Annual report

At the end of each year, each student must present a written report on the performed activities. The report should contain an overview of the research progress and should include information on attended courses, seminars, workshops, conferences, public engaments activities and all other elements that are relevant for the evaluation. An evaluation committee, nominated by the Academic Board (Collegio dei Docenti) during the first year and following the student throughout the entire PhD course, will judge the progress of each PhD-candidate based on the report and an oral presentation followed by discussion.The evaluations by the committee and the supervisor will be used by the Academic Board to decide on admission of the student to the next year and will represent the basis for the research activity evaluation by the Academic Board at the end of the three years.

Training and educational path

By the end of the PhD, each student must acquire a certain amount of CFU in each of the following activities: 

A. Theoretical courses (min. 9 CFU)

• Each student must acquire at least 9CFU of CDSM theoretical courses (3CFU each) over the three years, at least 3CFU in the first and 3CFU in the second year. It is recommended (but not mandatory) that all the 9CFU should be acquired by the end of the second year.
• An additional CDSM theoretical course (3CFU) can also be taken, preferably by the end of the second year.
• At least one CDSM course must be chosen from the list of the courses of the Curriculum in Chemical Sciences and at least another from the list for the Curriculum in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• External schools at PhD level and courses from other PhD programmes (of the University of Padova or from elsewhere) can also be taken and will be counted for up to 3 CFU

B. Transferable skills (min. 2 CFU)

• Each student must attend at least the general part of the Information Literacy & Open Science course, offered to first year student usually in February. In exceptional cases, such course can be taken in the second year (please contact the teachers in advance)
• Additional transferable skills CFU can acquired by courses offered by the University or by courses taken elsewhere.

The sum of CFU from A and B must be at least 14 CFU (with a maximum contribution of 12 CFU from A and 5 CFU from B)
Examples of possible choices:

• 4 CDSM courses (12CFU) + Information Literacy & Open Science course (general part, 1CFU) + Other transferable skills course 1CFU (e.g., proposal writing course, or transferable skill course from the University portfolio)
• 4 CDSM courses (12CFU) + Information Literacy & Open Science course (general +specific part, 1.5CFU)  + 0.5CFU transferable skill course from the University portfolio
• 3 CDSM courses (9CFU) + external courses/phd schools amounting to 3CFU+Information Literacy & Open Science course (general part, 1CFU) + Other transferable skills course 1CFU (e.g., proposal writing course, or transferable skill course from the University portfolio)
• 3 CDSM courses (9CFU) + external courses/phd schools amounting to 3CFU+Information Literacy & Open Science course (general part, 1CFU) + Other transferable skills courses, e.g.,  from the University portfolio (to reach 4CFU)

C. Language skills (min. 2 CFU)

Each student must attend at least 20h of Academic English courses offered by CLA (equivalent to 2 CFU). Note that these courses are reserved to first year students

D. Peer-to-peer activities (min. 6 CFU)

Each year CDSM PhD students organizes the PhD‐Forum in which the PhD‐students themselves present their research to others students and to the scientific community either through oral communications (third year) or poster presentations (first+second year). Attendance in person is mandatory, also for Phd students working in a place different from Padova.  Non-attendance or remote attendance should be authorized by the Coordinator in advance. Participation to each PhD-Forum amounts to 2CFU, in case of non-attendance (that needs always to be authorized) the same amount of CFU should be obtained by other activities that involves interactions between PhD students (Science Talks and similar peer-to-peer seminars, schools with a poster session, transferable skills courses involving peer-to-peer activity). Of course the same course cannot count here and for A. or B. above

E.  CDSM seminars (min. 3 CFU)

At least 3 CFU of "Frontiers in Chemistry" seminars or CDSM seminars or PhD students-oriented seminars during the PhD  (10h of seminars = 1 CFU, 10 "Frontiers in Chemistry" seminars= 10CFU)

F. External workshop/school (min. 1 CFU)

In addition to what requested for A. above, at least 1 CFU of external workshops/schools should be acquired.

Note on CFU quantification

In case an activity attended has no predefined assigned CFU, the following list has been approved by the CDSM Academic Board to allow assigning CFU to each activity. Special stuations not included in the table will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

a. Specific and unique teaching for the doctoral program 8h/CFU

b. Summer/Winter School of the Doctoral Program (or other programs) 8h/CFU if it involves a final exam, 10h/CFU otherwise

c. Teaching borrowed from the School of Specialization and Postgraduate Master's Program 8h/CFU

d. Teaching at another research institution 8h/CFU

e. Soft skills courses (PhD week, etc.) 10h/CFU

f. Journal Club/Reading Course or shared activities between PhD students 10h/CFU

g. Seminar series specific to the Doctoral Program 10  h/CFU