Research plan and personal training plan

What is the research plan and the personal training plan?

During the first year of the doctoral programme, you must prepare a detailed research plan and a personal training plan, with the guidance of your supervisor.

Each doctoral programme will establish recommendations on the content and criteria of the plan, depending on the discipline. These recommendations must be made public.

In any case, the research plan must include, at least, the following data:

  • Provisional thesis title
  • The hypothesis and objectives of the research project
  • The theoretical framework
  • The methodology
  • The resources
  • The expected results
  • The relevant bibliography
  • A work plan and approximate schedule
  • A data management plan
  • Ethical considerations in research
The personal training plan consists of the training activities that the doctoral candidate intends to carry out during the period of development of the doctoral thesis
 

When do I submit the research plan?

Usually by the end of June, although specific deadlines vary according to the programme.

The plan must be submitted to the Academic Committee. The request must be submitted through the Doctoral School application (as of the academic year 2020-2021) and must be accompanied by the documents established by the Academic Committee of each programme.

The doctoral student must submit a research plan during the academic year in which he or she is formally admitted into the programme (enrolment in academic supervision) as a requirement to remain in the programme.
 

Does my research plan have to pass through the UB Bioethics Commitee?

If the Bioethics Committee does not issue an opinion on the research project, as soon as the academic committee of the doctoral programme approves the research plan, and in any case before submitting the first follow-up report, the doctoral candidate must submit the doctoral thesis project to the Bioethics Committee for the corresponding opinion if this has been established by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.