In order to strengthen the involvement of doctoral teaching staff in the supervision tasks, in recent years the University of La Laguna has encouraged the supervision of doctoral theses. It does so, for example, by recognising in the teaching organisation plan (POD) a reduction in the teaching load for the supervision of doctoral theses. As described in section 6.2 of this report, the ULL Teaching Organisation Regulations establish that a maximum of 4 credits may be counted for each doctoral thesis supervised, with a maximum reduction applicable each academic year of 5 credits per professor, as well as its assessment within the Docentia programme as a merit to be claimed by the director.

In addition, this Doctoral Program will promote thesis supervision through these other actions:

• Promoting the participation of programme professors and associated researchers in continuing education activities related to the supervision of doctoral theses.
• Promoting the development of research activities of scientific relevance and potential bibliometric projection.
• Promoting and recommending the integration of new and senior directors in the joint supervision of doctoral theses.
• Pursuing excellence in all program activities, so that participation in the program makes it easier for doctoral students to obtain funding
  in calls for scholarships or research contracts, both public and private.
• Seeking to attract the best students from different universities by offering placement in different research projects in which the PhD programme teaching staff participate or integrating them into research groups with a view to obtaining teacher training grants (for example, FPI grants).
• Promoting collaboration with other high-level national and international groups to ensure the mobility of teaching staff and doctoral students and the success of the programme. In this regard, the offer for students and teaching staff of the programme of the internationalisation plan (SOCRATES-ERASMUS) should be highlighted.
• Reporting on the different sources of funding for participating in conferences or on scholarships that encourage research within the framework of the objectives of the doctoral program.

With regard to the ethical behavior of the people involved in the development of the doctoral program, the School of Doctoral and Postgraduate Studies of the University of La Laguna (EDEPULL) has a Code of Good Practices, in line with the provisions of article 9.8 of RD 99/2011.

This document, as stated in its preamble, aims to be the instrument that guarantees adequate relations between the doctoral candidate, the researchers responsible for his or her training and the university institution itself. This, with the aim of achieving quality and ethically correct research with regard to the actions of preparation, development and communication of the research activity.

Its purpose is to establish a set of declarations and commitments that go beyond what is established by the legal system.

Its open content highlights the principles that should govern research activity, such as:

• Freedom of research
• Respect for the ethical practices and fundamental principles of each discipline
• Professional Responsibility
• Transparency, compliance with regulations on contractual and legal conditions (intellectual property, requirements demanded by sponsoring entities, delivery of required results, etc.)
• Perform safe work practices
• Obligation to disseminate and exploit the results of research through the various existing channels.

It is also necessary to highlight the functions and rights and obligations that all parties assume (doctoral students, tutors, directors).

The director's obligations throughout the research are highlighted, both general and specific, regarding monitoring the progress of the doctoral student and the quality of the research work.

The Code of Good Practice also refers to the requirements that doctoral, support and monitoring programmes must contain in their broadest sense, highlighting the role to be played by the Academic Committee of the programme.
In order to achieve greater internationalisation, the exchange of ideas and the improvement of quality, the doctoral programme provides for the participation of international experts in the doctoral thesis committees, also promoting the recognition of the international mention of these theses. In this sense, there are precedents of these practices in some of the doctoral theses directed by the areas of knowledge involved in the programme, as well as the connection with other researchers from foreign universities, as demonstrated in the research projects that support this doctoral programme.