Doctoral Program
in Biodiversity and Conservation

Training activities

Attendance at Research Seminars
  • Number of hours: 10
  • Description: Courses, seminars, workshops, or seminars taught by researchers from the teams participating in the program, by invited researchers specializing in different fields of Biodiversity and Conservation, or by external researchers. The activity will be organized by the departments participating in the program or by external entities that offer courses related to the program's themes. These activities are freely chosen by the students, with the approval of their tutor and/or supervisor, and must be related to the acquisition of skills for their research work.
  • Frequency: Students may carry out this type of training activity throughout their doctoral studies, with it being optional in the first academic year and mandatory during the second and third years.
  • Justification: To become familiar with the research lines developed within the program, as well as to establish connections with prestigious research groups. To review the current state of the different topics within the program. To stimulate critical thinking. Students must attend a minimum of 10 hours. The selection of seminars will be at the students' discretion, supervised by the tutor and the director. To enhance the basic competencies CB11 and CB14, and the skills CA05 and CA06.
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Learn different research methods related to Biodiversity and Conservation
    • Know how to carry out a critical analysis and the synthesis of new ideas
    • To be able to integrate new knowledge into their work topic and to formulate judgments about the course topic
  • Language: Spanish and English.
  • Control procedures: Attendance control via signature. Personal certificate, with hours of attendance and/or dedication. Monitoring by tutor/director.
  • Description: Seminars given by researchers from the teams participating in the programme and guest researchers who are experts in different fields of Biodiversity and Conservation. The activity will be organised by the departments participating in the programme. The travel of external lecturers will be subsidised with funds from the ULL for the organisation of courses and seminars.
  • Frequency: Maximum 2 seminars per semester.
  • Justification: Knowledge of the lines of research developed within the scope of the programme, as well as establishing references with prestigious research groups. To review the current status of the different topics covered. To stimulate critical thinking. Students must attend a minimum of 10 hours, throughout the first two (full-time students) or three (part-time students) years of the PhD. The selection of seminars will be supervised by the tutor or director. Strengthening of basic competences CB11 and CB14 and capacities CA05 and CA06.
  • Learning outcomes
    • Learn different research methods related to Biodiversity and Conservation
    • Know how to carry out a critical analysis and the synthesis of new ideas
    • Know how to integrate new knowledge into your work topic and formulate judgments on the seminar topic
    • Language: Spanish, English.
  • Control procedures: Attendance control by signature. Summary of the seminars attended in a personalized activity record document. Follow-up by the tutor.

Seminar delivery
  • Number of hours: 3
  • Description: In January or February of the second or third year of the doctoral program, the program's academic director organizes and invites the doctoral students of that year to a seminar day. Each student will present their research project (research plan, doctoral thesis). In this seminar, they will explain the foundations of their research project to the other doctoral students, supervisors, and advisors in attendance, including the background, working hypotheses, objectives, methodology used, results, and conclusions to date. They will also be expected to discuss and answer any questions posed about their work.
  • Justification: To strengthen specific skills for assuming different roles within the work and discussion group. To demonstrate the ability to discuss and debate the research topic using scientific criteria and the standard language and forms of scientific communication. To enhance basic competencies CB12, CB14, and CB15, and skills CA02, CA03, CA04, and CA06.
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Know how to design the presentation of your work topic, with order and scientific rigor, and put it into practice
    • Knowing how to communicate your work topic correctly
    • Know how to respond rigorously to questions related to the topic of the presentation
  • Control procedures: Personal certificate, with hours of attendance or dedication, issued by the academic director of the program. Monitoring by tutor and director.
  • Description: During the second or third year of the PhD (full-time students) or fourth or fifth year (part-time students), each student must present at least one seminar on his or her research work. In this seminar, the student will present the foundations of the research project, including the working hypothesis, objectives, methodology used, results and conclusions. In addition, he or she must discuss and answer any questions raised about his or her work.
  • Justification: Strengthen specific skills to assume different roles within the work and discussion group. Demonstrate the ability to discuss and debate with scientific criteria on a research topic using the usual language and forms of scientific communication. Strengthen basic competencies CB12, CB14 and CB15, and capacities CA02, CA03, CA04 and CA06.
  • Learning outcomes
    • Know how to design the presentation of your work topic, with order and scientific rigor, and put it into practice
    • Knowing how to communicate your work topic correctly
    • Know how to respond rigorously to questions related to the topic of the presentation
  • Monitoring procedures: Monitoring by the supervisor. Report of meetings with the supervisor and/or research group in the doctoral student's personalized activity document. The report must include at least the meeting schedule and a brief description of the topics discussed, progress in the study, short- and medium-term objectives, and conclusions. Supervisor's report.

Participation in national or international conferences
  • Number of hours: 20
  • Description: The student must attend at least one national or international conference and present a paper (oral or poster) on the work carried out during the development of their doctoral thesis. The selection of the conference or scientific meeting will be based on the criteria of the thesis supervisor and the availability of resources; therefore, this activity can be carried out in any of the doctoral academic years.
  • Justification: To enhance basic skills CB15, and capabilities CA06.
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Know how to communicate appropriately with the scientific community in the language of the event
    • Be able to formulate and answer key questions about your research topic
  • Language: Spanish and English
  • Control procedures: Certificate(s) of attendance and participation. Summary of data (name of the event, date and place of celebration, type of communication, summary of the communication). Follow-up by tutor/director.
  • Description: Students must attend at least one national or international conference and present a communication (oral or poster format) on the work carried out during the development of their doctoral thesis. The selection of the conference or scientific meeting will be based on the criteria of the thesis tutor or director and the availability of resources, so this activity may be carried out in any of the doctoral years, both for full-time and part-time students.
  • Justification: Strengthening basic skills CB15 and capabilities CA06.
  • Learning outcomes
    • Know how to communicate appropriately with the scientific community in the language of the event
    • Be able to formulate and answer key questions about your research topic
  • Language: Spanish/English.
  • Control procedures: Presentation of certificates of attendance and presentation of communication. Summary of data (scientific meeting, date and place of celebration, type of communication, summary of the communication) in the personalized document of registration of the doctoral student's activities.

Stays at other research centers (mobility)
  • Description: Optional training activity, except for those students who opt for the international mention in their doctoral thesis (see corresponding section).
  • Frequency: Students opting for the international specialization must complete a minimum three-month research stay outside of Spain at a prestigious higher education institution or research center during their studies. This doctoral program has academic and research partnerships with national and international institutions that can be considered research centers hosting students. In any case, any research stay at other centers will be included in the student's activity log if it exceeds the minimum of 10 hours.
  • Justification: To conduct studies, carry out research, learn new techniques related to the research topic addressed in the doctoral thesis, establish a network and integrate into prestigious research groups, and collaborate on projects related to the research topic. The selection of the center(s) for the research stay(s), as well as the monitoring of students to ensure the acquisition of the planned competencies, will be supervised by the tutor/director and approved by the academic committee before implementation. All these tasks will guarantee the acquisition of the basic competencies CB11-CB16 and skills CA02-CA06.
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Learn different research methods related to Biodiversity and Conservation
    • Design, create, undertake innovative projects in your field of work
    • Working as a team
    • Know how to carry out a critical analysis and the synthesis of new ideas
    • Know how to integrate new knowledge and formulate judgments on your research topic
  • Language: English
  • Control procedures: Acceptance of the placement by the external supervisor. Certificate of completion of the placement (number of days, tasks performed). Report of tasks performed. Monitoring by the supervisor and director.
  • Number of hours: 10
  • Description: Optional training activity, except for those students who are going to opt for the International Mention in their Doctoral Thesis.
  • Frequency: For students who opt for the International Mention in their Thesis, during their training period (3 years for full-time students and 5 years for part-time students), they must spend a minimum of three months outside Spain in a prestigious higher education institution or research centre. The academic and research relationships that this PhD has with foreign institutions are included in the Collaborations section, in section 1 of this application, and can be considered as research centres hosting students. In any case, any stay in other research centres, which given the need for funding will be an optional activity, will be considered in the student's activity document when it exceeds the minimum 10 hours to be carried out.
  • Justification: To carry out studies, conduct research work, learn new techniques related to the research topic addressed in the doctoral thesis, establish references and/or join prestigious research groups, collaborate on projects related to the research topic.
  • The selection of the center(s) for the placement(s), as well as the monitoring of the students to ensure the acquisition of the planned skills, will be supervised by the tutor or director and approved by the Academic Committee before the placement. All these tasks will ensure the acquisition of basic skills CB11–CB16 and skills CA02–CA06.
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Learn different research methods related to Biodiversity and Conservation
    • Design, create, undertake innovative projects in your field of work
    • Working as a team
    • Know how to carry out a critical analysis and the synthesis of new ideas
    • Know how to integrate new knowledge and formulate judgments on your research topic
  • Languages: English.
  • Control procedures:
  • Students will be monitored in the completion of all the training activities proposed in the Programme, to ensure the acquisition of the programmed skills. The tutor and the thesis director will regularly review the activities carried out by the doctoral student, which will be communicated to the Academic Committee and incorporated into its activity document.