According to the Statutes of the University of Vienna, doctoral candidates have to pass the public presentation (FÖP) of their dissertation project within the first year of study. The research proposal (exposé) and the public presentation are the prerequisites for the approval and the conclusion of the doctoral thesis agreement.

The procedure for presenters is as follows

  • Six weeks before the FÖP, the registration documents must be submitted to vds.phanuspo@univie.ac.at (dates and list of documents see below).
  • The exposé is then reviewed by two VDS PhaNuSpo PI-Panel members and the reviews are returned to the doctoral candidates. The reviewers shall provide valuable feedback on the research projects and assess whether the projects meet scientific standards and can be successfully completed within a reasonable period of time.
  • The doctoral candidates present their project at the FÖP.
  • The FÖP is chaired by the Heads of the VDS PhaNuSpo (=doctoral study programme directors (DSPLs)) and attended by supervisors, TAC, PIs, PhD students and is open to the public. 
  • After the presentation, based on the reviews and presentation, the topic and supervisors and TAC are approved by the respective DSPL.
  • If the research plan is not approved, the doctoral student has the possibility to withdraw the application, adapt the research proposal and reapply for the FÖP.

The public presentation serves the following purposes

  • To introduce the new doctoral candidate and their research topic, supervisor(s) and TAC to a wider audience.
  • The FÖP offers all participants a platform for feedback, exchange and networking.

 Upcoming dates for the 2024/25 academic year

Tuesday 21 January 2025The registration deadline for presenters is 10 December 2024.
Online Q&A session on 12 November 2024 at 11:30
Tuesday 18 March 2025The registration deadline for presenters is 04 February 2025.
Online Q&A session - date to be announced.
Tuesday 17 June 2025The registration deadline for presenters is 06 May 2025.
Online Q&A session - date to be announced.

Registration for presenters

To register for the FÖP, the following documents must be submitted by email to vds.phanuspo@univie.ac.at.

With your exposé and your presentation you

  • demonstrate that you have carefully planned and thought through your doctoral project.
  • provide a comprehensive summary of your doctoral project to the members of the faculty.
  • allow the faculty to assess the quality and feasibility of your research project, to give valuable and constructive input and ultimately approve your doctoral thesis project.
  • If your project is part of a larger competitive, third-party funded and collaborative project, you will need to take particular attention to ensure that your individual contribution to the project leads to your doctoral qualification.

Exposé: structure and content

Please use the Expose template that is available on our intranet. The Exposé consist of:

A) Title Page

  • (Working) title of your dissertation project
  • Your name, student number and email address
  • TAC - Thesis Advisory Committee: at least a three 3 experts in your research topic, consisting of
    • Supervisor(s): minimum 1, must be a habilitated or tenured professor, one of the supervsiors must be from the University of Veinna (PhaNuSp PIpanel)
    • Advisor(s): optimal 2, can be an experienced postdoc, senior scientist or professor. They can be from the University of Vienna or external.
  • Funding: salary/fellowship/others and costs for consumables

B) Main part: maximum 10 pages (font size 11 pt, minimum line spacing 1) and consisting of

  • Introduction: Background, current stateof research, what is your specific area of research, where are you starting from.
  • Aims, main questions, significance of your research: Research questions/hypothesis, what do you want to achieve and answer with your thesis project, why is this important.
  • Research methos and workplan: What methods and experimental setups will you use to address your aims and research questions? What infrastructure and/or collaborators do you need or you have on your disposal? Which methods are already running in your lab, which will need to be established or optimised?
  • Timetable: When do you plan to do what and achieve your goals. Please provide a Gantt chart.
  • Contingency plan & risk analysis: Where do you see potential problems in following your research plan? Have you considered solutions/alternatives?
  • Funding/Financial stability to conduct PhD studies: For example, are you employed by the University of Vienna or another institution, can you work full-time or part-time on your dissertation project, description of funding such as coverage of consumables, etc.?
  • TAC Committee: Choice of your supervisor(s) and advisor(s) including their affiliation, etc.

C) Cited References

Tips

  • Visit the public presentations! This will give you a first impression of what is expected of you. It is also a great way to find out about current research projects at your doctoral school.
  • The Center for Doctoral Studies regularly offers workshops on outline and academic writing.