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 this seminar, they will present the foundations of their research project to other students and professors in the doctoral program, including the working hypothesis, objectives, methodology used, results, and conclusions. They must also discuss and answer questions posed to them.
  • Time planning: Full-time students: Once during the second or third year of the PhD program. Part-time students: Once during the third or fourth year.
  • Justification: Enhancement of basic skills CB12 and CB15, and the CA06 capacity.
  • 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
  • Monitoring procedure: Report from the supervisor/director and the professors from the research area who attend the seminar. The report should assess the depth of knowledge of the background, clarity of presentation, approach to the topic, and the doctoral candidate's ability to debate and discuss. The seminar summary, including aspects of the debate and the reports, will be included in the personalized activity log document.
  • Mobility: No mobility actions are planned

Participation in specialized conferences
  • Number of hours: 20 hours
  • Description: The student must attend at least one national and/or international conference related to their doctoral thesis research, in accordance with current regulations. The selection of the conference or scientific meeting will be 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: Enhancement of basic skills CB15, and capacity CA06.
  • Learning outcomes: Demonstrate ability in the preparation, defense and discussion of a scientific presentation.
  • Language: Spanish/English
  • Nature: Optional, depending on the availability of resources for this action.
  • Control procedure: Presentation and discussion of the communication in the research line seminars. The relevant points of the discussion will be recorded in the doctoral candidate's personalized activity log. Report of participation in the conference, which must include:
    • Summary of the communication, including comments and discussion with the attendees.
    • Summary of other communications on related topics presented at the same congress.
    • Proof of attendance and presentation of the communication. This document will be included in the doctoral candidate's personalized activity log.
  • Mobility: Funding for this activity comes from the university's own mobility funds, specific allocations from agreements and projects, and external calls for proposals at the local and national levels. External resources and travel grants are also planned to support attendance at conferences and stays at other institutions. The Internal Quality Assurance System will be responsible for the procedures to ensure the proper implementation of mobility programs.

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 national or international center of recognized prestige. The selection of the host center and the most suitable period 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: Enhancement of basic specific skills CB13, CB15, and capabilities CA04 and CA05.
  • Learning outcomes: To be able to integrate into a foreign research group and collaborate on its lines of research. To resolve specific questions raised in their research. To learn new techniques and be able to apply them to the development of their doctoral thesis. To initiate contacts for future collaborations.
  • Language: Spanish/English
  • Nature: Optional, depending on the availability of resources for this action.
  • Monitoring Procedure: A pre-stay report must include: 1. Justification of the stay's relevance to the thesis work, 2. The host group's experience in the topic, 3. A statement of the specific issues to be addressed, 4. A work plan, and 5. Source of funding for the stay. After the stay: 1. A report from the head of the host group on the stay's effectiveness, 2. A reasoned personal report detailing the objectives achieved and not achieved in relation to the proposed plan, and 3. A presentation of the progress made toward the thesis during the stay at a research group seminar. This report must be included in the individual activity log.
  • Mobility: Voluntary activity subject to budgetary availability. Funding for this type of activity will be obtained through public and/or private grants as outlined in the previous points.

Preparation of a scientific article
  •  Number of hours: 12
  • Description:
    • With the advice of the director in the preparation and design of the article, the doctoral student will prepare the article in accordance with the set of rules for organization and writing established by the chosen journal and will be subject to review by the journal. Acceptance of the original by the journal will not be a condition required 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. The development of this activity is recommended in the second and third year.
    • Learning Outcomes: The aim is to put into practice the set of acquired research skills focused on a specific and manageable case: writing an article based on one of the aspects, or even partial results of the thesis. The PhD student will learn the structure and design of academic and scientific publications, and how to deal with the review processes of scientific texts for their publication in high-impact publications. The skills promoted are the following: CB13, CB14, CB16, CA04, CA05 and CA06.
    • Teaching Languages: Spanish and English.
  • Control procedure: A basic element in the evaluation of this activity will be the reports of the reviewers of the corresponding journal. The director will have access to them in order to guide - if necessary - the doctoral student in improving his original. 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 his respective "Document of Activities."

Internships in R&D Centers
  • Number of hours: 480
  • Description:
    • Research stays of at least 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 Distinction. Under the guidance and coordination of their supervisor or director, doctoral candidates may arrange a research stay with an external academic center, either national or international, supervised by a professor or researcher from that center. This stay will focus on developing instrumental or specific aspects of their dissertation, such as learning specific techniques, designing measurement or analysis instruments, critically reviewing and designing specific sections of their research, and so on. Host institutions will be determined based on existing agreements or through specific contacts of the thesis supervisor or director. If the doctoral candidate has external co-supervisors, the stay may take place at that center and under the supervision of that co-supervisor. In cases where the thesis director considers it appropriate, different short stays of four weeks each will be promoted for learning methods and techniques useful for the development of the research being carried out by the doctoral candidate, as well as collaboration in research activities of research groups of interest to him.
    • Learning Outcomes (Competencies that are promoted):
      • This activity will help doctoral students consolidate competencies CB11, CB12, CB13, CB14, CB15, and CA01 to CA06. Specifically, it will provide them with a deeper understanding of scientific research methodologies in the social sciences and current issues in the field of Regional Development, guiding them towards specific applications within the various research lines that comprise the program. Likewise, it will serve to establish contacts with international specialists, forge initial relationships with researchers from other networks of particular interest, and strengthen existing connections.
      • This activity is recommended from the second year for full-time PhD students and from the third year for part-time PhD students. In any case, the stay is recommended after the first year, both for 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 centre in the event of a positive evaluation. The corresponding certificate of stay will be included by the doctoral student in his or her respective "Document of Activities". These recorded activities will be evaluated favourably or unfavourably by the tutor and/or Director before the evaluation by the Academic Committee responsible for the Programme. Both full-time and part-time students may participate in all of the training activities described. All these controls will form part of the doctoral student's document of activities (DAD) which will be regularly reviewed by the Tutor and the thesis Director and evaluated by the Academic Committee responsible for the programme.
  • Mobility activities: The scheduling of mobility activities for part-time students is developed in the same way for this type of student with the only difference being that those enrolled in this second category have two additional years to be able to carry it out. 
  • To finance this type of activity, public and/or private aid will be used in the manner provided in the previous points.