Thesis supervision

As in the case of thesis supervision, the monitoring of each doctoral student will be implemented following the guidelines set out in article 11 of the Royal Doctoral Decree RD99/2011, and as set out in article 23 of the Regulations of Official Doctoral Studies of the University of La Laguna, in the following terms.

Once the doctoral student has enrolled in the program, his/her tutor and the thesis director will establish his/her personalized activity document for the purposes of the individualized control record referred to in article 2.5 of the Regulations of Official Doctoral Studies of the University of La Laguna.

This document will record all activities of interest for the development of the doctoral student, as regulated by the university, the Doctoral School, the body responsible for the doctoral program or the academic committee itself, and will be regularly reviewed by the tutor and the thesis director, and evaluated by the academic committee responsible for the doctoral program.

Before the end of the first year, the PhD candidate will prepare a Research Plan that will include, at least, the methodology to be used and the objectives to be achieved, as well as the means and the timetable for achieving them. This Plan may be improved and detailed throughout the student's stay in the programme and must be endorsed by the tutor and the director. In this Research Plan, the Academic Committee of the programme will promote the realisation of stays in other centres, particularly those in which programme researchers outside the University of La Laguna carry out their activity, and in which activities are carried out that are beneficial for the development of the PhD candidate's research plan, such as the holding of conferences, seminars, or participation in activities of the research groups of the institutes or research centres of the universities that collaborate in the programme. As an example, see the extensive catalogue of activities carried out at the CEDEPLAR of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, which is one of the collaborating universities. In order to facilitate student mobility and thus lay the foundations for obtaining International Mentions in the Doctorate Degree, which, in accordance with art. 28 of the Regulations for Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna, requires (among other requirements) a minimum stay of three months outside Spain, the Academic Committee will disseminate among the doctoral students of the program the calls for grants published by the University of La Laguna itself, as well as those that may come from other institutions or organizations.

The academic committee of the programme will annually evaluate the development of the Research Plan and the document of activities carried out by the doctoral student, together with the reports that the tutor and the director must issue for this purpose.

The programme includes the participation of international experts in the monitoring committees that, on an annual basis, must issue the corresponding reports at the request of the Academic Committee of the programme to evaluate the progress of the Research Plan and the activities carried out by the doctoral students of the programme. The in-person participation of international experts in such sessions will, however, be subject to the availability and budgetary guidelines of the University of La Laguna.

A positive evaluation will be an essential requirement for continuing in the programme. In the event of a negative evaluation, the academic committee will issue a report justifying the evaluation, in which appropriate corrective measures will be proposed for the next evaluation. In the event of a negative evaluation, the doctoral candidate must be evaluated again within six months, for which purpose a new Research Plan will be drawn up. In the event of a new negative evaluation, the doctoral candidate will be permanently withdrawn from the programme.

Procedures for the appointment of a thesis tutor and director

The appointment of a tutor and thesis director for the doctoral student, as well as any changes that may be made, will be carried out by the Academic Committee of the programme in accordance with the provisions of arts. 9 and 10 of the Regulations for Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna, which are reproduced below:

• Article 9.- Tutor. 1. Once admitted to the doctoral program and registration verified, each doctoral student will be assigned a tutor by the corresponding academic committee. The tutor must be a doctor and a professor of the doctoral program authorized to direct doctoral theses according to the requirements established in these regulations. The tutor will be responsible for ensuring the interaction of the doctoral student with the academic committee and his/her director, if applicable. 2. The academic committee, after hearing the doctoral student, may modify the appointment of the assigned tutor at any time during the period of completion of the doctorate, provided that there are justified reasons. If it deems it appropriate, it may request reports from the tutor and the thesis director. 3. The duties of the tutor shall be:
  • Regularly review, together with the thesis director, the document on the doctoral student's activities, as defined in article 2.5 of these regulations.
  • Before the end of the first year, endorse, together with the thesis director, the research plan prepared by the doctoral student.
  • Sign the documentary commitment together with the University, the doctoral student and the director.
  • Issue and submit annually to the academic committee the report provided for in article 23.3 of these regulations.
  • Ensure the inclusion of the University of La Laguna in all communications, presentations and publications in which the results of research carried out by the students under his/her supervision are disseminated.
• Article 10.- Thesis director 1. Within a period of no more than one month from the registration of the doctoral student, the academic committee responsible for the program will assign him or her a doctoral thesis director, who may or may not be the same as the tutor referred to in the previous article. This assignment may be given to any Spanish or foreign doctor who meets any of the following requirements:
  • Be in possession of at least one section of research merits, in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 1086/1989, dated 28 August, on the remuneration of university teaching staff (BOE No. 216, dated 9 September), amended by Royal Decrees 1949/1995, dated 1 December (BOE No. 16, dated 18 January 1996); 74/2000, dated 21 January (BOE No. 19, dated 22 January), and 1325/2002, dated 13 December (BOE No. 305, dated 21 December), or equivalent merits for those who do not have access to the assessment of these sections because they do not belong to the university teaching bodies.
  • Be in possession of three sections of research merits, according to the provisions of Decree 140/2002, of October 7 (BOC No. 139, of October 18) and have directed a doctoral thesis, or have co-directed two. In both cases, regardless of the university, center or institution in which they provide their services, they must be included in one of the lines of research that are integrated into the corresponding doctoral program.
• 2. The academic committee, after hearing the doctoral candidate and, where applicable, his/her tutor, may modify the appointment of the doctoral thesis supervisor at any time during the period of completion of the doctorate, provided that there are justified reasons. The appropriate report from the supervisor shall be requested. 3. The thesis may have another supervisor, who must meet the same requirements established for being a thesis supervisor in that doctoral programme, when there are academic reasons, such as the case of thematic interdisciplinarity or programmes developed in national or international collaboration, with prior authorisation from the academic committee. This authorisation may be revoked subsequently if, in the opinion of the academic committee, co-supervision does not benefit the development of the thesis. 4. Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous section, a new researcher or a professor or researcher with a minimum of research experience who does not meet the requirements established to be a thesis supervisor may assume the functions of co-supervisor. In any case, the candidate must have a civil service or contractual relationship with the university or organisation that collaborates in the development of the programme. There may not be more than one co-director of this profile. 5. The academic committee of the doctoral programme will ensure an adequate and proportionate distribution of doctoral students between the lines of research that make up the doctoral programme and the directors. For these purposes, the following limitations are established:
  • In the same academic year, the same thesis director may not be appointed to more than three new students with full-time dedication, or equivalent.
  • It is established that a director may not simultaneously direct more than four doctoral theses that are being carried out on a full-time basis, or their equivalent on a part-time basis. Likewise, the same team of director and co-director may not direct more than four theses simultaneously.
  • The limit indicated in the preceding section may be raised to eight in the case of directors whose previously directed theses have each given rise to at least two publications in scientific journals with international censors. In any case, from the fifth doctoral thesis onwards, a co-director must be required, without prejudice to the limitations indicated in the preceding section.
  • Theses completed under the joint supervision modality will not be counted for the purposes indicated in this section.
  • For each thesis for which there is no evidence of receipt of at least one publication by the corresponding publishing entity within a period of no more than one year after its defense, the limits indicated for thesis supervision in this section will be reduced by one.
• 6. The work of supervising doctoral students and directing theses will be recognized as part of the teaching and research dedication of the teaching staff in the
  7. Any director whose doctoral students defend their theses in a period of more than four years will see the limit established in article 10.5.b of this regulation reduced by one for each thesis defended in a period longer than that indicated. The same will apply, in terms of
  8. Thesis supervisors are obliged to include the University of La Laguna in all presentations, communications and publications in which the results of research carried out by their doctoral students are disseminated. Likewise, they must include the department to which they are assigned in the case of being a professor at the University of La Laguna, unless the corresponding editorial regulations make this impossible, without prejudice to mentioning their affiliation with other research entities. Failure to comply with this obligation will mean that they cannot be appointed as supervisor of new doctoral students. The supervisor may justify the origin of the failure to comply before the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which will decide on the application of the provisions set out in this section.

Academic Committee, Coordination and Faculty of the Program

For its part, articles 11 to 17 of the ULL Official Doctoral Studies Regulations, reproduced below, define the different academic and management bodies of the programme, as well as the teaching staff.

• Article 11.- Academic coordination of the doctoral program.
  • Each doctoral programme will have a coordinator appointed by the Rector, in accordance with the terms set out in these Regulations. In the case of joint programmes with other universities or research institutions, the coordinator will be appointed in accordance with the provisions of the collaboration agreement.
  • This status must be held by a relevant researcher and be supported by the previous supervision or co-supervision of at least two doctoral theses and the justification of the possession of at least two periods of recognized research activity in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 1086/1989, of August 28, on university teaching staff remuneration, the last of which must be in force. In the event that said researcher occupies a position in which the aforementioned evaluation criterion is not applicable, he or she must demonstrate merits comparable to those indicated.
• Article 12.- Functions of the academic coordinator. The functions of the academic coordinator shall be:
  • Chair the academic committee of the official doctoral program.
  • Prepare the reports required by the Rector regarding applications for authorization of enrollment of foreign students.
  • Carry out all necessary procedures with the Doctoral School or the body responsible for the doctoral program, as well as with the competent bodies and services for the resolution of academic problems that arise during the development of the program. Likewise, the candidate will be responsible for carrying out the procedures established as his/her responsibility in calls for applications from public or private organizations aimed at financing actions within the framework of doctoral training.
  • Participate in the quality evaluation processes of the programme, in accordance with the provisions of Article 36 of this Regulation.
  • Inform the Doctoral School of the updated list of potential thesis supervisors for each line of research, as well as the list of co-supervisors, before the registration periods established for each academic year, accompanied by documentary evidence of compliance with the conditions established for being eligible, in the case of the incorporation of new supervisors.
  • Monitor compliance with the provisions of these regulations regarding the dissemination of research results by students of the official doctoral program that it coordinates.
  • Any other functions assigned by the applicable regulations and competent bodies.
• Article 13.- Validity of academic coordination
  • The academic coordination will last for three academic years from the date of appointment.
  • The position may be extended for another equal period of time.
  • Once the term of the academic coordination has expired, or if it becomes vacant for any of the reasons contemplated in the current regulations, the Rector will proceed to appoint a new coordinator, in light of the proposal of the corresponding academic committee, after hearing the center or body on which the doctoral program depends.
• Article 14.- The academic commission.
  • The academic committee of the official doctoral programme will be made up of a maximum of seven professors and/or researchers participating in it, including the academic coordinator, who will act as its president. The academic committee must include at least one member from each line of research that makes up the doctoral programme, respecting the above limit. In the event that there are more than seven lines of research, at the end of each term of office the academic committee will be renewed, with professors and/or researchers from those lines that did not have representatives in the previous term being included as members. Where appropriate, a rotating system of designation of members will be established for each line of research, so that each line does not have a representative on the academic committee for more than two consecutive terms.
  • Members of the academic committee who are professors or researchers must meet the same requirements established to be a thesis director in the corresponding doctoral program.
  • In addition, up to three representatives from entities outside the doctoral programme who collaborate in its development may join the academic committee, provided that they have a doctorate degree. If necessary, a rotating system of designation of representatives by external entities will be established.
• Article 15.- Functions of the academic committee. The following shall be the functions of the academic committee:
  • Propose the admission of students.
  • Establish the training supplements that admitted students must take, if applicable, based on their access profile, in accordance with what is established in the application form for verification of the doctoral program.
  • Assign a tutor and director to each new student entering the doctoral program.
  • Collaborate with the academic coordinator in the development of his/her functions.
  • Evaluate the research plan and activity document of each student in the program within the established deadlines.
  • Select the doctors who must issue the reports on those doctoral theses that aspire to the title of Doctor with International Mention.
  • To analyze the doctoral theses that are presented in order to begin the defense process, with a view to issuing the corresponding report, in accordance with the provisions of article 26.2.c) of these regulations.
  • Formulate the proposal for the appointment of the doctors who will form part of the thesis committee.
  • Propose to the Rector the appointment of a new academic coordinator once the termination occurs due to the completion of the period established in these regulations, or due to any of the circumstances contemplated in current legislation for academic positions.
  • Check each academic year that the members of the doctoral program meet the requirements established to be assigned as thesis directors. For this purpose, they will send an updated list of them to the Doctoral School before the beginning of each academic year.
  • Any others assigned by the competent bodies.
• Article 16.- Validity of the academic commission
  • Membership of the academic committee will last for three academic years from the date of appointment, provided that the conditions for membership are maintained. Otherwise, the member will be terminated and replaced in the year in which it is determined that the member does not meet these requirements.
  • Members of the research lines that make up the doctoral program may replace the members designated by them when any of the reasons contemplated in the regulations governing membership of collegiate bodies arise.
  • Membership of the academic committee may be extended once if so deemed by the members of the research line to which the member is attached.
• Article 17.- The teaching staff.
  • The teaching staff of an official doctoral programme must hold a doctorate degree, without prejudice to the possible collaboration in certain specific activities of other persons or professionals by virtue of their relevant qualifications in the corresponding field of knowledge.
  • The same person may not hold the position of professor and student of an official doctoral program.