Managing your PhD (project management)

The goal of the course is to offer you support for the management of your PhD trajectory. How you manage your PhD in a professional, efficient way is a vital aspect of your training as a PhD student.

- Employed PhD students (including all (D)MD/PhD students)
- Scholarship PhD students (excluding sandwich PhD students).

If the course is mandatory for you, you will be invited by the GSMS in your first PhD year.

All eligible PhD students are invited to register for the upcoming course (GSMS does this on a structural basis since 2023). In exceptional cases, an exclusion from participation in MyPhD can be requested maximal three weeks after the invitation has been sent, and needs to include details regarding project management experience. The reasons should be justified by a formal letter signed by the primary promoter. The request needs to be sent by email with all promoters in CC, to the coordinators (m.g.rots@umcg.nl and m.j.schroevers@umcg.nl).

(1)  Introduction

• Create awareness of non-scientific parts of a PhD project
• Take ownership of your project.
• Reflect on leadership styles
• Indicate available support at the GSMS/RUG

(2)  Five coach guided Peer-to-Peer support sessions including assignments

• Session 1 (start): Forcefield - How to influence your research environment
• Session 2 (3 months): Project planning and management
• Session 3 (9 months): Ownership of the PhD project
• Session 4 (15 months): Writing papers and the thesis
• Session 5 (21 months): Future steps after the PhD

(3)  Project management-related workshops

• Participate in total four workshops (two each year) by your own choosing
• Workshops are organized every year in the period May-June
• Workshops will provide in-depth knowledge and practical tools related to professional and personal development.  

(4) One-to-one meeting with your coach(es) when needed

The course has a fixed schedule, with two starting moments.

• Those in Group 1 start MyPhD with the introduction and 1st coach session in autumn (Sep/Oct), > 3 months after starting your PhD.
• Those in Group 2 start MyPhD with the introduction and 1st coach session in early spring (Feb/Mar), > 3 months after starting your PhD.

Hereafter, both groups have coach sessions 2 t/m 5 and two yearly workshops rounds in May-June.

• Attended the introduction and all five coach guided Peer-to-Peer Support sessions
• Handed in complete portfolio including all assignments two weeks before last coach meeting
• Attended at least 4 workshops

Find here the absence protocol. 

THIS COURSE IS ONLY OPEN FOR GSMS PHD STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO REGISTER