ITSP (Individual Training and Supervision Plan) requirements

General requirements for your SENSE ITSP

Your individual training programme will consist of various types of course elements, with a minimum size of 30 ECTS in total. One ECTS is approximately equivalent to a work load of 28 hours. Most elements are optional, but some are mandatory. The general framework of the SENSE ITSP is summarised in the table on the next page.

The SENSE PhD training programme consists of the following elements:

 

Basic course / training ‘Environmental Research in Context' (mandatory)

• A1: SENSE Course: Environmental Research in Context (2 ECTS)

This introductory course should be followed preferably in the first or second year of your PhD study. For finishing the course you should attend the introductory week in an external conference venue and you should present the outlines of your PhD research in the on-line research guide at the SENSE website.

• A2: Research Context activity (3 - 6 ECTS)

This mandatory research activity may be made operational in different forms, which should be discussed with the A2 co-ordinator beforehand. One leading principle in the choice of a specific A2 project will always be that the PhD student him-/herself and his/her PhD research should benefit from the proposed A2 project. Please contact the A2 co-ordinator, Dr. Ad van Dommelen, timely to agree on the content of your A2 activity and the ECTS remuneration.

Summary General Requirements SENSE ITSP 

PhD courses
Code	Activity	Mandatory / Optional	ECTS
A1-SENSE	Introductory SENSE course "Environmental Research in Context"	Mandatory	2
A2-SENSE	Research in Context Activity, to be approved by the A2 coordinator	Mandatory	3 - 6
Sxxx:	SENSE PhD courses: Specialised and widening SENSE PhD courses	Mandatory: 6 ECTS, including at least one SENSE PhD course	≥ 6
ORSxxx	Specialised and widening PhD courses offered by Other Research Schools (ORS)
MSc courses	Advanced and specialised MSc courses to be approved of by the SENSE Director of Education
Gxxx	General Skills Courses for PhD students	Optional	≥ 0
Other PhD education and training components
Component	Activity	Mandatory / Optional	ECTS
Research Skills Training	Detailed elaboration of the research set-up, work plan and time schedule of your PhD project within a year after the start of your PhD to be approved of by your supervisor	Mandatory	1
	Writing your own PhD research proposal, reviewed and approved of by SENSE (send it to Johan.Feenstra@wur.nl)	Mandatory for most sandwich and some other PhD students	0 or 6
	Writing a follow-up research proposal, reviewed by SENSE (send it to Johan.Feenstra@wur.nl)	Optional	0 or 6
	Site-specific training, for example in the use of specific equipment	Optional	0 - 6
	External training period at a scientific (foreign) research institute	Optional	0 - 6
	Extended literature study, supervised by a SENSE research leader (NOT the standard literature review every PhD student should do at the start of his/her PhD)	Optional	0 - 6
Management Skills Training	Organisation of a scientific workshop, SENSE symposium or SENSE Core meeting	Optional; 1 ECTS for a half day activity (if more, please explain)	0 - 6
	Membership of a PhD Council, General Board Research Institute, SENSE Research and Education Committee	Optional	0 - 6
	Co-organisation of a SENSE PhD course	Optional	0 - 6
Presentations	Attending at least 2 SENSE meetings and presenting your own PhD research once	Mandatory	1
	Presenting PhD research at a international symposium	Mandatory: once 1 ECTS per presentation	1 - 3
Publications	Articles in refereed scientific journals (first author)	Optional; 2 ECTS per accepted publication	0 - 8
TOTAL			≥ 30

1 ECTS (European Credit Transfer Sytem) is roughly equivalent to 28 study hours.

Specialised and widening PhD courses (mandatory: minimum 6 ECTS, including at least 1 SENSE PhD course)

SENSE offers a course programme, intended both to deepen your knowledge in certain environmental disciplines or methodologies and to widen your knowledge in adjacent relevant disciplines. The category specialised and widening PhD courses include:

• All SENSE PhD courses, exclusive of the General Skills (Gxxx) courses

• PhD courses offered by other graduate schools

• Specialised MSc courses, approved by the SENSE Director of education (listed at the SENSE website)

Personal Development Courses (all elements are optional)These courses are intended to improve your general skills. This type of courses is usually offered by your own university to all PhD students. Some general skills courses are organised by SENSE (G-category). Most of these courses are organised by the joint Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS). This course category includes:

Professional skills support courses:

• PhD Competence Assessment (highly recommended)

• Advanced English language courses (Written English; Scientific Writing)

• Courses to improve your oral and written presentation skills; for example SENSE course G400 ‘Techniques for writing and presenting a scientific paper' (highly recommended)

• Courses to enhance didactic and communication skills, for instance: G450 Supervising MSc thesis students

• Courses on project, research and time management; for example SENSE course G200 ‘Time planning and project management for PhD students' (highly recommended)

• Courses on writing research proposals

• Courses on career planning; for example SENSE course G600 ‘career orientation'

Management skills training:

• Organisation of scientific workshops, seminars and courses (1 ECTS for an activity of a half day; maximum 6 ECTS)

• Membership of a PhD Council, General Boards, Research and Education Committees of SENSE or one of the SENSE institutes (maximum 6 ECTS)

Research skills training (some elements mandatory; other elements optional)

• Completion (within the first year of the PhD study) of a definite and detailed elaboration of the PhD proposal, including a concrete research set-up, work plan and realistic time schedule, approved by your supervisor (mandatory, 1 ECTS)

• Writing your own PhD research proposal during the first six months of your PhD study, reviewed by two external experts and approved by SENSE (mandatory for Sandwich PhDs and some other PhD students: 6 ECTS)

• Writing a follow-up research proposal in the last year of your PhD period, reviewed by at least two scientific experts (optional; 6 ECTS)

• All SENSE PhD students have to attend and to participate in at least 2 workshops, annually organised by SENSE, and present their own research project once, preferably during the first half of their PhD period (mandatory, 1 ECTS)

• In the second half of their research period, all SENSE PhD students are required to give a presentation of the current results of their PhD research at an international scientific symposium or congress, at least once during their PhD period (mandatory, 1 ECTS per presentation; maximum 3 ECTS)

• Publishing the results of your PhD research in an international refereed scientific journal or refereed scientific book (first author); (highly recommended; 2 ECTS per accepted publication in a refereed scientific journal as first author; maximum 8 ECTS)

• Site-specific training in, for example, the use of specific equipment (optional; maximum 6 ECTS)

• External training period at a renowned (foreign) research institute (optional; maximum 6 ECTS)

• Extended detailed study of scientific literature, supervised by a SENSE research leader (optional; maximum 6 ECTS); NOT including the standard literature review, each PhD student should do at the start of its PhD.