Guidelines for additional duties of doctoral research fellows, extensions etc.

Adopted by the Research Committee on 10 May 2005, with amendments from 10 June 2005 and approved by the Programme Committee for Research Training on 28 August 2007.

  1. As a main rule, doctoral research fellows will be employed for a period of four years, with 25% teaching requirement and 75% research requirement. The research requirement shall be devoted to the work on the PhD thesis. Experience indicates that the research time must be spent effectively in order to complete the work on the thesis within the nominal period of time.
  2. Doctoral research fellows enjoy great freedom in their working situation. However, this freedom carries a great responsibility. The objective of the PhD position is to educate skilled researchers. The Faculty expects that high priority is given to the PhD programme and completion of the doctoral thesis. To some extent, the doctoral research fellows may assume additional duties of a reasonable scope. The doctoral research fellow is responsible for ensuring that such duties are not pursued at the cost of the progress or quality of the work on the thesis. The Faculty presumes that work on the thesis will be the doctoral research fellow’s main occupation, and that other duties will be of a limited scope.
  3. The need for concentration on the thesis indicates that doctoral research fellows should be restrictive in accepting additional duties, elected offices, administrative tasks etc., in the Faculty as well as externally. For the same reason, the Faculty and the departments should show restraint in burdening the doctoral research fellows with tasks beyond the framework of their required duties. Pursuant to UiO’s guidelines for appointment to PhD positions (Administrative Handbook, Section 7.3.14.4), required duties in excess of the research work should be relevant for the PhD training to the greatest extent possible. Administrative duties should be restricted to a minimum and should normally not account for more than ten per cent of total working hours on an annual basis.
  4. A doctoral research fellow whose employment period has been extended in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of UiO’s guidelines regarding such extension (Administrative Handbook 7.3.14.6, cf. item 4 below) cannot accept additional work, duties or elected offices during the period of extension.
  5. Work, duties or elected offices outside the institution shall comply with UiO’s Secondary Employment Regulations (Administrative Handbook 7.6.1).
  6. The Faculty places major emphasis on completion of PhD theses within the nominal length of study to ensure appropriate use of the PhD grants and high throughput in the Faculty’s PhD programme. An extension of the employment period for a doctoral research fellow will entail an equivalent delay in the employment of further PhD candidates, and should thus be avoided to the greatest possible extent. However, the Faculty undertakes no comprehensive, continuous control of the progress of study. This primarily remains the PhD candidates’ own responsibility.
  7. As regards extensions, in its meeting on 19 May 2004 the Programme Committee decided to pursue a restrictive practice: UiO’s guidelines define the boundaries for extensions of the employment period as a doctoral research fellow (see the guidelines for appointment, Administrative Handbook 7.3.14.4, item 7, and guidelines for extensions, the Administrative Handbook, Section 7.3.14.6). As a main rule, extensions will not be granted, with the exception of cases authorized by Section 1 in the guidelines for extension. If especially compelling reasons can be given, and the doctoral research fellow has not contributed to the delay (e.g. by having accepted work, duties or elected offices in excess of the required duties, cf. item 3 above), an extension may be granted in accordance with Section 2 of the guidelines for extensions.
  8. If an extension is financed by external funds, the matter may be decided within the framework stipulated by Section 2 of UiO’s guidelines for extensions of appointments. It is a precondition that the doctoral research fellow cannot be blamed for the delay, and that a work plan and a confirmation from the supervisor be submitted showing that the work will most probably be completed within the framework of the extension period, cf. Section 7 of the Guidelines for appointments.
  9. Doctoral research fellows who complete the programme within the nominal or approximately nominal time will receive an offer of a teaching and completion grant. Such an offer will be made if the thesis has been submitted for adjudication no later than one month after the expiry of the initially stipulated PhD period. If the doctoral research fellow has been granted an extension in accordance with Section 1 of UiO’s guidelines for extension or if the duration of employment has been extended to compensate for unpaid leaves of absence during the employment period (though not in excess of a total of 12 months), the limit is extended accordingly. The same applies if the doctoral research fellow has worked reduced hours pursuant to Section 46 A no. 1 [EH1] of the Working Environment Act because of care for children or other dependants.

 

Published Oct. 13, 2015 1:40 PM - Last modified Nov. 3, 2015 9:25 AM