Credit Point System
The PhD education program is an important part of the CRC 1261. The credit point system creates a guideline for the doctoral candidates and their supervisors. In order to provide the IRTG members with a broad range of skills and experience beyond their own projects, the activities that are rewarded with IRTG points come from three categories: CRC-related measures, technical measures and cross-disciplinary measures. While some of the activities (such as participation in CRC retreats and courses like "Good Scientific Practice") are mandatory, others leave the students a wide range of options to choose from, e. g. the participation in lectures and competence workshops. IRTG points are assigned based on time; a one day activity is rewarded with one IRTG point. The doctoral candidates are expected to put approximately 10 % of their working time into IRTG activities, which leads to a required amount of 66 achieved IRTG points over a period of three years.
CRC-related Measures
The CRC-related measures include participation in CRC events like retreats, summer schools and Students-only workshops, and writing the biyearly Research and Qualification Plans. During the booster phase (first 6 months of their PhD project), the new IRTG members receive an introduction into the CRC, sign the supervision agreement and find a second supervisor.
| Description | Points | Points in 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Booster Phase: Introduction to relevant researchers in the CRC | - | mandatory |
| Booster Phase: Regular meetings with the first advisor, find a second advisor | - | mandatory |
| Booster Phase: Supervision agreement | - | mandatory |
| Research and qualification plan | 1 per semester | 5 |
| CRC retreat (two days long) | 2 per retreat | 12 |
| Students only workshop (biweekly, ~ 1.5 hours) | 2 per semester | 12 |
| Summer school (once a year) | 1 per day | 6 - 9 |
Technical Measures
Technical measures are activities related to the PhD students' research fields, such as software courses, lab visits and presenting their research results at international conferences.
| Description | Points | Points in 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Booster Phase: 10 must-read scientific publications on topics of the CRC | 7 | 7 |
| Booster Phase: Technical skill workshops | 2.5 | |
| Booster Phase: Lab visits | - | mandatory |
| Conference (major international, 2 days) | 1 per day, max. 2 | 2 |
| External research stay | - | mandatory |
| Lectures | according to SWS (Modulhandbuch), extra points for exam/essay | 6 - 10 |
| Competence workshops | 1 per day (0.5 per half day) | 3 |
| Invited colloquium (total of 12) | 0.25 | 3 |
Cross-disciplinary Measures
The category of cross-disciplinary measures includes activities such as soft-skill workshops and participation in outreach activities.
| Description | Points | Points in 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Booster Phase: Seminar "The Startup Phase of the Doctorate (Graduate Center)" | 1 | 1 |
| Booster Phase: Seminar "Good Scientific Practice - based on the DFG recommendations" (Graduate Center) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Booster Phase: Seminar "Data Management" (Graduate Center) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Booster Phase: Seminar "Academic Writing" (Graduate Center) | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Competence Workshops | 1 per day (0.5 per half day) | 3 |
| Outreach Activities | 1 per day | 12 |
| Extra activity IRTG student board | 10 per year | 12 |
| Extra activity Summer School Organization | 4 per summer school | 4 |
| Extra activity Booster Tutoring | 4 per student | 4 |
| Extra activity Lab Visit Supervision | 1 per visit | 2 |
