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1. TAC Committee Composition: (guidelines dated 2016)

• The Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) should consist of 3 to 4 experienced scientists (including the doctoral student's advisor).
• Other than the supervisor, 2TAC members must come from outside of the student ‘s research group, in order to foster interdisciplinarity.
• It is not a requirement that all of the members of the TAC hold the position of professor. However, it is recommended that at least two members are professors.
• TAC members must not necessarily be members of the LMU Faculty of Biology.
• TAC members should be willing to remain on the TAC for the duration of the student's studies, when possible.
• All TAC members should be present at each TAC meeting.
• An important point of consideration : TAC members are not necessarily those who will serve on the evaluation board for the thesis defense.

1. TAC Committee Composition: (guidelines dated 2023)

• The Thesis Advisory Committee (from here on referred to as TAC) should consist of 3 to 4 experienced scientists including the doctoral student's advisor who will act as the first thesis reviewer (TAC 1), and another member who will act as the second thesis reviewer (TAC 2). Other than the supervisor, 2 TAC members must come from outside of the student‘s research group, in order to foster interdisciplinarity.
• It is not a requirement that all of the members of the TAC hold the position of professor. However, please keep in mind that the first and second thesis reviewers should have a habilitation and are members of the LMU faculty of Biology*
• All TAC members should be present at each TAC meeting
• The 1st and 2nd TAC members serve as the first and second reviewers/examiners for the doctoral thesis on the evaluation board for the thesis defense.

*If your direct LSM supervisor is affiliated to the faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medical or Veterinary Medicine faculty, then in this case the second thesis reviewer (TAC 2) as well as TAC 3 or TAC 4 will need to be members of the faculty of Biology.

2. TAC Responsibilities:

• The TAC exists to assist doctoral students by monitoring the pace and progress of a student's work and advising the student about the development of their research project, hereby complementing the role of the student's direct supervisor. This should occur on a yearly basis and include evaluating whether and to what extent the scientific approach, the scope of the proposal, and the research topic(s) are sufficient and suitable for a doctoral thesis project.
• With respect to the above mentioned evaluations and assessments, the TAC can (and is encouraged to) recommend changes to a student's proposal, and may also recommend a timeline for accomplishing defined goals necessary for completing the thesis research in time.
• Additionally, the TAC may advise students with regards to career planning and professional development.
• Members of the TAC may eventually mediate discussions between students and supervisors.
• Please read the full version of the TAC regulations, available here (dated 2016) !
• Please read the full version of the TAC regulations, available here (dated 2023) !

Students should  arrange an initial meeting with their TAC members during which; the scope, impact, feasibility and associated risks of their project should be discussed. The first TAC-meeting should take place within the first six months of the doctoral studies. And then follow subsequently, every year.

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Research project towards a PhD degree

The PhD thesis research project is at the core of the curriculum. The progress of the project is monitored by a Thesis Advisory Committee.

For each PhD student of the International Max Planck Research School on Solar System Science at the Universitiy of Göttingen, a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) is set up at the beginning of the PhD project. The establishment of a Thesis Advisory Committee, along with mutual agreement of the TAC members and the student on an abstract and work plan for the PhD project, are prerequisites for admission and enrolment at the university.

The TAC usually consists of at least three scientists. One of its members has to be a faculty member at the university where the student is enroled. If the doctoral degree regulations of the university requires so, two members have to be professors or habilitated scientists. The daily supervisor is a member of the TAC. The student can propose a member of their choice.

The TAC approves the PhD project, reviews the progress of the PhD student and advises them on further studies and research. The TAC also approves a thesis as ready for submission. When it can be foreseen that a PhD project will not be successfully finished, the TAC can recommend to discontinue the project; this has to be confirmed by the IMPRS chairperson.

The TAC meets at least once per year with the student and documents these meetings by written minutes with an executive summary. These meetings shall preferentially take place in months 3-6, 15-18 and 27-30 after the beginning of a PhD project. On request of the student, one of the TAC members or the IMPRS chairperson, the TAC also meets in between.

TAC members also assume the role of mentors and advise students on a suitable choice of lectures, qualification courses, encourage and advise on publication of results in scientific journals and the communication of research findings at scientific conferences.

A member of the TAC usually also acts as one of the referees for the submitted thesis and becomes part of the doctoral committee for the defense. After successful submission and defense, the TAC member authorizes the publication of the thesis.

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Thesis Advisory Committee Meeting (TAC)

The Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) is a group of faculty members and experts who provide advice and feedback to doctoral candidates annually at TAC meetings throughout the dissertation research process. The TAC plays a critical role in ensuring quality, monitoring progress, and providing external advice to the doctoral candidate and supervisor(s). In addition, the TAC provides formalized support and mentoring as well as space to resolve potential conflicts or challenges and to provide feedback for individual career development.

• the PhD candidate
• a VDS CoBeNe representative serving as chair (K.Hellekes, T. Tapaj or J. Reiter)
• the supervisor(s)
• the two mentors: i) a CoBeNe faculty member, not involved in the PhD studies ii) a n expert,  often external , does not have to be a professor or member of the CoBeNe faculty/ UniVie Criteria for selecting mentors: - Expertise - Availability - Not involved in the project - Diversity of perspectives - Good working relationship - Networking - Potential reference for job applications - Conflict of interest: TAC member can't serve as reviewer for the dissertation

Role as PhD candidate

Before the meeting: 

• Fill in the form you can download below (only pages marked to be filled in by you) and send it to vds.cobene @ univie.ac.at before the TAC meeting.
• Organize your TAC meeting (send an e-mail to everyone with a doodle/termino link for finding an appointment; see below in "organization" box).
• If the meeting is online: Be sure everyone receives the zoom link ahead of time.
• Think about what you want to get out of this particular meeting. The meetings are limited to 1 hour, which is often quite short. To make the most of it, choose what you want to focus on - is there a specific paper you're struggling with? Do you want advice on the direction of your plans? Are you near the end of your doctorate and want advice on how to select your defense reviewers and how to find a post doc position or secure funding? Thinking about your needs ahead of time will help you structure the meeting to your advantage.
• Prepare a presentation. It should give an overview of your dissertation, your plans and current state of project(s), and any other activities you find important to mention (e.g. teaching, conferences - though you do not need to give details on the activities).

During the meeting: 

• Give your presentation and be sure to stick to the 15 minutes - the longer you take, the less advice you can receive. 
• Let the committee know about any specific questions you wish to focus on.
• After the presentation and the committee members' feedback to it, there are separate conversations: one without supervisor(s) and afterwards one without the PhD candidate. In this separate meeting, you will be asked about your general satisfaction with the project's progress and your working relationship with the supervisor(s).

After the meeting: 

• The CoBeNe office member will complete the form you sent in beforehand and will return it to you, so that you have notes of the questions, comments and feedback you got during the meeting. 
• Follow up on any suggestions made during the meeting (such as courses to attend, etc.)

Role as supervisor

Before the meeting:

• Once a year, you will be asked to attend your PhD candidate's TAC Meeting. It can be very helpful if you send the doctoral candidate some suggested dates that work for you; the doctoral candidate will then take over the organization and coordinate with the other TAC members.

During the meeting:

• The PhD candidate will give a presentation about their current progress and any specific issues they might want the committee's input on. 
• about your general satisfaction with the project's progress and your working relationship with the PhD candidate
• to evaluate the PhD candidate's current progress on a scale along the dimensions of communication, critical thinking and insight, general knowledge on the topic, research methods, motivation, and independence
• about any specific recommendations or support offers you may have for the PhD candidate (e.g., taking a specific methods course, a writing workshop, planning a stay abroad/lab visit, etc.)
• about the PhD candidate's teaching and supervision load, if applicable
• about space in the project for the PhD candidate's own ideas
• The CoBeNe office member will send the meeting minutes to everyone, so that you have notes of the questions, comments and feedback.
• Follow up on suggestions made during the meeting.

Role as mentor

• You will be asked to attend one meeting per year (the TAC meeting). This will be organized by the PhD candidate, taking place either in person or via Zoom depending on preference.
• The role as a Thesis Advisory mentor does not entail any other roles or commitments. In particular, being part of a doctoral candidate's TAC precludes you from serving as a reviewer for their dissertation at their PhD defense. 
• I t can be helpful to offer occasional advice, e.g., to discuss specific issues with a study/paper, in between the annual meetings. This is voluntary and depends on what you are prepared to offer and what you agree upon with the PhD candidate.
• Sometimes, collaborations can also develop from TACs.

The PhD candidate will give a presentation about their current progress and any specific issues they might want the committee's input on. You will be asked to 

• provide your feedback (questions, recommendations, advice)
• particularly at the later TAC meetings, as the PhD candidate approaches graduation, give advice about the academic job market (or alternatives), funding options, strategies for finding a suitable post doc postiion, etc.
• After the PhD candidate's presentation and your feedback to that, there will be two separate sessions - first without the supervisor(s), and then without the PhD candidate. You will be present during both sessions, in which the supervisor's and the PhD candidate's satisfaction with the current progress of the project and any specific issues they may want help with will be discussed independently. You will also be asked to advise here as needed.
• The TAC meeting should be scheduled every year.
• First TAC meeting can be used in preparation for the Public Presentation (FÖP) or planned independently.
• T AC meetings can also be organized as part of a regular working group seminar or as an annual employee meeting (Jahresgespräch).
• You can organize your TAC meeting online (e.g., via Zoom) or in person. For in person meetings, please book a room. In general, we do not recommend hybrid meetings.

Organization and structure of the meeting

• The PhD candidate will send an e-mail to all participants (i.e., supervisor(s), mentors and vds.cobene @ univie.ac.at ) to determine possible meeting dates (e.g., using doodle or termino). Everyone fills in their availabilities. It is helpful to ask the supervisor(s) for a few possible dates in advance. 
• The meeting must be scheduled for ONE hour.
• Information on the theoretical background of the project
• Research questions, hypotheses and planned studies
• (First) results, difficulties encountered or anticipated
• D issemination strategy
• Timetable (e.g., Gantt chart)
• Overview of achievements of the last year (e.g. conferences, courses), max. 1 slide
• After the 15 min presentation there will be a Q&A part, for scientific feedback from the committee.
• The last 20 minutes of the meeting are dedicated to private sessions (one without the supervisor(s), the other without the PhD candidate). The supervisor(s) and PhD candidate will each be asked to shortly wait outside the room or in an online waiting room.
• After the meeting, a summary of the meeting contents will be sent out by the CoBeNe office.

• Dissertation Advisory Committee
• Introduction

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Dissertation Advisory Committee; Thesis Acceptance Certificate

The Dissertation Advisory Committee formally approves the dissertation by signing the Thesis Acceptance Certificate . In PhD programs that are not lab-based, this committee also guides the student in writing the dissertation. The committee should work cohesively in supporting the student to produce their best work. The signatures of these faculty members on the Thesis Acceptance Certificate indicate formal acceptance of the student’s scholarly contribution to the field.  

In some fields, especially in the sciences, the Dissertation Advisory Committee described below is known locally as the “Dissertation Defense Committee.” In these programs, a separate additional committee (also called the Dissertation Advisory Committee) that includes the student’s primary advisor, will guide the student’s progress until submission for formal review by the DAC/defense committee. The members of the DAC/defense committee give formal approval to the finished work, but the student’s work will be understood to have occurred under the guidance of the primary advisor. The changes to the DAC/defense committee as described below do not in any way affect the essential structure of dissertation advising that already exists in lab-based PhD programs. 

The following policy applies to every Harvard Griffin GSAS Dissertation Advisory Committee formed on or after July 1, 2024. Any Dissertation Advisory Committee approved before July 1, 2024 is subject to the rules outlined below, see “Grandfathering.”  

Effective July 1, 2024:  

•  The graduate thesis for the PhD shall be accepted, and the Thesis Acceptance Certificate signed, by at least three advisors, who will form the Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). At least two members of the committee shall be on-ladder faculty members. 
• In FAS-based programs, the Director of Graduate Studies or Department Chair or Area Chair shall sign off on the proposed committee.  
• For programs based outside the FAS, the Program Head shall sign off. 
• A program may petition the Dean of Harvard Griffin GSAS to consider a variation to the above requirement. 
• A Professor in Residence or Professor of the Practice may serve as a non-chairing member of the DAC, as long as the committee composition is consistent with “1.”  
•  Senior Lecturers and other non-ladder faculty may serve on the DAC as the third member when appropriate, as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, Department Chair, Area Chair, or Program Head, as long as the committee composition is consistent with “1.” 
• Tenured emeriti faculty members (including research professors) may serve on the DAC. They may co-chair the DAC with a current on-ladder faculty member from the student’s department or program but may not serve as the sole chair. 
• Non-Harvard faculty of equivalent appointment rank to on-ladder faculty at Harvard may serve as one of the non-chairing members of the DAC.  
• A committee with co-chairs shall require a third member, consistent with ”1.” 
• Additional members may be appointed to the DAC, as long as the core three-member committee is consistent with ”1.” 
• They may continue to serve as a committee member if they have moved to another institution with an appointment rank equivalent to on-ladder at Harvard.  
• Or, if they are no longer serving on the DAC (by choice of the student, the student’s program, and/or the departing faculty member), the advisor must be replaced in accordance with ”1.” 
• If the departing faculty member will remain as chair on the DAC, a co-chair must be designated in accordance with “1.” The co-chair may, in this instance, be the Director of Graduate Studies in the student’s program if a faculty member with field expertise is not available to serve in this capacity. 

Please note:

• “On ladder” refers to faculty members with tenure or who are tenure-track. The phrase “on ladder” is generally not used at HMS, but all HMS and HCSPH assistant, associate, and full professors are considered to be “on ladder” according to HMS Faculty Affairs, and, for the purposes of this legislation, may serve on the DAC/defense committee. 
• With regard to paragraph 3.b.ii, and in keeping with the spirit of this legislation, ordinarily a scholar appointed as a College Fellow would not be ready to serve as one of the three core members of the committee. 
• With regard to paragraph 3.b.iv, individuals who do not fit this category (e.g., a scholar holding a non-ladder faculty position at another institution) may sit on the committee as a fourth member, in accordance with paragraph 3.d.  
• On the rare occasion that a situation requires special consideration, programs are advised to consult with the Dean of Harvard Griffin GSAS.  

Grandfathering

Grandfathering, and rules applying to all dissertation advisory committees, regardless of status prior to July 1, 2024:  

For dissertation advisory committees approved before July 1, 2024 under the former policy ( Two signatories must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS); FAS emeriti (including research professors) and faculty members from other Schools at Harvard who hold appointments on Harvard Griffin GSAS degree committees are authorized to sign DACs as FAS members. Harvard Griffin GSAS strongly recommends that the chair of the dissertation committee be a member of the FAS. If approved by the department, it is possible to have co-chairs of the dissertation committee as long as one is a member of FAS) , the following rules apply:   

Dissertation Advisory Committees approved prior to July 1, 2024 will be grandfathered, except in two situations:  

• An existing DAC chaired by an individual whose faculty appointment does not meet the requirements of the new rules will need to be adjusted. A co-chair should be designated, with the option of appointing the DGS to serve as co-chair, as allowed in paragraph 3.e.iii;  
• An existing DAC with fewer than three members should be updated, and the new member(s) should be consistent with the new policy.   

Thesis Acceptance Certificate

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Thesis advisory committee (TAC)

A central component of the PPU program, offering additional support and guidance to the students, is the thesis advisory committee (TAC) that follows the progress made by each student on their thesis project.

The role of the TAC is to discuss the project with respect to the original aims and in light of new advances in the scientific field and the research plan for the next year and to provide advice for scientific and career issues. Each Committee is composed by three to four members : the Ph.D. advisor, a tutor (mentor), an external expert in the domain of the student’s Ph.D. project and a member of the doctoral school. The latter is suggested by the university, while the Ph.D. advisor suggests the names of two experts to the PPU Program Committee.

The Teaching Director of Institut Pasteur appoints the tutor, in agreement with the director of the scientific department to which the student is affiliated. The tutor serves as chair of the TAC. This role may be given to the external expert or the representative of the doctoral school (but not the advisor) by prior agreement, informing the PPU program office. In most cases, the TAC replaces the university committees taking place in other programs.

Students meet with the TAC whenever necessary, but not less than once per year. The meetings are organized by the student, in consultation with the Ph.D. advisor and the PPU program office. The first TAC meeting takes place in February of the first year. The second and third TAC meetings are programmed between October and March of subsequent academic years.

Before the meeting, the student writes a brief progress report that addresses research progress and plans, courses, publications, and any additional information pertinent to the student’s thesis, to be sent to the TAC Committee and the PPU program office at least one week before the scheduled meeting.

The meeting is organized in the following sequence:

1. A brief discussion among the members of the TAC in the absence of the student.

2. A presentation of the research progress and future plans by the student to provide an opportunity to discuss in detail the work described in the progress report.

3. The members of the TAC address questions to the student, discuss obstacles that may arise, and offer suggestions (the advisor should not participate in the discussion, unless requested).

4. A brief discussion with the student in the absence of the thesis advisor.

After the meeting, the chair writes a report on the progress and plans for the thesis. This report is sent to the PPU program office at Institut Pasteur ( [email protected] ), within one month of the date the TAC was held, preferably sooner. The PPU office submits a copy of the report to the doctoral school of the student. This report serves the purpose of updating the PPU program and the doctoral school on the student’s progress, and suggestions made by the TAC.

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Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

- for phd students who started after 2020ws and students who have not yet passed the public presentation..

The Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) evaluates the PhD student’s progress and gives external advice to the PhD student and the supervisor(s). Moreover, the TAC offers formalized support, and a ‘protected space’ to resolve possible conflicts between PhD students, supervisors, and other research/training team members. The TAC is an opportunity to foster collaborations, encourage cross-disciplinary approaches, provide technical support as well as increase the research network of supervisor(s) and student.

The TAC is nominated in the exposé that is submitted for the public presentation.

The TAC is composed of:

• the PhD student
• the supervisor(s)
• should be well-experienced in the respective research area of your PhD thesis topic, so that they can provide profound feedback during the process
• at least Senior PostDoc level with profound international research experience
• we recommend to select one internal (=from the University of Vienna) and one external advisor
• TAC members will not be allowed to assess the final dissertation

Meeting organization:

• the TAC meeting is organized by the PhD candidate; we recommend to send a summarized report (i.e. the pre-filled annual report) to the TAC-members prior to the TAC-meeting to provide a basis for discussion.
• we recommend integrating the TAC meeting into the annual report meeting, but it can also take place whenever necessary
• the TAC will meet at least once per year until the thesis is completed; it can be consulted more frequently if needed.
• If requested, the Executive Manager of the Doctoral School can chair the TAC-meeting as a neutral person. Please send and email to docschool.vdsee @ univie.ac.at  if needed.
• After the meeting, the TAC-minutes are provided to the Doctoral School. The meeting minutes protocol should be written by one of the TAC-members and NOT by the PhD-candidate

Please note: The first TAC-meeting has to take place in the first 12 months after starting the PhD.

Tac meeting format.

• Presentation (approx. 20 minutes), includes introduction, key proof-of-principle experiments and results, timeline and achievements. The presentation should focus on key points the committee needs to assess for the project
• Discussion (approx. 30 minutes) a) about the project, the progress, the finalization b) about the development of the PhD-candidate, career planning, if applicable any difficulties that arose
• Feedback round: PhD student + TAC; without the supervisor
• Feedback round: Supervisor + TAC; without the PhD student
• Summary and feedback round

TAC discussion and assessment of:

• What are the PhD candidate's goals/achievements/problems?
• Is the PhD candidate on a good track to become an independent scientist?
• Is the proposed plan realistic?

The TAC will check that:

• Expectations and progress perception of PhD candidate and supervisor(s) are aligned
• Regular meetings are happening
• Resources and support are in place or targeted
• Proposed plan for publication(s) and/or the PhD thesis writing and defense

The TAC will offer:

• Monitoring of project progression: What is the major progress and what are potential bottlenecks?
• Feedback on the proposed outlook, keeping in mind the timeline
• Feedback on career perspectives

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Thesis advisory committee (tac).

• Every new PhD student will need to form a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) within 8 months after enrolment into the graduate programme. The committee should have at least 3 members: the supervisor and two other members. The student’s main supervisor as Chair of the Committee and 2 committee members, one of whom should preferably be a faculty member from outside the School.
• The objective of the committee is to provide guidance to the graduate student throughout the student’s course of study.
• The committee should meet the student in the 8th month, 30th month and 42nd month from the date of admission to determine the progress of the student and to provide guidance and advice.
• The committee shall decide if the student has done sufficient research and has enough data for writing the final dissertation. Should there be disputes on academic matters between the student and the supervisor such as time to write the final dissertation and etc, the committee should review the progress made by the student thus far and recommend the best action.
• The committee may also recommend the termination of PhD candidature if the progress made by the student is deemed minimal or unsatisfactory.

See the recommended timeline for TAC meetings below. 

Thesis advisory committee

Thesis advisory committee - purpose and role.

In the first term of your program, your supervisor will appoint a thesis advisory committee, subject to minimum requirements for your program and university regulations. Thesis advisory committees assists supervisors in their role of monitoring and mentoring graduate student research. Committee members should be reasonably accessible to the student to fulfill on the commitment of the thesis advisory committee, which includes: 

• providing advice and recommendations on student research 
• helping to monitor and report on student progress throughout the graduate program
• formally meeting with the student on an annual basis
• serving on the thesis proposal examining committee
• serving on the thesis defence committee 
• PhD committee members may also be requested to serve on the PhD comprehensive examination committee (appointed separately and subject to approval)

The thesis advisory committee is not a substitute for overall supervision of the student; members are not normally expected to assist in experimental design, editing of materials, or other direct support (i.e. unless they are collaborators in the research and recognized as such).  See roles and responsibilities of advisory committees for information.

Appointment of the Thesis Advisory Committee

Within the first month of the program.

• this person will be a full faculty member of the School, who can assist the student if difficult situations arise in the absence of the supervisor(s) and who may chair thesis advisory committee meetings
• discussion of the project at this point is purely between supervisor and student

Within the first term

• the student and supervisor should complete and submit the Pharmacy thesis advisory committee appointment form to the administrative coordinator for graduate studies and research (grad coordinator) for approval
• the grad coordinator will manage obtaining the necessary approval signatures 
• the first formal meeting of the advisory committee held (see meeting schedule for details)

Composition of the Thesis Advisory Committee

In alignment with university regulations, the Thesis Advisory Committee consists of the supervisor or co-supervisors and at least two additional faculty members, including:

• one additional full faculty member of the School of Pharmacy
• involvement of any adjunct appointee requires approval 
• approval of an adjunct appointee is based on their research productivity and mentoring experience
• involvement of more than one adjunct appointee requires special permission
• supervisors should consider the composition of the PhD thesis examining committee, according to the  PhD thesis examination regulations when selecting PhD thesis advisory committee members
• if a student transfers from MSc to PhD, the Thesis Advisory Committee must be reappointed and approved

All changes to the composition of the thesis advisory committee requires a resubmission of the committee appointment form.

When a student transfers from MSc to PhD, the committee appointment must be re-approved and may need to be revised according to the regulations.

Thesis Advisory Committee Meetings

Meetings with the thesis advisory committee provide an opportunity for discussion and documentation of a student’s progress in their program. The intent is to provide the student with appropriate support and ensure timely and successful completion of the graduate program.

In Pharmacy, meetings with the thesis advisory committee follow a regular schedule and must be documented using the corresponding thesis advisory committee meeting report.

The committee appointment must be fully approved before members participate in formal meetings. The grad coordinator will notify the supervisor and student when the committee appointment has been approved.

Related Links

• Guide for graduate research and supervision
• Graduate studies regulations
• PhD thesis examination regulations
• Roles and responsibilities of advisory committees

Scheduling and preparing for meetings

Thesis proposals and defences have different scheduling procedures. Refer to the relevant sections of the handbook for details. 

Confirm the availability of your supervisor and committee members  

• Contact your supervisor and the members of your thesis advisory committee to confirm their availability; students may find it helpful to use a free online poll such as Doodle.com .
• Meetings may be held in person, remotely, or hybrid, and should support the student's bests interests

Book a room

• Once the meeting date, time and meet type are set, send an email to [email protected] to book a room, if needed. 
• PHR 7007 is generally used for grad meetings and is the only room equipped for hybrid meetings. 

Confirm the meeting

• At least 2 weeks ahead of the meeting  the student should send a meeting invitation to committee members through Outlook/Teams, and cc to the grad coordinator
• For hybrid meetings, send an IT request for training/support using the hybrid equipment, at least one week ahead of your meeting 

Prepare your thesis progress presentation or report

• Typically, students will provide an update on their research progress via a presentation or other form of report.  Prior to scheduling your meeting, students should discuss expectations with your supervisor. 
• A copy of the student's research progress report should be sent to the grad coordinator (either ahead of the meeting or directly following the meeting) to be added to the student's electronic record, as evidence of their academic progress.   

Prepare the meeting report form

• The advisory committee will assess student progress on the Annual Thesis Advisory Committee Meeting - Student Progress Report.  A fillable copy of the form will be provided to the student upon confirmation of the meeting (see step 2, above). 
• Student is responsible for completing the student information and advisory committee membership sections of the form and sending it to the supervisor and committee members along with the thesis progress report ahead of the meeting.
• The completed report form should be emailed to the grad coordinator following the meeting; the grad coordinator will send the form for signatures using ConsignO Cloud. 

The form should be completed electronically. Manually completed forms will need to be scanned and sent as a pdf file for processing. 

Advisory meeting schedule

Term 1 - first meeting.

The first formal meeting of the student and the advisory committee should take place before the end of the first term. Any deferrals of the first meeting must be approved by the graduate officer; if approved, the first meeting must take place at the beginning of the second term.

The goal of the first meeting is to ensure that the initial planning between supervisor and student has produced a framework that is on track and that the student has supports in place. It is not necessary that a project is fully defined and planned, but there should be a plan sufficient to convince all members of the committee that the project and overall course plan:

• is feasible
• will have scope and depth suitable to lead to a successful degree
• is structured so that it fits within program time limits
• is manageable for the student
• meets the standards of the graduate program

Term 2 (MSc) or 3 (PhD) - Thesis proposal 

The thesis proposal is the second formal meeting of the advisory committee, and normally takes place in term two (MSc) or three (PhD) of the program.

• Thesis proposals have their own process and are coordinated with support of the grad coordinator. For details about the thesis proposal, refer to the relevant section of the student handbook.   

Annually - Annual thesis advisory committee meetings

Subsequent meetings must occur at least once per year. Annual meetings provide an opportunity for the student to gain advice and recommendations on their research from members of the committee, and for the committee to formally assess the student’s progress. 

Students must prepare and provide a progress report (e.g. written report, slide presentation) to the advisory committee in advance of the meeting. A copy of the progress report should be sent to the grad coordinator (either ahead of the meeting or directly following the meeting) to be added to the student's electronic record as evidence of their academic progress.  

Additional Meetings

Students should feel at liberty to consult their committee on a more casual basis, at any time!

More frequent meetings are required if there are ongoing concerns of any kind, including when students are beyond the normal program time limits. 

Progress of students who have been granted extensions will be reviewed every term. Program extensions may not be approved if the student has not had regular meetings with the advisory committee. 

Following each annual thesis advisory committee meeting, students are assessed in the following areas:

• current understanding of the material
• ability to handle the discussion
• research progress
• overall progress   

Upon conclusion of the meeting, the committee will deliberate and comment on the student's progress using the Annual Thesis Advisory Committee Meeting-Student Progress Report.   Students will be notified of their academic progress (excellent/satisfactory/unsatisfactory) along with any comments, as recorded on the thesis advisory committee report form once it is fully signed and approved.

Progress reports should also note:

• any thesis title/topic changes
• transfer recommendations should only be made if student progress is consistently excellent 

Any time unsatisfactory progress is indicated, in any area:

• all questions, concerns, and difficulties must be noted with corresponding corrective measures that are required by the student
• an ‘action plan’ outlining what the student is expected to do with a specified date of completion must be included
• unsatisfactory reports must be additionally approved by the Associate Dean of Science for Graduate Studies. 

Examples of unsatisfactory progress:

• Failing to achieve the minimum required grade (>70%) for “good standing” in course work.
• Failing a program milestone, such as the thesis proposal examination or comprehensive examination.
• Unsatisfactory progress reported by the advisory committee.

Potential consequences of unsatisfactory progress

• The advisor(s) and/or advisory committee may also bring concerns about a student’s academic progress to the attention of the student and, if appropriate, meet with the student and the graduate officer.
• In such instances, the graduate officer in consultation with the advisor(s) will inform students, in writing, of their unsatisfactory progress and provide the student with an “action plan”; including a reasonable timeline outlining what the student must do to remedy the situation.
• Two consecutive unsatisfactory progress reports may result in requiring the student to withdraw from the program. 
• Where the advisor feels that the student will have serious difficulties finishing the program, the advisor, in consultation with the advisory committee, will inform both the student and the Graduate Officer, in writing, of the nature of the problem(s), suggested remedies, and may recommend withdrawal from the program. 
• If the committee recommends that the student withdraw, it must be noted on the thesis advisory committee meeting report that the committee "recommends to the Faculty Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, that the student be required to withdraw."
• A student may submit a completed change of enrolment status form (available on the graduate studies forms web page) to voluntarily withdraw from the program, if they are experiencing difficulties that prevent them from continuing their graduate studies.

Dissertation Advisory Committee and Thesis Defense

Keeping students on track towards excellence and completion of thesis research.

The semester after the successful completion of the Qualifying Exam, each student and their research mentor put together a dissertation advisory committee (DAC) that contains at least three members and eventually 5 members that are required to attend the dissertation defense. This committee is expected to meet with the student every semester.  Not all members of the committee need to be present at each meeting (three members are sufficient for scheduling).

At least two DAC members must be from the group of GPN training faculty (ideally one from each campus). The final 5 member composition of the DAC at the defense includes a minimum of 2 readers of the dissertation.  At least one thesis reader must not be a collaborator on the thesis project, although she/he can be a collaborator with the laboratory. The thesis mentor is the first reader. A completed Request for Special Service Appointment Form must be submitted for each non-BU committee member; students should submit these forms through the GMS registrar forms website . An electronic copy of the form should be emailed to the GPN Assistant Director .  GMS will send the requesting student notice of the approval of the Special Service Appointment. The outside member can be a second or third reader, although this is not required. Members of a student’s Qualifying Exam Committee can also participate on their DAC; in fact, the three examining committee members may often end up being the readers of the dissertation, but this is not mandatory. The Chair of the committee cannot be a reader of the dissertation. The Chair’s chief responsibility is to make sure that the student works with the office to schedule the necessary meetings and serves as an interface between the committee’s recommendations to the student and any other concerns that the student or mentor may have during the training process. The Chair also formally introduces the student at the open defense presentation.

Composition of the DAC must be approved by the GPN Program Director in consultation with the GEC and when relevant, the Computational Neuroscience Curriculum Committee. Students should contact the GPN Program Director to obtain approval for the proposed DAC committee. During the DAC meeting (limited to 1 hour per semester) students make a short PowerPoint presentation to the group highlighting their research accomplishments over the past academic period (with review of research goals) and receive feedback from faculty regarding any issues in approach or interpretation. Scheduling of the DAC meetings is done by the student (with guidance from the GPN office if needed). At the conclusion of the DAC, the committee chair is responsible for completing the  GPN Dissertation Advisory Committee Form and submitting it to the GPN office.

FORMAL PROGRESS REPORT

Usually one year before their pre-defense, with the approval of their Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC), students make a formal oral presentation (50 min) to their committee and to the neuroscience community at large.  This presentation is followed by a short formal meeting of their committee to discuss their progress and whether they are on target for the completion of their research and eventually the pre-defense (see below).  Students are encouraged to schedule the Progress Report (third or fourth year in the program) once they have enough preliminary data to indicate that their Aims are sound and there is sufficient progress in their research direction for presentation and discussion.  The outside member usually does not attend this exercise although they are definitely welcome. The seminar should take place at least one year before the defense date.  It is expected that the student will provide a written progress report, not to exceed ten pages (double-spaced), that will be given to the members of the DAC one week before the seminar. It is encouraged that this report take the form of a research manuscript to motivate the student and mentor towards generating a draft of the student’s first author paper, a graduation requirement in GPN.  At a minimum the written report should include:

• Statement of the problem and its significance. The hypothesis or hypotheses being tested.
• Literature review and background.
• Methods in use.
• Studies completed by the student.
• Proposal for future work and discussion of expected outcomes (include potential problems and alternative plans).

DISSERTATION OUTLINE/PROSPECTUS

Approximately 7-9 months prior to the defense date (Check Graduation Calendar ), the student must submit a dissertation outline (or prospectus for current PIN students), approved by the first and second reader (third reader is optional), to GMS using the GMS Dissertation Prospectus Outline Approval Page. All forms can be obtained from the GMS website and the submission is electronic.  A copy of this document should be sent to the GPN Assistant Director  for inclusion in the student’s files. This document will typically consist of an outline that provides proposed chapter and section headings for the dissertation document with headings that describe the key findings.  Example outlines are on file in the GPN office.

DIPLOMA APPLICATION

A GMS PhD Diploma Application must be submitted to GMS  approximately 4 months prior to the defense date (Check the Graduation Calendar ). Due date varies with graduation cycle.

DISSERTATION ABSTRACT

A dissertation abstract conforming to GMS format requirements must be approved by the first reader, and GPN Program Director, and submitted to GMS (using the PhD Dissertation Defense Abstract Form on the GMS Form website at least 3 weeks prior to the dissertation defense. Please note that prior to electronic submission of the defense abstract, students are required to meet with the GMS Registrar. The abstract must also be circulated to all DAC members prior to the Pre-Defense DAC Meeting.

PRE-DEFENSE AND DEFENSE

A pre-defense meeting of the DAC usually occurs two weeks prior to the defense to make sure that the quality of the dissertation document is close to being acceptable for the degree and to review necessary paperwork.  At this time, the committee will review the abstract and title.  Members of the DAC should have two weeks to review the thesis before the pre-defense. There is no oral presentation associated with this meeting.  The outside member usually does not attend this exercise but does provide the student with feedback on the document, either by email or phone, before the meeting takes place.  In most cases, the Chair of the committee makes sure that the views of the outside member are represented in the discussions.

SCHEDULING OF THESIS DEFENSE

After submission of the abstract and at least two weeks prior to the Thesis Defense, students must submit the Oral Defense Scheduling Form. At the time of their defense, students will give a 50-minute oral presentation, followed by 10 minutes of questions, that is open to all members of the University. We suggest GPN students have their defense in the Eichenbaum Colloquium Room (CILSE 101), 610 Commonwealth Avenue or in 5 Cummington Mall, Room 113.  This public forum will be followed by a closed session of the DAC where the student is asked to respond to questions put forth by the committee to test her/his ability to defend the work presented in the dissertation document. It is expected that all members of the DAC will attend the entire formal defense, which should last a maximum of two hours.

DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO GMS

After the three dissertation readers have signed the dissertation signature sheets (TO BE PROVIDED BY THE STUDENT), the finalized dissertation is submitted to GMS to complete the PhD requirements. Note that GMS must approve the dissertation formatting before the final document can be submitted.

GMS DEADLINES

Deadlines for submission of forms: see the GMS Graduation Calendar

Specific forms can be obtained at the GMS Student Forms Page

All faculty on the DAC must have an appointment at BU.  It is important to request a Special Service Appointment (due at time of Abstract Approval) for all non-BU members.  Please notify the GPN office if you need any help in this matter.

Thesis Advisory Committee

The Thesis Advisory Committee consists of 3-4 persons including the first referee of your thesis as well as your day-to-day supervisor/group leader and will be chaired by the thesis advisor. The Committee has to be formed by the student within 5 months.

TAC-Meeting

After 6, 18 and 30 months a meeting takes place, with the following agenda:

»    Title of thesis (temporary) »    Workplan »    Results »    Educational plan (lectures, summer schools, seminars, soft skills)

The meetings are organised by the student and the results are reported to the IMPRS coordinator by means of a TAC form (Download Area). The form should be taken to the meeting by the student. It is advisable to combine the 3rd meeting with an oral presentation at the „Doktorandenseminar“ ( doctoral Seminar ).

If the project start is unsuccessful, i.e. if  it is not expected that a PhD will be obtained, the project will be discontinued. Here you find a recommendation how a TAC-meeting should look like.

The TAC reports are important to monitor the PhD progress throughout the 3 year period and to document any unforeseen delays which are for example due to problems with instrumentation.

A report of about 5 pages text has to be written after 12 and 24 months (in English). It describes the progress and results of the PhD project and should include a workplan/timetable. It is recommended to write it in terms of a paper with a short introduction, material and methods, results and discussions including figures, tables and references. The report needs to be sent to the coordinator and assessed by the TAC committee (good progress, slow progress, insufficient progress).

If there is a delay with submitting the TAC Meeting/Report let the PCGS coordinator know in time! A short note with the reason and the new date is sufficient.

Here you find a summary and an example how a TAC-report should look like.

Thesis Advisory Committee

All graduate students (MSc and PhD) are supervised by a graduate faculty member and a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC).  

The composition of the committee includes:  

• your supervisor(s)  
• two graduate faculty members from the University of Toronto, one of whom will serve as the Committee Chairperson; the Chairperson should be experienced in graduate supervision  
• an additional committee member may be added as required to provide expertise for the thesis project.  

Supervisors cannot chair their own student’s advisory committee.  

Complete an   Advisory Committee Approval Form  (online form) to receive approval of the committee from the LMP Graduate Coordinators.  

The committee will guide you on your research and will act on behalf of the department in ensuring that research standards are maintained and that your progress meets departmental expectations.  

If you are using the Faculty directory to seek members for your committee, only approach faculty  marked ‘yes’ under Graduate Faculty.

Running your thesis committee meetings 

The first committee meeting should take place within 6 - 9 months of registration in the program with subsequent meetings scheduled every 10 - 12 months. The date of the next meeting should be set at the end of each meeting.  

At the first meeting, you are expected to have: 

• a well-defined project 
• a good understanding of your project 
• a research plan  

At least one week prior to each meeting, you should send to the committee members: 

• your previous TAC report;
• your current TAC report with Section A completed; and
• a progress (research) report.  

The progress report should include: 

• a title page (project title, student name, supervisor name, meeting location, date and time of meeting)
• an introduction
• rationale and aims
• proposed experiments 

The progress report should be a maximum of three single-spaced pages (not including title page, figures, and references) plus a maximum of two pages of figures (unpublished data, models).  

You should make an oral presentation no longer than 30 minutes.  

The committee then discusses the proposal with you and provides advice on your program.  

Immediately after the meeting, the Chair will provide you with feedback and complete a   Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) Report   which is forwarded to the LMP Graduate Office, your thesis advisory committee should be copied in the email, and you should keep a copy for future meetings. You can find a template for the report and guidelines for TAC meetings on the Graduate Forms page .

Further information

Graduate forms

See more about the requirements for completing your program and your thesis

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Genetics & Genomics Student Advisory Committees

Advisory committee for first year students.

The Graduate Program Director serves as a "temporary advisor" for the first-year graduate students.

The Program Directors counsel the graduate students through the early phase of their graduate program.  They meet with the first-year graduate students prior to registration for the first term and again during subsequent terms. The Program Directors ensure that students register for required courses and make suggestions for elective courses, readings and laboratory rotations. The Program Directors consult with the Program Executive Committee (PEC) about the first-year students’ progress.

Thesis Advisory Committee

Major thesis advisor.

The major thesis advisor, together with the student, is responsible for maintaining steady progress toward the degree. The major thesis advisor guides the student in the effective and maximal use of the faculty and other resources within the program and the academic community to ensure that the student becomes well educated. The relationship between the major thesis advisor and student should be established only after careful consideration by both the student and prospective advisor. Students in the Genetics & Genomics Graduate Program are encouraged to have many ‘mentors’ throughout their graduate studies, some of whom will be on their Thesis Advisory Committee, but can only assign one faculty as their ‘major thesis advisor’.

All faculty who wish to serve as major thesis advisors must show evidence of being established principal investigators directing a strong, independent program in biomedical research. A major thesis advisor is expected to assume financial responsibility for the student during his/her tenure in the faculty member's laboratory.

First-year graduate students who initiate studies in the first term (August) must submit in writing their choice for a major thesis advisor to the PEC  no later than July 15 of the academic year of their matriculation in the program. Students matriculating after the first term or who are delayed in their progress should consult with the Program Directors  regarding the deadline for choice of thesis advisor. The faculty member selected as a major advisor must also submit in writing to the PEC  his/her willingness to serve as an advisor to a particular student; this verification should be made by June 30. It is strongly recommended that no faculty member be assigned or accept more than two incoming students per academic year. Faculty members and graduate students who seek an exception to this guideline should petition the PEC.

Membership of the Thesis Advisory Committee

The Thesis Advisory Committee for each student consists of the student's major thesis advisor, at least three additional members of the Genetics & Genomics Graduate Program, including a Reporting Member, and at least one faculty member from outside the Program. The list of faculty who participate in the graduate program should be used to determine the appropriate faculty selections. All committee members must be training faculty or full-time tenure-track/tenured faculty. The Director of Graduate Studies serves as an ex-officio member. Four members constitute a quorum. The major thesis advisor serves as a non-voting chair of the student's Thesis Advisory Committee. The advisor counsels the student in the selection of the remaining members of the Thesis Advisory Committee. The student may select the outside members from neighboring institutions (e.g., Rice University, U.T. Medical School, U.T.). In the event that an appropriate non-departmental faculty member cannot be identified, an additional Baylor College Medicine faculty member whose primary appointment is outside the Program and outside the major advisor’s department may be appointed.

The Thesis Advisory Committee is to be selected before the end of the third term of the student's second year in the graduate program. The list of committee members should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for approval. The student's Thesis Advisory Committee is then appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences upon written request from the program.

The student must maintain contact with all members of the Thesis Advisory Committee for advice and counsel, not only in regard to thesis research but to the character and progress of the student’s total graduate program. The Thesis Advisory Committee must meet at least every six months to review the student's progress, a report of the meeting must be submitted to the Director of graduate studies, and a copy must be sent to the Graduate School Office twice a year.

Modification of Thesis Advisory Committee Membership

It is the prerogative of the student to request a change of major thesis advisor and/or modify the composition of the Thesis Advisory Committee. A student who finds it necessary to change advisors must submit a written request with justification to this effect to the PEC for approval.

Changes in the composition of a student's Thesis Advisory Committee may be necessary for a number of reasons (e.g., change in research topic, resignation of faculty). The student can modify the committee's membership following consultation with the major advisor, and approval of a written request with justification by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Changes in the major thesis advisor and/or the Thesis Advisory Committee membership must be approved by the Dean of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Appointments are made upon written request. The Graduate School form, Request for Appointment of Student's Advisory Committee, must be re-filed in the Graduate School Office.