PhD Program Mental Health and Neuroscience: Disease Mechanisms – Diagnostics and Therapy – Clinical Neuroscience

Das PhD-Programm „PhD Program Mental Health and Neuroscience: Disease Mechanisms – Diagnostics and Therapy – Clinical Neuroscience“ der KL Krems ist ein exzellenzorientiertes Doktoratsstudium mit einer interdisziplinären Ausrichtung im Bereich der psychischen Gesundheit, der neurobiologischen Grundlagenforschung sowie der klinischen und angewandten Neurowissenschaften: Es ermöglicht PhD-Studierenden die Entwicklung und Durchführung experimenteller und empirischer Forschungsprojekte in diesen gesundheitswissenschaftlich hochrelevanten Brückendisziplinen. Damit sollen die zukünftigen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler befähigt werden, die unterschiedlichen Fachbereiche zusammenhängend zu betrachten und gleichzeitig eine spezialisierte Forschungsarbeit zu leisten.

Goal

The PhD degree serves for qualifying and empowering early-stage researchers for conducting independent scientific work for the advancement of understanding the multifactorial aspects and complexities of aspects of life and psychological sciences. It aims to bring about research scientists, who on the one hand are experts within their respective research fields, and on the other hand promote the multidisciplinary understanding of human health and disease.

Qualification profile

Doctoral (PhD) students are early-stage researchers. During their PhD training, they acquire all qualifications for performing scientific research at a professional and independent level. Thus, after completing the PhD degree successfully, graduates are expected to conform to the following qualification profile.
Graduates of the PhD degree at the Karl Landsteiner Private University of Health Sciences

• have a systematic understanding of their basic field of research and its associated competencies and are able to apply and evaluate scientific methods,
• have an understanding of related research fields; the programme particularly supports the crosstalk and interaction between basic, clinical, and psychological research,
• are able to devise, implement, and adapt a research project (including grant application) in accordance with ethical and scientific integrity,
• are able to produce, interpret, and discuss independent research results in the course of extensive scientific studies which provide novel insights and expand the current state of knowledge,
• have the ability to critically analyze, evaluate and synthesize new and complex ideas,
• can apply a variety of professional means for making research results available to the scientific community and the interested public; the PhD programme particularly aims at complying with the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities,
• can communicate with the professional environment, the scientific community, and with the society in general on fundamental issues of science and science policies,
• promote the technological, social, and cultural development in both academic and professional environments as well as with society.

The PhD Student Committment

• Weekly or bi-weekly:
  • present progress/journal clubs at internal lab meetings
  • attend one seminar/week
  • attend lectures/courses according to the Curriculum
• Each semester:
  • attend and present progress at the joint PhD program seminars
  • complete seminar/meeting portfolio
  • Self governing: organize/attend regular student meetings (e.g. topical lunch discussion meetings or regular tables,
  • invite guests for discussing science without PIs
  • present one Journal club per year (minimum)
• Each year:
  • Participate in scientific conferences
  • Participate/contribute to/organize a student life science PhD meeting
  • Attend and present at one PhD program retreat (every other year)
  • Organize and hold the thesis committee meeting

The Faculty Committment

• Weekly or bi-weekly:
  • Serve as PhD supervisor and mentor (1-2h/week)
  • internal lab meetings (1h/week)
  • attend seminars (Seminars at the respective institution, audience/focus?)
• Each semester:
  • Participate as lecturer in core-lecture series (2-4h/semester)
  • organize or integrate local seminars (approx. 5 seminars/semester)
  • Attend two joint PhD program seminars (4h/semester)
  • Offer key technique course (2 ECTS equivalent, approx. 3-4 days coursework)
  • Attend one faculty meeting per semester (2h/semester)
• Each year:
  • Participate in scientific conferences / student life science PhD meetings
  • Attend one PhD program retreat (1 full day every other year)
  • Attend thesis committee meeting of „own“ PhD students (1-2h/year)
  • Serve, upon request, as member for thesis committees (1-2h/year/student)