During the pre-doctoral period, the PhD student must carry out a series of activities aimed at developing the competencies of the Programme. These activities will be carried out by the student both full time and part time. Those that are not considered obligatory activities can be developed throughout the entire period of permanence in the Programme. These activities will be duly documented and certified by the director/s and tutor in the Student's Activity Document.

ACTIVITY 1: Presentation of at least two formal seminars on the research being carried out.

A follow-up seminar of the Thesis must be presented 18-24 months after the beginning of the Thesis, detailing the the work plan, the objectives and an advance of the results obtained up to that moment, with a minimum duration of 20 minutes.

Prethesis seminar: In addition, prior to the Thesis defence, the doctoral candidate, as a preparatory activity for the defence of the Thesis, must give a seminar that includes the objectives, results and conclusions of his research, with a minimum duration of 30 minutes. This seminar will be given in the presence of the research director and tutor, as well as at least one member of the PhD Programme.

This activity will be compulsory for all doctoral students in the Programme.

Mobility: this activity does not require mobility since these are local seminars.

Control procedure:

• Follow-up seminar: signed letter from the director to be included in the supporting document of the "Doctoral Student Activities Document" (DAD).
• Prethesis seminar: signed form, which will be sent to the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program..

 

ACTIVITY 2: Attendance to research seminars of the Department and/or Research Center in which the doctoral student has joined, as well as those given in other Research Centers.

Attendance to one seminar or conference, preferably per quarter, given at the student's University or other centers. These conferences or seminars should address topics related to the lines of research of the Programme and may be given by national or foreign specialists.

This activity will be compulsory for all doctoral students in the Programme.

Mobility: this activity does not require mobility since it involves attendance to seminars in the Department or Research Center where the doctoral student has joined or in other local centers.

Control procedure: Form for the justification of attendance to seminar, to be incorporated annually in the document with the DAD supporting documents.

 

ACTIVITY 3: Attendance to scientific or technical specialization courses.

The doctoral student may attend courses that allow him to access knowledge on recent advances on research and on techniques or methodology that he needs to use in his research. This activity is not considered mandatory.

Mobility: this activity may or may not require mobility since it involves attendance to specialization courses that can be given online, in research centers in Madrid or elsewhere.

Control procedure: Certificates of attendance to be incorporated annually in the document with the DAD vouchers.

 

ACTIVITY 4: Attendance to National or International Congresses in the scientific area of specialization and presentation of communications to Congresses.

Doctoral students are encouraged to attend this type of events, and to participate in congresses, symposia, colloquia, workshops, etc., organized by different national and international institutions. The doctoral student will present his results in the form of an oral presentation or poster. It is not considered a mandatory activity.

Mobility: This activity will require the mobility of the PhD student. For this purpose, funding may be obtained, if the economic situation allows it, from projects of the research team in which the PhD student participates, or from travel grants provided by the University or by the organization of the event, as well as from any other type of public aid to which he may have access.

Control procedure: Certificates of attendance or oral or panel contribution, which will be incorporated annually in the document with the DAD supporting documents.

 

ACTIVITY 5: Research stays in other national or international research centers.

Stays in national or international centers, in research groups whose subject matter is close to the one developed by the PhD student in his doctoral thesis, are recommended. These stays are key in the formation of the doctoral student. They allow him not only to learn about other work methodologies, but also to establish contacts with related groups and to improve his knowledge of a second language. It is not considered a mandatory activity.

Mobility: this is an activity that involves mobility for several months in a national or foreign research center. The financing for expenses for this type of stay could be covered with public aid, such as those contemplated in the doctoral scholarship programs or, depending on the economic situation, with funds from the research team or the group receiving the doctoral student. Mobility actions of the Complutense University of Madrid itself could also be used.

In relation to this activity, RD99/2011 refers, among other aspects, to the duration of the stay to obtain the International Mention in the PhD degree [Article 15.1a]. It states that: "during the training period required to obtain the PhD degree, the PhD student must have spent a minimum of three months outside Spain in a higher education institution or research center of prestige, studying or carrying out research work. The stay and the activities must be previously endorsed by the director and authorized by the Academic Commission, and will be included in the doctoral student's activities document."

Template for the authorization of stay

Control procedure: Proof of the stay that, together with the previous authorization by the Academic Committee, must be sent to the Secretary's Office of the Faculty in which the doctoral student is enrolled.

 

ACTIVITY 6: Participation in the preparation of manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.

The doctoral student may actively participate in the preparation of manuscripts that collect original data relating to their research for publication in scientific journals. This activity constitutes a basic part of the doctoral student's training. He is confronted with the search for scientific information and its selection, the work of synthesizing the experimental results and the elaboration of a discussion.

Mobility: this activity does not require mobility.

Control procedure: PDF of the publications, which will be incorporated annually in the document with the DAD supporting documents.

 

All these activities will be compiled in the Doctoral student Activities Document (DAD) for individualized control record in accordance with article 11.5 of Royal Decree 99/2011. All the activities carried out for the development of the doctorate will be registered in it. In the same document will also be registered by the doctoral student his or her Research Plan. This document will be evaluated and validated annually by the tutor and the Thesis director/s and, finally, evaluated by the Academic Commission. More detailed description in the "Supervision and monitoring" section.