Research

Quality assurance

Research leading to the award of a PhD degree is supported by the careful planning of the necessary activities. Regular checks that these are both realized and translated into academic outputs of the quality required for the award of a PhD degree are the responsibility of the senior supervisor (promotor-designate).

At the time of registration or soon after, a graduate student is required to sign a Study Agreement (General Terms of Delivery) with ITC. The completed agreement is kept in the student’s file. The graduate student acknowledges that registration is maintained subject to satisfactory progress. Registration is discontinued in a case where progress is deemed unsatisfactory and the promotor-designate withdraws supervision.

Within the first six months (coinciding with the qualifier exam) the graduate student and senior supervisor agree on a tailor-made training and supervision plan. The completed training and supervision plan is kept on file in the Bureau Education and Research Affairs (ITC-BOOZ). The plan is expected to include attendance at short specialist courses aimed at appropriately broadening and deepening the graduate student’s knowledge and expertise in the context of his/her research, as well as professional development such as presentations at international scientific conferences and advising MSc students¹.

The study trajectory of graduate students carrying out research leading to the award of a PhD degree at the University of Twente is divided into several research phases. At the end of each phase, performance and progress are assessed by means of a research progress form by an examination committee appointed and chaired by the senior supervisor (promotor-designate). Members of the examination committee are the daily supervisor(s) and other experts selected at the discretion of the senior supervisor (having heard the PhD candidate), as well as external experts as stipulated by the research school (SENSE, Twente Graduate School). The composition of the committee may change from one phase to the next, according to changes in (daily) supervisors and experts, at the discretion of the senior supervisor. The senior supervisor reports the result of the examination on the research progress form and invites the student to acknowledge the result on the same form. The updated research progress form is archived at the Bureau of Education and Research Affairs (ITC-BOOZ).

The overall judgment at each stage can be one of the three below:

• Satisfactory – continue (green)
• Marginal – warning; continue but improve (amber)
• Unsatisfactory – terminate registration (red).

Two consecutive amber judgments are not possible but constitute a red assessment. If the promotor-designate reports that progress is unsatisfactory (red), he also informs the research coordinator that he is withdrawing his supervision. The research coordinator then discusses the consequences with the graduate student (see Exit arrangements).

In a case where the graduate student has not completed the research and/or manuscript preparation after four years, options for (sponsored) extension at ITC are very limited, up to a maximum of one extra year. If no extension is possible, the graduate student returns home and continues to be registered as an “external PhD candidate”. If this does not lead to an acceptable manuscript within a reasonable time (to be judged by the promotor-designate), the registration is terminated (the candidate receives prior notice). If the manuscript is approved, the graduation budget will be made available by the department.

When registration in the Graduate Programme ends owing to a successful promotion or otherwise, the former graduate student is transferred to the ITC alumni register. For a former graduate student residing in the Netherlands on a residence permit, this also signals the expiry of the permit and the student must proceed with the exit arrangements. The research coordinator invites all departing graduate students for an exit interview.