This page has information on the management of the Graduate School of Natural Sciences (GSNS). The management has overall responsibility for the graduate school and the education of PhD students within the school’s research fields.
The organisation of the Graduate school committees is listed below, along with information on among other things election/appointment procedures, committee responsibilities and committee members.
The GSNS Head of graduate school is the overall responsible for the organisation of PhD studies at GSNS within the legal framework laid down by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Ministerial Order no. 1039 of 27 august 2013) and the GSNS Rules and Regulations.
The Head of graduate school consults with the PhD committee and the Programme Chairs on the GSNS PhD education.
Head of school responsibilities:
GSNS is administered by the PhD Administration at Health, Natural Sciences and Technical Sciences, which is an integrated part of Administrative Centre Health.
The PhD Administration is responsible for administration of PhD programmes at GSNS and provides services related to among other things:
PhD Partners:
Each programme has its own PhD Partner, who is contact person in the administration for both PhD students and supervisors. Please don’t hesitate to contact your PhD partner, if you have any questions or experience any problems in connection with the PhD studies. You will find your PhD partner's contact information on your PhD programme page or on the contact page.
Appointment procedures of admission committee members:
The GSNS admissions committee consists of the Head of graduate school and eight top researchers. All researchers are appointed by the Dean (after consultations between the Head of graduate school and the relevant departments/centres) and have a broad knowledge of natural sciences. As a rule, members are appointed for a 4-year period and can be re-appointed.
Admission committee responsibilities:
After each GSNS application round – and based on input from the programme committees (see further below) – the admissions committee prepares a list of applicants recommended for admission to the GSNS PhD studies and for those receiving partial funding by the GSNS. This list is forwarded to the Dean for approval with respect to the amount of funding from the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
Current members:
The GSNS PhD committee is subject to the Rules of procedure for the PhD committee at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
Rules of procedure:
Rules of procedure for the PhD committee (English version)
Rules of procedure for the PhD committee (Danish version)
Agendas and minutes:
Agendas and minutes from PhD committee meetings can be found here
PhD student description of the GSNS PhD committee work
Members:
In 2022:
Three members of the GSNS PhD committee are elected from among the permanent academic staff, and three members are elected from among the PhD students. Furthermore, the three PhD student substitutes also participate in the meetings (with no voting rights) to ensure PhD student representation from as many programmes as possible. If there is no elected member for an area of representation, an observer (with no voting rights) will be sought appointed.
In 2023:
To increase involvement, in particular among the PhD students who are up for election in November 2022, it has been decided to change the structure as of 2023. Thus, three members of the GSNS PhD committee have been elected from among the permanent academic staff, and eight members will be elected from among the PhD students. If there is no elected member for an area of representation, an observer (with no voting rights) will be sought appointed.
Election procedures:
Election for the PhD committee is part of the general university elections, which takes place each year. The period for registering candidates is usually in October, and the period for election is usually in November. Precise dates are announced in the autumn well in advance – along with a website launched and dedicated to outlining the time schedule and explaining nomination and election procedures. Staff members are elected for a period of three years at a time, and PhD student members are elected for one year at a time.
Areas of representation:
2022:
The GSNS programmes are organised into three areas of representation, each area representing two or three programmes. Both staff and PhD student members are elected within these areas and represent the entire area of representation. One way of increasing representation from as many programmes as possible would be if the elected member comes from one programme and the substitute comes from another programme within the area of representation.
Current areas of representation:
2023:
To increase involvement, in particular among the PhD students who are up for election in November 2022, it has been decided to change the areas of representation for PhD students as of 2023.
The new areas of representation for PhD students correspond to each PhD programme and are as follows:
The members of the GSNS PhD committee from among the permanent academic staff are up for election in November 2023, and the areas of representation will then be adjusted to mirror those of the PhD student members’ areas of representation.
PhD committee responsibilities:
Current members of/observers in the PhD Committee are:
Appointment procedures of programme committee members:
Each programme has a programme committee composed of members of the permanent academic staff and PhD students. The number of members of the permanent academic staff is determined by the number of enrolled PhD students at the individual programmes. Academic staff members of the programme committees and their chairs are appointed by the Head of graduate school after consultations with the relevant departments/centres. As a rule, the Chairs of the programme committees are appointed for a 4-year period and can be re-appointed. The academic staff members are appointed for a 3-year period and can be re-appointed. The PhD student members are appointed at programme level.
Programme committee responsibilities:
They discuss matters related to PhD studies at departmental level and forward their recommendations to the Head of graduate school. The PhD student members are excluded from participating in any items on the agenda that pertain to personal issues, such as the evaluation of incoming applications.
Further responsibilities of the academic staff members of the programme committees:
They evaluate incoming applications and submit their recommendations to GSNS and the admissions committee. Their evaluation involves a thorough assessment of each applicant’s qualifications, in accordance with the criteria listed in paragraph 3.4 of the GSNS Rules and Regulations and of the recommendations provided by the GSNS.
Furthermore, they take part in qualifying examinations and thesis evaluations as described in the GSNS Rules and Regulations.
Chairs of the programme committees:
The Chairs meet regularly (3-4 times a year) with the Head of graduate school to discuss matters relating to the PhD studies at GSNS.
Current Chairs of the programme committees are:
