Research

We place a strong emphasis on informal training through international and interdisciplinary research.

A central element is that our PhD topics are designed to form thematic clusters. This allows you to form mini-research teams in which you closely interact with other PhD students at an equal level. Thus, you receive not only guidance and support from the professors, but also experience the mutual support that students working together on one issue can provide. A very important feature is that thematic clusters spread over both locations so that this support network is continuously available also during the research stays at the respective other location. We also took great care to ensure the interdisciplinary nature of these clusters. This allows for an informal and easy flow of knowledge among the PhD students.

The PhD topics are designed to make optimum use of the complementary expertise available at the two locations, either in terms of the required technical or scientific expertise. This bilateral project design allows for a natural integration of one or more research visits to the partner institution to exploit the complementary knowledge. All PhD students participating in this IRTG will usually spend at least 6 months at the other location.

Through these measures, you will benefit in an individually tailored way from the plethora of expertise available at the IRTG.

Supervision

In accordance with the formation of thematic clusters, it is important to us that each PhD student will not be guided not by a single supervisor, but by an advisory committee that consists of a first supervisor and two co-supervisors, at least one of which must be from a partner institution. This structure of the advisory committee ensures that there is a clearly identified responsible supervisor at each location, be it for in-depth mentoring during a long stay in the framework of a joint PhD or for consultation and coordination during the shorter stay of single-degree students.
Furthermore, you are able to draw on different expertise for your project, and you will be more independent in your research.

The advisory committee will also counsel on the Career Development Plan that you will draft together with the first supervisor within the first year of the PhD and update once a year. This plan will help to choose suitable additional training modules and courses as well as beneficial research visits or internships.

The entire advisory committee meets regularly, at least twice per year, discusses with you your research progress and gives advice regarding project-related issues, formal training and the Career Development Plan. These meetings will occur partially in personal meetings, e.g., during the annual network symposium, and partially online. They complement the regular, typically monthly, hybrid meetings of the thematic cluster and the weekly local research group meetings. Together with the regular first supervisor meetings, this will ensure that you receive continuous feedback on your progress. MON and UoM also have formal annual progress reviews (“milestones”) built into their PhD programs where students present their research to a panel of academics for assessment and feedback, which will apply to all joint PhD students.

The formal elements of the IRTG’s qualification programme such as professorial supervision, lectures and seminars are embedded in the Bayreuth Graduate School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (BayNAT). BayNAT is an administrative structure at Bayreuth that spans several faculties of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

Training

Considering the diverse interdisciplinary and international backgrounds of our students we do not require that a rigorous curriculum be adhered to. Instead, we adopt a modular approach. You are encouraged to choose from a set list of options in consultation with your advisory committee. Essential options are mandatory, to ensure a common basis and also to assist cohort forming among the PhD students. We strongly feel that the formal training strand should support you in the progress of your PhD, rather than being an additional burden that could slow down your progress. With this in mind, we have designed a program that naturally includes essential elements of a successful PhD, such as writing publications or presenting at conferences, in addition to specialized courses that can be flexibly tailored to your individual needs. This should enable you to obtain your degree within 3.5 years.

Strand A “Research skills” comprises an annual network symposium “Excitons in Nanostructured Systems (ENS)”, to be held alternately in Bayreuth and Melbourne.

A further element of strand A is the biannual hybrid meeting. It consists of a 2-day local hybrid workshop that is held each year around September in the form of parallel in-person workshops in Bayreuth and Melbourne, with a joint virtual session. PhD students will present about 15 min progress updates on their research, with PIs presenting on thematic cluster progress for discussion in the virtual session.

Strand A is completed by the mandatory research stay at the partner location that is well prepared by the design of the PhD topics. All students will usually spend at least six months at the partner location, with 3 months being the formal minimum that precludes a PhD. When pursuing a joint PhD, spending at least 12 months at the other place is required.

Strand B “Professional skills” includes in-depth tutorials on specialized topics that you can choose to complement their scientific profile. These will be held in a hybrid fashion to benefit from the strength of both locations. You are encouraged to benefit from the regular, complementary teaching opportunities available at the host institution as Master’s courses during your stay abroad. You will be advised regarding your choices for possible attendance by your advisory committee. Finally, the dissemination of your research in papers and conference presentations also belongs to this strand.

Strand C “Self-development” encompasses activities that will assist you in your career. You are free in your choice and are encouraged to discuss with your advisory team which choices are most appropriate for your development. You can draw from the established courses in Melbourne (e.g., Writing for a non-scientific audience, Exploring non-academic career pathways, Poster design and presentation, Effective presentation skills, Time management) and Bayreuth (e.g., Mentally strong during the PhD, Building an international career, Introduction to science communication, Never speechless again, Leadership for young scientists). In addition, we will also offer relevant courses presented by the PIs of the IRTG and by external trainers (e.g., Research project management, science communication).

The training strand is designed to comply with both the regulations of the BayNAT and the requirements laid down in the joint PhD agreements between UBT, UoM, and MON.