Checklist 3 completing the PhD program (graduation)

Extension of PhD trajectory

The supervision team and the PhD candidate aim to complete the PhD trajectory within the period agreed in the Training and Supervision Plan.

Possibilities for extension:

1. In the event of pregnancy leave, maternity leave, additional post-birth leave or parental leave during the PhD trajectory, the duration of the PhD trajectory will be extended by the duration of the leave taken. See Article 4 of the Regulations for training and supervision of PhD candidates at Radboudumc (Zenya) and check the FAQ file "Pregnancy, parenthood and PhD" on the PhD candidates intranet page.
2. If there has been a continuous period of illness of at least eight weeks during the PhD trajectory, the PhD trajectory can be extended by the duration of the illness period, up to a maximum of two years. This extension will take place only if it can be assumed on reasonable grounds that the extension will result in successful completion of the PhD trajectory. This will be assessed by the supervision team. See Article 4 of the Regulations for training and supervision of PhD candidates at Radboudumc (Zenya).

If the PhD has not yet been completed after the duration of the PhD trajectory, as determined in the Training and Supervision Plan, or after the extended period referred to in bullets 1 and 2, extension of the PhD trajectory is possible. Extension is subject to approval by the Graduate School following the recommendation of the PhD supervisor on the basis of a plan for completing the PhD (within a reasonable period).

Non-EU nationality

If the PhD candidate has a non-EU nationality, please be aware to always contact your HR officer 3 months prior to the ending date of the paid/unpaid contract as this may influence the legal status of living and working in the Netherlands.

FAQ about Hora Finita

• General

  What is Hora Finita?
  Hora Finita is the PhD project monitoring system of Radboud University and Radboudumc. With Hora Finita Radboud University and Radboudumc have an all-in-one system for the monitoring of all PhD projects. More information can be found on this page of the Radboud University's website.

  What is the link to Hora Finita?
  The URL is https://horafinita.ru.nl

  Is registration in Hora Finita necessary?
  For all PhD trajectories Hora Finita must be used, according to the Doctorate regulations. This is because all steps in the PhD process, e.g. registration, Training and Supervision Plan (TSP), submission and review of manuscript, are performed exclusively through Hora Finita. Logging in into Hora Finita is done via SURFconext and is only possible with a Radboudumc (or RU) account.

  Why can't I login into Hora Finita?
  Logging in into Hora Finita is done via SURFconext and is only possible with a Radboudumc (or RU) account.  

  Therefore it is important that all PhD candidates (employed PhD candidates, employees in PhD track, external PhD candidates) are registered with HR in time. More information about registration of different types of PhD candidates can be found here.

  If the PhD trajectory is not completed within the contract period, action should be taken so that access to Hora Finita and associated Radboudumc facilities remains possible. More information can be found here.

  If you are unable to login, even though you have a Radboudumc account, please contact horafinita@radboudumc.nl.

  Where can I find Hora Finita manuals?
  There is an extensive set of manuals available in Dutch and in English for both PhD candidates and supervisors.

  For additional questions about Hora Finita, please contact Hora Finita or your Graduate School (Radboudumc Graduate School or Donders Graduate School).

• PhD Checklist

  How can I agree to the Code of Conduct for Research Integrity?
  If you click on the link behind the "Code of Conduct for Research Integrity" in the checklist you can read the code (ENG, Dutch) and check that you agree.

  I attended all required courses but the “required courses” are not ticked off in the PhD checklist on my dashboard
  The Graduate School will add the two introduction courses (General introduction for research personnel and PhD introduction) to your training portfolio. You must add all other activities, including the required courses, to your portfolio yourself. You can do this for required courses through the tab "required courses". For all activities this can be done via "training activities". For more information please check the manual (ENG, Dutch).

  “Required course are completed” on your PhD checklist will only be ticked off when you select these courses via the tab “required courses”, or select these courses from the course list that is already available in Hora Finita. If you added a required course and its details yourself, please delete the course and add it again via the above mentioned procedure.

  My TSP has been approved before but “TSP has been approved” is not ticked off or the date is not correct
  Please contact your Graduate School (Radboudumc Graduate School or Donders Graduate School).

• Checkpoints

  What are checkpoints and where can I find more information?
  Checkpoints are moments of supervision used to monitor and evaluate the progress of a PhD candidate's PhD project during the research phase.

  For more information about the checkpoints please check the interactive infographic of the Radboudumc PhD trajectory on our website. More information about the PhD trajectory of the Donders Graduate School can be found here.

  Six weeks before the checkpoint date you will receive an automatic email announcing the checkpoint. In this email and on the checkpoint page is described what is expected of you.

  When is a checkpoint created?
  After the PhD candidate’s registration has been approved, Hora Finita automatically creates checkpoints. A new checkpoint will appear on your dashboard 6 months before the checkpoint date. Six weeks before the checkpoint date (exception: 3 months before checkpoint 2) you will receive an automatic email announcing the checkpoint. Checkpoints are automatically created until the first promotor approves the manuscript.

  Is a checkpoint meeting the same as my annual appraisal interview ("jaargesprek")?
  The checkpoint (annual review) meeting is different from your annual appraisal interview, but you may choose to combine the two. In that case, please cover both the topics of the Hora Finita annual review questionnaire and the topics of the Radboudumc annual appraisal interview. Afterwards you have to submit both the annual review questionnaire (via Hora Finita) and the report of the annual appraisal interview (via email to "Postbus Personeelsdossier").

  Please note that for Checkpoint 2 (the go/maybe/no go meeting) and 3 (1 and 2 years after start PhD trajectory) an independent advisor is present at the checkpoint meeting.

  Who should approve a checkpoint in Hora Finita?
  Checkpoints 2 (go/maybe/no go) should be approved by the first promotor and the daily supervisor of the PhD candidate. The other checkpoints should only be approved by the daily supervisor. After the PhD candidate submits the Checkpoint, the daily supervisor automatically receives a request to approve the Checkpoint. 

  The Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) should be approved by the daily supervisor, the promotor and the Graduate School.

• Training activities (portfolio)

  How and when do I add activities to my PhD portfolio?
  The Graduate School will add the two introduction courses (General introduction for research personnel and PhD introduction) to your training portfolio. You must add all other activities, including the required courses, to your portfolio yourself. You can do this for required courses through the tab "required courses". For all activities this can be done via "training activities". For more information please check the manual (ENG, NL).

  Annually, if you have a checkpoint, you will be asked to add the activities you did during the past year to your training activities (portfolio) in Hora Finita. Of course, you can also add an activity immediately after you've completed it.

  Please note that for PhD candidates affiliated to the Radboudumc Graduate School it is not necessary to upload proofs of attendance.

  I attended a required course but the course is not present in my portfolio
  The Graduate School will add the two introduction courses (General introduction for research personnel and PhD introduction) to your training portfolio. You must add all other activities, including the required courses, to your portfolio yourself. You can do this for required courses through the tab "required courses". For all activities this can be done via "training activities". For more information please check the manual (ENG, NL).

  Please note that for PhD candidates affiliated to the Radboudumc Graduate School it is not necessary to upload proofs of attendance.

  When do I have to complete my portfolio and submit it to my Graduate School for approval?
  After your manuscript has been approved by your first promotor you will receive a request to complete your portfolio and submit it to your Graduate School for approval.

  Please note that for PhD candidates affiliated to the Radboudumc Graduate School it is not necessary to upload proofs of attendance.

  Your Graduate School will decide whether you have completed all the necessary components of your institute’s PhD program in order to be awarded with your Graduate School’s education certificate. You will be informed of this decision in due course. The Graduate School will also provide you with a Word document of your final portfolio, which can be added to your PhD thesis.

• Manuscript

  How do I, as supervisor, perform a plagiarism check?
  Indeed, according to the Doctorate regulations, the supervisor must check the PhD thesis for plagiarism. For this purpose, a similarity report, generated by the program iThenticate by colleagues at Radboud University, will be sent to the promotor via e-mail. Questions about the working method or the program can be sent to Hora Finita or the RU helpdesk. Together with the report, the promotor receives a manual, explaining how to use the program.

Radboudumc PhD thesis guidelines

• Background information

  The PhD thesis is a proof of the ability to perform independent academic research. It is up to the manuscript committee to decide whether a thesis meets this criterion, thereby using the assessment criteria as defined in the Doctorate regulations of the Radboud University (Dutch / English). The (co-)supervisors (‘(co)promotors’) will decide whether the PhD thesis is of sufficient quality to be presented to the manuscript committee.

  The requirements for the academic and non-academic part of the PhD thesis are defined in Chapter 5 of the Doctorate regulations of the Radboud University. In addition to these general requirements, applicable to all faculties, Radboudumc PhD candidates adhere to the Radboudumc guidelines.

  Radboudumc guidelines provide clarity to all involved, such as to the PhD candidate and PhD supervisors but also to the members of the Manuscript Committee, Cum Laude Committee and Doctoral Examination Board.

• A typical Radboudumc PhD thesis contains

  • a. Title page
  • b. Table of contents
  • c. General introduction
    • PhD candidates describe their view of the current state of the field, point out gaps in scientific knowledge, introduce an overview of the PhD thesis and give rationales for the performed studies. The general introduction contains information that the reader needs to know to understand the context of the research chapters. The general introduction may take the form of a review article.
  • d. Research chapters
    • Each research chapter contains work in which PhD candidates follow the scientific research cycle: identifying a gap in scientific knowledge, outlining an approach, describing the appropriate collection and analysis of data or existing relevant databases, and finally reflecting on the results in the context of the specific field.
    • The thesis demonstrates that PhD candidates have familiarized themselves and have worked with the principles and methodologies of international scientific practice and theory formation, methods and studies of the relevant discipline. Preferentially, the thesis contains variation in terms of the methods used.
    • Focus on quality instead of quantity. PhD candidates demonstrate that they are competent researchers by completing a coherent set of empirical (or conceptual) chapters plus an introduction and discussion. If there is a coherent thesis of sufficient quality, there is no need to produce more research chapters when the term of the contract expires. There is no requirement for the number of research chapters in addition to the general introduction and general discussion chapters.
    • While it is of course in the line of PhD candidates’ ambitions to get their work published, there is no obligation to have a certain number of chapters published before sending the thesis to the manuscript committee. If not published, the quality of the chapters should be as such that they can be submitted for publication to a scientific journal.
    • In principle, only chapters of which PhD candidates are (shared) first author are included in their PhD thesis. Occasionally a chapter as co-author may be included in the thesis if the content is consistent with the rest of the PhD research. Other publications may be listed in the publication list.
  • e. General discussion
    • The general discussion should be the PhD candidates’ own product, while the research chapters and sometimes the general introduction are more collaborative efforts. In this concluding chapter, the PhD candidates reflect on the research chapters and their findings with a bird's eye view, identify limitations as well as future research opportunities and discuss the impact on the research field and society.
  • f. Summary of the thesis
    • If the PhD thesis is written in English, it includes at least a summary in Dutch. The summary should be brief and to the point.
  • g. Description of the research data management
    • All Radboud University researchers are obliged to have all research data comply at least with the F (sustainably findable) and the A (proper access management) of the FAIR guidelines. The Radboudumc Data Management Plan tool should be used to prepare a Research Data Management (RDM) plan at the start of a PhD trajectory and to keep it up to date. PhD candidates can include a summary of the RDM plan in the PhD. For more information and examples click here.
  • h. List of publications (not mandatory)
  • i. Acknowledgements (not mandatory)
  • j. Curriculum vitae
  • k. Portfolio
    • Including a report of the doctoral education, e.g., courses, seminars, international conferences, lecturing, supervision of internships, as outlined by the research institute (click here). 

  At least chapters b up to g (see above) should be completed before the manuscript can be reviewed by the Manuscript Committee.

  Note: There are different kinds of PhD candidates at Radboudumc, differing in the length and type of contract, as well as additional (sideline) functions. The requirements for a PhD thesis are identical for all PhD categories.

• Submission manuscript

  After finishing the manuscript (at least chapters b up to g, see previous item), PhD candidates upload their manuscript to Hora Finita. Subsequently, the supervisor is asked to perform a plagiarism check, assess the manuscript and motivate why the PhD thesis meets the Radboudumc PhD thesis guidelines. After this assessment the manuscript can be reviewed by the Manuscript Committee. Hora Finita tutorials are available for these different steps.

• Lay-out PhD thesis Radboudumc Graduate School

  • Portfolio and cover guidelines can be found here.

• Lay-out PhD thesis Donders Graduate School

  Cover PhD thesis

  For PhD theses the "combination logo", which combines Radboud university medical center's logo & Radboud University's logo, should be placed on the back. The standard Radboudumc logo, without the English text, should be placed on the spine of the cover according to the predefined templates. If relevant, logos of other parties that were involved in the PhD research substantially can be added at the back.

  Templates for these elaborations can be downloaded here:

  • Standard Radboudumc cover template (pdf file and ai file)
  • Cover template with space for 1 additional logo (pdf file and ai file)
  • Cover template with space for 2 additional logos (pdf file and ai file)

  Note: the cover guidelines for PhD candidates who are part of the Donders Graduate School remain unchanged (visit website information Donders thesis series).

  Portfolio

  Please list your itemized training portfolio according to this predefined format in your PhD thesis. The Graduate School will support you in this.

  Procedure:

  1. After your manuscript has been approved in Hora Finita by your PhD supervisor, you will automatically receive an email requesting you to complete your portfolio in Hora Finita.
  2. Add required courses via the tab "required courses". Other activities can be added via "training activities" (see Tutorial for adding activities to your portfolio). Guidelines for study load in hours for different portfolio activities can be found here.
  3. Submit your completed portfolio via Hora Finita to the Graduate School (see Tutorial for submitting your portfolio).
  4. The Graduate School will review your portfolio and send you your portfolio in the predefined format. You will then be asked to check your portfolio.
  5. The final version can be included in your PhD thesis.

  Note: portfolio guidelines for PhD candidates who are part of the Donders Graduate School are included in the Donders Thesis guidelines and see Managing your portfolio for Donders PhD candidates for additional information.

Lay-out PhD thesis

Cover PhD thesis

For PhD theses the "combination logo", which combines Radboud university medical center's logo & Radboud University's logo, should be placed on the back. The standard Radboudumc logo, without the English text, should be placed on the spine of the cover according to the predefined templates. If relevant, logos of other parties that were involved in the PhD research substantially can be added at the back.

Templates for these elaborations can be downloaded here:

• Standard Radboudumc cover template (pdf file and ai file)
• Cover template with space for 1 additional logo (pdf file and ai file)
• Cover template with space for 2 additional logos (pdf file and ai file)

Note: The cover guidelines for PhD candidates who are part of the Donders Graduate School remain unchanged (see information Donders thesis series).

Portfolio

Please list your itemized training portfolio according to this predefined format in your PhD thesis. The Graduate School will support you in this.

Procedure:

1. After your manuscript has been approved in Hora Finita by your PhD supervisor, you will automatically receive an email requesting you to complete your portfolio in Hora Finita.
2. Add required courses via the tab "required courses". Other activities can be added via "training activities" (see Tutorial for adding activities to your portfolio). Guidelines for study load in hours for different portfolio activities can be found here.
3. Submit your completed portfolio via Hora Finita to the Graduate School (see Tutorial for submitting your portfolio).
4. The Graduate School will review your portfolio and send you your portfolio in the predefined format. You will then be asked to check your portfolio.
5. The final version can be included in your PhD thesis

Based on your portfolio the Graduate School will decide whether you have completed all the necessary components of the PhD program in order to be awarded with the Advanced Graduate School training certificate.

Note: Portfolio guidelines for PhD candidates who are part of the Donders Graduate School will follow. Please contact the Donders Graduate School in the meantime.

Advanced Graduate School training certificate

The education certificate differs per Graduate School. Therefore, please check out the information regarding your Graduate School.

• Radboudumc Graduate School

  Radboudumc strongly encourages PhD candidates to develop a tailor-made training program that promotes several competencies and transferable skills. Completed courses, workshops, attended lectures and symposia should be included in a portfolio and added to the PhD thesis (see Procedure for completing your portfolio). The Radboudumc Graduate School rewards PhD candidates who fulfil all requirements with an Advanced Graduate School training certificate.

  What you need to qualify for the certificate

  To qualify for a Radboudumc Advanced Graduate School training certificate the following conditions should be met:

  1. The PhD candidate has submitted a Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) that has been approved by the Graduate School
  2. The portfolio is included in the PhD thesis
  3. The PhD candidate has attended:
     • General introduction day Radboudumc
     • Graduate School introduction
     • Course Scientific integrity
     • At least 2 Research Integrity Rounds
     • At least 1 PhD retreat
     • At least 1 International symposium with oral or poster presentation
  4. The PhD candidate has obtained a minimum of 700 hours of study load, as registered in Hora Finita

  NOTE:

  • Obtaining the Advanced Graduate School training certificate is not necessary to obtain the PhD degree. It is an extra certificate showing that the PhD candidate did additional training.
  • Within the Fit for the Future transition, the new Radboudumc Research Institute started on 1 January 2023. Former RIHS and RIMLS PhD candidates have automatically become members of the new Radboudumc Graduate School. Since the current requirements differ from the former RIHS and RIMLS requirements for a certificate, there will be transition rules for former RIMLS and RIHS PhD candidates. The Graduate School will not be too strict.

  After submission of your portfolio via Hora Finita (see Procedure for completing your portfolio) the Graduate School will decide whether you have completed all the necessary components in order to be awarded with the certificate. You will be informed of this decision in due course.

  Further information

  • Competencies and transferable skills
  • Guidelines for study load in hours for different portfolio activities
  • Procedure for completing your portfolio

• Donders Graduate School

  The Donders Graduate School offers PhD candidates a vibrant and challenging international research environment. The institute strongly encourages PhD candidates to develop a tailor-made training program that promotes both research and personal skills. Completed courses, workshops, attended lectures and symposia should be included in a portfolio and added to your thesis (visit this website for the template). The Donders Graduate School rewards PhD candidates who fulfil all requirements with a Graduate School certificate.

  What you need to qualify for the certificate

  To qualify for the Donders Graduate School certificate the following conditions should be met:

  1. The PhD candidate must be enrolled in the Graduate School and registered in Hora Finita from the start-date of the PhD trajectory. 
  2. The PhD candidate has submitted a Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) that has been accepted by the Graduate School.
  3. The PhD candidate must attend the compulsory courses offered by the Graduate School:
     • the Donders Graduate School Introduction day.
     • Scientific Integrity course (2nd year) organized by the Donders Institute or the Radboudumc.
     • Two Graduate School days. The annual Graduate School Day will offer various transferable and soft skills workshop. 
  4. The PhD candidate has obtained 30 EC points
     • Courses for developing competencies and transferable skills (18EC).
     • attending local lectures, (inter)national lectures, workshops, conferences, etc (12EC).
  5. The PhD candidate has published his/her thesis in the Donders Thesis Series.

  How to obtain your  certificate

  Please check the required steps to obtain your Graduate School certificate and more detailed information at the Donders Graduate School website.

Research data management Requirements and examples

• Requirements

  Description of Research Data Management in PhD thesis
  All Radboud University researchers are obliged to have all research data comply at least with the F (sustainably findable) and the A (proper access management) of the FAIR guidelines. Additionally Research Data Management must meet the (inter)national standards and legislation regarding scientific integrity and privacy (General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Dutch code for Scientific Integrity). The data management page of the PhD thesis specifies how this is achieved.

  The Radboudumc Data Management Plan tool should be used to prepare a Research Data Management (RDM) plan at the start of a PhD trajectory and to keep it up to date. PhD candidates must include a summary of the RDM plan in the PhD thesis. For more information check the website of RTC Data stewardship. If you need help with this please email datastewardship.im@radboudumc.nl.

• Guidelines and examples

  In this document we provide you with guidelines and examples on what to mention in the Research Data Management paragraph of your thesis.

Graduation bonus

The researcher in training (OIO, “Onderzoeker in Opleiding”) is entitled to a PhD bonus of €750 by virtue of Article 17.4.4 of the UMC Collective Labor Agreement, if the PhD trajectory is completed with a PhD during the employment contract. For the purposes of this article, 'completion of the PhD' is (exclusively) taken to mean the date of approval of the manuscript (proof of ability to independently practice science and establishment of the manuscript as a PhD thesis) by the manuscript committee. The amount is paid by the department where the OIO is appointed. See Article 13 of the Regulations for training and supervision of PhD candidates at Radboud university medical center (Zenya).

Career advisors

Four months before the end of your contract you can contact the HR career advisors of the Radboudumc for support in finding a new job. They can assist you with, for example, your application letter, resume and use of social media.

This advice is free of charge. More information can be found on this intranet page.