Doctoral Program
in Regional Development

Training activities

Participation in workshops and/or seminars on research methodologies applied to social sciences
  • Number of hours: 10 hours
  • Description: A joint methodological activity organized as an introductory course for doctoral students in the program's three research areas. It is aimed at strengthening core competencies as a guarantee for the incorporation of cross-disciplinary and specific research training. The course will include the following content: 1. Critical analysis of scientific publications; 2. Searching for bibliographical background; 3. Preparation of scientific publications; 4. Specialized English; 5. Advanced expression and writing techniques; 6. Ethics and research.
  • Time planning: Only at the beginning of the first year of the doctorate for full-time and part-time students.
  • Justification: strengthening of basic competencies CB11 and CB13.
  • Learning outcomes: Acquisition of basic knowledge about the methodology, the tools available in their environment, and ethical aspects for the development of their activity.
  • Language: Spanish and English.
  • Character: Mandatory.
  • Control procedure: Attendance control by signature (50%), final exam (30%), summary of the activity recorded in the personalized activity log (20%)
  • Mobility: No mobility actions are planned

Collaboration in the organization of seminars, workshops, conferences, etc.
  • Number of hours: 30 hours
  • Description: Seminars taught by researchers from ULL research groups and visiting national and international experts in various fields of the Arts and Humanities. The district has a long history of experience organizing specialized seminars in postgraduate programs.
  • Timeline: Full-time students: Attendance at 12 seminars over the first two years of the doctorate. Part-time students: Attendance at 12 seminars over the first three years of the doctorate. The selection of seminars will be supervised by the advisor.
  • Justification: Strengthening of basic competencies CB11 and CB14, and capabilities CA05 and CA06.
  • Learning outcomes: Knowledge of the lines of research developed in the workplace; establish benchmarks with leading national and international research groups; review the current status of the seminar topic; and foster critical thinking.
  • Language: Spanish, English
  • Character: Mandatory
  • Monitoring procedure: Attendance control by signature. Preparation of seminar summaries. Presentation and discussion of the most relevant aspects of the seminars attended in research group meetings, with supervision by the tutor. The seminar summaries and their subsequent presentation and discussion at group meetings must be recorded in the personalized activity log.
  • Mobility: No mobility actions are planned

Seminars given by teaching and research staff participating in the program (including visiting professors)
  • Number of hours: 3 hours
  • Description: Each student must present at least one seminar on their research work. In it, they will present the foundations of the research project to other students and faculty members in the doctoral program, including the working hypothesis, objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions. They must also discuss and answer any questions posed.
  • Timeline: Full-time students: Once during the second or third year of the doctoral program. Part-time students: Once during the third or fourth year.
  • Justification: Strengthening of basic competencies CB12 and CB15, and capacity CA06.
  • Learning outcomes: Demonstrate the ability to synthesize, clearly present, and communicate scientific results orally. Ability to debate and respond to specific questions.
  • Language: Spanish/English
  • Character: Mandatory
  • Review procedure: Report from the tutor/supervisor and the professors of the research line who attended the seminar. The report should assess the doctoral candidate's depth of background knowledge, clarity of presentation, approach to the topic, and ability to engage in debate and discussion. The seminar summary, including aspects of the debate, and the reports will be included in the personalized activity log.
  • Mobility: No mobility actions are planned

Participation in specialized conferences
  • Number of hours: 20 hours
  • Description: The student must attend at least one national or international conference related to the work being developed as a doctoral thesis. The conference or scientific meeting will be selected based on the thesis supervisor's criteria and the availability of resources.
  • Time planning: Full-time students: during the second or third year Part-time students: during the fourth or fifth year.
  • Justification: Strengthening of basic skills CB15, and capacity CA06.
  • Learning outcomes: Demonstrate ability to prepare, defend, and discuss a scientific presentation.
  • Language: Spanish/English
  • Nature: Optional, depending on the availability of resources for this action.
  • Review procedure: Presentation and discussion of the paper in the research line seminars. Relevant points from the discussion will be recorded in the doctoral student's personalized activity log. The conference participation report must include: 1. Summary of the paper, including comments and discussion with attendees. 2. Summary of other papers on related topics presented at the same conference. 3. Proof of attendance and presentation of the paper. This report will be included in the doctoral student's personalized activity log.
  • Mobility: Funding for this activity comes from the university's own mobility funds, specific allocations from agreements and projects, and local and national external calls for proposals (see section 7.2: Provision of external resources and travel grants for conferences and stays at other centers). The Internal Quality Assurance System will be responsible for the procedures for the proper conduct of the mobility program (see section 8.1.3).

Active participation in seminars organized by the academic committee of the doctoral program
  • Number of hours: 360 hours
  • Description: A stay of at least three months, to be completed in one or two visits, at another prestigious national or foreign center. The selection of the destination center and the most appropriate length of stay must be agreed upon with the thesis supervisor.
  • Time planning: Full-time students: during the second or third year Part-time students: during the third or fourth year.
  • Justification: Strengthening of basic specific competencies CB13, CB15, and capabilities CA04 and CA05.
  • Learning outcomes: Be able to integrate into a foreign research group and collaborate on its lines of research. Resolve specific questions raised in their research. Learn new techniques and be able to apply them to their doctoral thesis. Initiate contacts for future collaborations.
  • Language: Spanish/English
  • Nature: Optional, depending on the availability of resources for this action.
  • Control procedure: Pre-stay report, including: 1. Justification for the opportunity of the stay in the context of the thesis work, 2. The host group's experience in the subject, 3. Statement of the specific issues to be resolved, 4. Work plan, 5. Source of funding for the stay. Once the stay has been completed: 1. Report from the person in charge of the host group on the benefits of the stay, 2. Reasoned personal report on the objectives achieved and unachieved with respect to the proposed plan, 3. Presentation of the progress that the stay has made for the thesis at a research group seminar. The report must be included in the personalized activity log.
  • Mobility: Voluntary activity subject to budget availability. The funding planned for this activity comes from the university's own mobility funds, specific allocations from agreements and projects, and external calls at local, national, and international levels (see section 7.2: Estimated external resources and travel grants for conferences and stays at other centers). It is estimated that 25% of full-time students and 15% of part-time students may benefit from this activity. Without prejudice to the establishment of new collaborations based on objectives, section 1.4 lists some groups with which we currently collaborate and centers with which we have agreements (annexes) that include doctoral student mobility (see also section 5.2.4: Program Organization. Estimated doctoral student stays at other centers). The Internal Quality Assurance System will be responsible for the procedures for the correct development of mobility (see section 8.1.3).

Preparation of a scientific article
  • Number of hours: 12
  • Description:
    • With the supervisor's guidance on the preparation and design of the article, the doctoral candidate will draft the article in accordance with the set of organizational and writing rules established by the selected journal, and it will be submitted for review. Acceptance of the original by the journal will not be a requirement for validation of the activity, but the comments from the evaluation received will be taken into account to improve the original before obtaining final validation of the activity. This activity is recommended for the second and third years.
    • Learning Outcomes: The PhD program involves putting into practice the acquired research skills focused on a specific, manageable case: writing an article based on one of the aspects, or even partial results, of the thesis. The doctoral student will learn the structure and design of academic and scientific publications and how to navigate the review process for scientific texts for publication in high-impact publications. The promoted skills are: CB13, CB14, CB16, CA04, CA05, and CA06.
    • Teaching Languages: Spanish and English.
  • Review Procedure: A key element in the evaluation of this activity will be the reports from the corresponding journal reviewers. The supervisor will have access to these reports to guide the doctoral student, if necessary, in improving their manuscript. This activity will be evaluated favorably or unfavorably by the tutor and/or director before the final evaluation by the Academic Committee responsible for the program. The corresponding certificate will be included by the doctoral student in their respective "Activity Document."

Internships in R&D Centers
  • Number of hours: 480
  • Description:
    • Stays of a minimum of 480 hours (12 weeks) will be encouraged. Doctoral candidates will be encouraged to undertake research stays; whenever possible, during the time required to obtain the European Mention. Doctoral candidates, under the advice and coordination of their tutor or supervisor, may arrange a research stay with an external academic center, national or international, supervised by a professor or researcher from said center, in order to develop instrumental or specific aspects of their thesis, such as learning specific techniques, designing measurement or analysis instruments, critical review and design of specific sections of their research, etc. The host centers will be determined based on existing agreements or based on specific contacts with the tutor or supervisor. If the doctoral candidate has external co-supervisors, the stay may take place at the center and under the supervision of that co-supervisor. In cases where the thesis supervisor deems it appropriate, various short stays of four weeks each will be offered to learn methods and techniques useful for the development of the research being carried out by the doctoral student, as well as to collaborate in research activities with research groups of interest to the student.
    • Learning Outcomes (Competencies that are promoted):
      This activity will help doctoral students consolidate competencies CB11, CB12, CB13, CB14, CB15, and CA01 to CA06. This activity will particularly help them gain a deeper understanding of scientific research methodologies in the social sciences and current issues in the field of Regional Development, guiding them toward specific applications in the various lines of research within the program. It will also serve to establish contacts with certain international specialists and establish initial relationships with researchers from other networks.
      that offer special interest, consolidate these if they have already been started, etc.
      This activity is recommended starting in the second year for full-time doctoral students and starting in the third year for part-time students. In any case, the stay is recommended after the first year, for both full-time and part-time students.
    • Teaching Languages: Spanish and English.
  • Monitoring Procedure: Each stay will generate an attendance check and an evaluation (positive or negative) by the doctor supervising the doctoral student at the host center in the event of a positive evaluation. The corresponding stay certificate will be included by the doctoral student in their respective "Activity Document." These recorded activities will be evaluated favorably or unfavorably by the tutor and/or thesis director before the evaluation by the Academic Committee responsible for the program. Both full-time and part-time students may participate in all the training activities described. All these checks will be included in the doctoral student's activity document (DAD), which will be regularly reviewed by the tutor and thesis director and evaluated by the Academic Committee responsible for the program.
  • Mobility Activities: The mobility activity program for part-time students is similar to that for this type of student, with the only difference being that those enrolled in this second category have two additional years to complete it. Funding for this type of activity will be obtained through public and/or private grants: