BCN PhD Training Program

 

The Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (BCN) is a multi-disciplinary research school within the University of Groningen. This means that BCN advocate interdisciplinary research and that you will meet a lot of PhD students who do not necessarily have the same background as you have. BCN does not expect you to be able to collaborate with all of them, but would like to educate you in such a way that you will have an understanding for other disciplines and that you can communicate with scientists from other disciplines. This multidisciplinary aspect is the basis of some of the BCN standard courses.

 

During their four year appointment PhD students are to complete a training program with an overall study load of 21 weeks (30 EC) ^1,2 , distributed as follows:

 

1. BCN Standard Courses and Activities (A): 14 EC

2. Other Courses (B), Conferences (C), Teaching (D) and Educational Activities (E): 16 EC

  

^{1 Exception: PhD students with an appointment that started before 1-1-2010 are asked to conform to the requirement stated in former BCN Training Programmes: 28 EC in total, 14 EC for BCN Standard Courses and Activities and 14 EC out of Other Courses, Conferences, Teaching and Educational Activities.}

^{2 Important remarks for all 'BCN Standard Courses and Activities':}

   ^{- information is available at the BCN Office
   - the BCN Office registers the applications for the courses
   - attendance lists will be kept}

A. BCN Standard Courses and Activities

14 EC are to be earned by taking BCN Standard Courses and Activities. A description of these courses can be found below. We advise PhD students to look after getting your ECs within the set period of time.

- Compulsory courses (11,5 ECTS)

   BCN Orientation Course (3 ECTS)

   BCN Poster Presentation (once: 1 ECTS)

   BCN Retreat (once active and once passive participation: 3 ECTS)

   BCN Management Competences in your PhD project (2 ECTS)

   BCN Statistics Course (2 ECTS)

   BCN Symposium (once: 0,5 ECTS)

- Optional courses

   BCN Master Classes (0,5 ECTS)

   BCN Lectures (0,25 ECTS)

   GSMS Publishing in English (2 ECTS)

   GSMS Presentation Skills (1 ECTS)

 

MD/PhD students, who have a contract for 2 years research time, should earn 50% of the 30 EC. 10 EC of the 15 EC should be earned out of the BCN Standard Courses and Activities. The Orientation Course is compulsory.

For all irregular PhD students, including those mentioned above, the Examinations Committee must approve the deviant training programme.

Other Courses (B), Conferences (C), Teaching (D) and Educational Activities (E):

A maximum of 16 EC of the 30 required EC are earned by participation in other courses (B), Conferences (C) and Educational Activities (E) (see below). BCN will register all educational activities PhD students have participated in, even if the maximum is exceeded. 

B. Other Courses

   1. Courses within the GSMS

   2. BCN Philosophy of Neuroscience 

   3. BCN Human Neuroanatomy

   4. BCN Introductory fMRI course

   5. BCN Advanced fMRI course "From Voxel to Networks"

   6. BCN Functional Neuroscience: EEG Part

   7. BCN Matlab

   8. BCN Multivariate Data Analysis

   9. Courses given by BCN Related Research Schools

 

³ The list of 'Other courses is subject to change. Only courses that are relevant for your research should be chosen. PhD students are free to choose other courses organised by the RuG or other universities. 

In the agenda on this website you will find information about most of these courses and other courses which relate to our school. 

Also see: additional information (course reviews, labhelp and finance of courses outside of the standard programme) 

C. Conferences

Active participation in local, national and international scientific conferences is expected. Credits are awarded for active participation (oral or poster presentation).

D. Teaching 

Teaching activities are no longer awarded with ECTS since 1-9-2011.

E. Educational Activities

One of the best aspects of being a BCN member is that you can broaden your (scientific and social) horizon by participating in BCN events, organised by BCN members throughout all participating faculties. Lectures, conferences, symposia, other events organised by groups within BCN that are accredited by BCN, will be awarded by EC. Also membership of the BCN PhD council will be awarded with credits. You can download the file here. 

PhD coordinator, Research School BCN

Ms. D.H. (Diana) Koopmans (d.h.koopmans@med.umcg.nl)
Phone: + 31 50 363 7817
Room 721, Building 3217 ('de Brug')
Ant. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (9:00 - 14:00)

Also see: 'Contact'

Registration of Credits

BCN registers the participation of PhD students in BCN standard courses and externally followed courses and activities. PhD students who fail to participate in the training programme will be excluded from BCN funding. In the summer, a form on which the past years activities are to be recorded will be send to each PhD student. The BCN Office will inform the PhD students about the new amount of EC when the form is returned.

Certificate

If the training requirements are fulfilled, a GSMS certificate will be presented at the dissertation defence ceremony.

Important additinal information

The Research School  BCN itself does not provide PhD positions. BCN offers the PhD training program to enrolled PhD students only. If you would  like to become a BCN PhD student, you have to apply for a vacancy at one of our departments. Please check the RuG site for vacancies.