Newsletter 049/2009

Heidelberg University

Doctoral Candidates Survey “ProFile”

In early July 2009, the Institute for Research Information and Quality Assurance (iFQ) received the mandate from Heidelberg University to launch a survey of Heidelberg doctoral candidates. The long-term goal of the survey project is the improvement of conditions for research and training for doctoral candidates at the University.

At the beginning of the project, doctoral candidates from seven University Faculties were invited to participate in the survey and the remaining Faculties will become involved in the project within the next year. The survey anonymously collects data regarding the following aspects of doctoral training: the existing support network for doctoral candidates, doctoral candidates’ support requirements, their financial situation and their long-term career development. The results obtained in the surveys will be analyzed and interpreted in the long-term iFQ study “ProFile”.

We would like to encourage all doctoral candidates who have already received a participation code to participate in the survey and thereby to assist in improving doctoral training at Heidelberg University. The survey will also provide us with valuable information regarding your evaluation of the services of the Graduate Academy. The University will report regularly on the intermediary and long-term results of the study.

The seven Faculties participating in the pilot project are:

• The Faculty of Law
• The Faculty of Modern Languages
• The Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
• The Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies
• The Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences
• The Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
• The Faculty of Biosciences

More information about the study “ProFile” is available at:
http://www.research-information.de/Projekte/ProFile/projekte_profile.asp

You can obtain information about the project’s data privacy policies at:
datenschutz@forschungsinfo.de

Contact:
profile@forschungsinfo.de