the Doctoral Committee who is responsible for approval of the doctoral training:

Faculty of Medicine: Geert Verleden

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Myriam Baes

Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences & Physiotherapy: Johan Lefevere

Your file administrator. Check our contact page to see who this is.

Q7 - Who are the chair and secretary for the evaluation of my thesis manuscript? What are their roles?

A member of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) is appointed to be the chair of the evaluation of the thesis manuscript. This decision is taken when the final doctoral plan is approved.

The youngest internal jury member acts as the secretary of the examining committee. The internal jury member should always be a member of the Faculty of Medicine.

The chair will collect all evaluations from all jury members. Depending on the results there are following scenarios:

Accepted without revision

The chair gives permission for printing and defence imprimatur

Accepted with minor revision

The chair gives imprimatur sub conditione. He forwards all comments to the PhD student and the secretary.

PhD student: makes necessary changes and sends them to secretary and also to the jury members who requested a revision.

Secretary: checks if changes made are sufficient. Grants imprimatur if appropriate.

Major Revision Required or

Not accepted

The internal members of the examining committee have a meeting and decide if a revised or a new version of the manuscript needs to be submitted.

The revised or new manuscript is sent out for a new evaluation to all members.

Q8 - When do I submit my thesis manuscript?

You are supposed to submit your thesis manuscript in the 4^th year:

- at least 6 months after approval of the final doctoral plan

- minimum 10 weeks before the provisional date of the public defence

Before the manuscript can be sent out, the e-portfolio needs to be approved.

Q9 - Can I receive an ISBN for my doctoral thesis? Is this mandatory?

Yes, you can have an ISBN, but it is not mandatory.

If your thesis is public access, then you can opt to have an ISBN assigned for both the electronic and the printed versions. A separate ISBN is assigned to each version.

Practicalities:
If you choose to obtain an ISBN, then contact your library to learn the procedure followed by your faculty or department

You can find more information concerning the ISBN at: http://www.isbn-international.org/

Q10 - Who will chair the public defence of my doctorate?

The chair of the public defence is always the departmental chair. Therefore, before setting a date for the public defence, you need to contact him/her to find a suitable date. In case it is not possible to find a common date, the departmental chair will appoint a substitute from within the department.

Q11 - How do I decide on a date for my public defence?

You are responsible for setting up a date/time/location for your defence yourself. You need to choose a date that is suitable for your promoters and all your jury members. You also need to invite the chair of your department, since he will be the chair of your defence. If he cannot be present at your defense, he should appoint somebody else to act as chair.

Please keep in mind that this date is provisional until you have received permission for defence (imprimatur).

Many PhD students find it easy to use a ‘doodle’ to set a date.

More information can be found in our manual on the website.

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