Aside from the mechanisms for recognizing/counting mentoring/supervision duties mentioned above, the University of La Laguna has established systems to encourage the incorporation of early-career researchers or professors with research results that do not qualify them as thesis supervisors, as these results have not been validated by research merit assessments. In this regard, the Official Doctoral Studies Regulations, in Article 10, Section 4, establishes that: "Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous section, a early-career researcher or a professor or researcher with a minimum level of research experience who does not meet the requirements established for a thesis supervisor may assume the duties of co-supervisor. In all cases, they must have a civil service or contractual relationship with the university or organization collaborating in the development of the program. There may not be more than one co-supervisor of this profile."

The goal is for these researchers/professors to acquire the appropriate level of qualifications to be able to join the program as directors when they meet the requirements established by the ULL in its Regulations.

Likewise, the latest amendment to the Regulations for the Recruitment of Assistant Professors, Collaborating Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors at the University of La Laguna includes having supervised doctoral theses as an assessment criterion in the corresponding scales, within the research activity block.

The supervision of doctoral students will be recognized as part of the teaching and research dedication of the faculty in accordance with the terms established by the corresponding regulations of the University of La Laguna.

5.1.1 The Doctoral Thesis project
The thesis project will consist of a report on the work to be carried out, covering the background, methodology, objectives, and bibliography of the topic. It must be submitted to the Doctoral Academic Council (CAD), with the approval of the assigned thesis supervisor. This report must have a minimum length of between 3,000 and 9,000 words. The project may be modified up to one month before the doctoral thesis is accepted for processing, following the same procedure.

5.1.2 Thesis Director Requirements
The requirements established by the Official Doctoral Teaching Regulations of La Laguna to be able to act as a doctoral thesis director are established in its article 10:

– Thesis supervisors must hold doctoral degrees and have at least one recognized research merit group in accordance with Royal Decree 1086/1989. If these groups are not eligible for evaluation (associate professors, assistant professors, and contracted researchers), they must have equivalent merits (accreditation of five relevant contributions according to CNEAI criteria). Alternatively, professors with three recognized research merits in accordance with Decree 140/2002, of October 7 (Official Gazette of the University of Barcelona, Official Gazette of Barcelona, no. 139, of October 18) and who have supervised one thesis or co-supervised two may also be doctoral thesis supervisors. In any case, both supervisors and supervisors must be enrolled in one of the programs included in this program.

The supervision of a doctoral thesis may be shared by two researchers. The inclusion of a co-supervisor must be authorized by the program's Academic Committee and is subject to academic reasons such as interdisciplinary research topics or joint supervision with researchers from other national or international centers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a junior researcher with a minimum of research experience who does not meet the requirements to be a supervisor may serve as co-supervisor. In any case, the co-supervisor must have a contractual relationship with the ULL or the center collaborating in the development of the program.

A professor may not supervise or co-supervise more than four doctoral theses simultaneously. This limit may be increased if the supervised theses result in more than two publications in journals included in the top two quartiles of the field's impact index according to the Journal Citation Reports, or if one of the supervised theses is co-supervised with researchers from other national or international centers. Conversely, if one of the supervised theses is defended over a period of more than four years, or has not resulted in any publications within one year of its defense, the limit will be reduced.

One of the priority short- and medium-term objectives of this program is to foster interaction between our doctoral students and researchers from leading centers, with the aim of promoting the international thesis category. The regulations for the doctoral degree with international recognition (Art. 15 of Royal Decree 99/2011 and Art. 28 of the REODULL) require the participation of international experts in monitoring, preparing reports, and conducting evaluation committees.

5.1.3 Rights and duties of doctoral students

– The REODULL (Article 20) recognizes the following rights and duties of doctoral students: common rights and duties of university students and specific rights and duties of doctoral students established in the University Student Statute approved by Royal Decree 1791/2010, of December 30; rights and duties that, in their capacity as ULL students, are recognized and result from the ULL statutes insofar as they apply to postgraduate students.

In particular, they are subject to the following duties:

• complete the training activities established in the doctoral program,
• present the work completed to the director in the format and timeframe that has been previously agreed upon,
• consult with the director before carrying out any additional activities to your training,
• comply with safety regulations at work,
• Include the ULL in all communications and publications in which the results of the research carried out are disseminated, and comply with the ethical standards established by the university.

The Commitment Document will include the unconditional acceptance by the doctoral candidate and director of the respective rights and obligations provided for in the REODULL, and will address aspects relating to intellectual property rights and the dispute resolution procedure, in accordance with the provisions of Article 22.

– In the context of the Doctoral School being launched at the ULL, a guide to good practices for supervising doctoral theses is being developed. Until its final publication, this doctoral program adheres to the European Charter for Research and Code of Conduct for Research Recruitment, embracing the principles of intellectual freedom, ethical praxis, professional responsibility, transparent and efficient financial management of funds, joint responsibility of institutions in the appropriate dissemination of results and efforts in continuing education, and the role of established researchers in promoting younger researchers. Furthermore, the program assumes responsibility for ensuring that research projects comply with the methodological, ethical, and legal requirements applicable to research.

– Likewise, the ULL will guarantee the principles and rights regarding pluralism, ideological and religious freedom, non-discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality or sex, and equal opportunities with special attention to disabled people (section

3.2.6 of this report), as well as the confidentiality in the custody and processing of personal data of doctoral students in their possession.

5.1.4 The Doctoral School and the Academic Commission

The supervision, monitoring, and evaluation of doctoral programs are the responsibility of the Doctoral School, through the Postgraduate Studies Committee and the Program's Academic Committee. Pursuant to Articles 14-16 of the REODULL (Regulations on the Functioning of the Doctoral Program), the program's Academic Committee will be composed of a maximum of seven participating professors and/or researchers, including the academic coordinator, who will act as its chair. This position must be held by a relevant researcher and be supported by at least two periods of recognized research activity in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 1086/1989, of August 28, on faculty remuneration. The committee will include at least one member from each line of research that makes up the doctoral program, respecting the aforementioned limit. If there are more than seven lines of research, the academic committee will be renewed at the end of each term, and professors and/or researchers from those lines that did not have representatives in the previous term will be included as members. Members of the academic committee must meet the same requirements established for thesis supervisors. In addition, representatives from entities external to the doctoral program that collaborate in its development may be included as members of the academic committee, in a number not exceeding three. If necessary, a rotating system for appointing representatives by external entities will be established.

Membership of the academic committee will last three academic years from the date of appointment, provided the conditions for membership are met. Research line members may replace the members they appoint if any of the reasons provided for in the regulations governing membership of collegiate bodies arise. Membership of the academic committee may be extended once if the members of the research line to which they are assigned so deem appropriate.

The functions of the academic committee will be the following:

a) Propose the admission of students,
b) Establish the training complements that must be taken, where appropriate, by the admitted students based on their access profile,
c) Assign a tutor and director to each new student,
d) Evaluate the research plan and the activities document of each student in the program within the established deadlines,
e) To choose the doctors who must issue the reports on the doctoral theses that aspire to the title of Doctor with "International Mention",
f) Analyze the doctoral theses submitted to begin their defense process and issue the corresponding report,
g) Formulate the proposal for the appointment of the doctors who will form part of the thesis committee,
h) Verify each academic year that the members of the doctoral program meet the requirements established to be assigned as thesis supervisors.

Criteria for appointing faculty as thesis supervisors and co-supervisors

Any doctor linked to the doctoral program may direct a theses, understood as someone who teaches in the Faculties of Fine Arts, Philology or Geography and History, with accredited research experience and who is registered, within the doctoral program, as a professor responsible for the supervision of doctoral theses. Research experience will be considered accredited, within the Doctoral Program in Arts and Humanities, when the holder has a six-year research period or obtained, in the last six years, 3 Research Sections (in accordance with Decree 140/2002) having directed a doctoral thesis or co-directed two doctoral theses.

The same criteria regarding research experience apply to the co-supervision of theses by any other doctor from the ULL.

External co-supervision of theses by other national or foreign researchers belonging to public research organizations may exist when their links with ULL research groups are proven, or when justified by reasons of interdisciplinary work or the consolidation of research networks.

These co-directors must also have proven research experience in the field of research relevant to the thesis, in accordance with the criteria established by the Doctoral Program in Arts and Humanities.

Assignment of tutors in the event that the thesis supervision falls to doctors who are not members of the ULL

In exceptional cases, the CAD may authorize other PhD holders not affiliated with the program to supervise the thesis. In this case, the CAD will assign a tutor from among the PhD holders affiliated with the program, based on the research area to which the thesis is based. Both the PhD holder and the tutor must have proven research experience according to the criteria of the Doctoral Program in Arts and Humanities.

Selection criteria for European professors to evaluate theses seeking the European Mention

Theses eligible for the European Mention must be reviewed by at least two PhDs, experts in the research field in which the thesis is registered. These experts must belong to two different institutions and must have proven research experience comparable to the criteria of the Doctoral Program in Arts and Humanities.