Erasmus+ for Traineeships 2023/2024 – enrollment is open!

If you wish to upgrade your professional skills abroad, you can enroll for Erasmus+ traineeship mobility throughout your doctoral studies (as long as enrolment is open – possibly even in your last year of curriculum). This is the so-called long-term mobility which means it involves at least 60 days spent at a host institution outside Poland. If you wish to participate, please find a host institution on your own (it can, but does not have to, be an university) and agree upon your traineeship activities (sign the LAT) with your supervisor and the host institution.

Please find more information under the link below (perhaps download the Rules of enrollment): ERASMUS+ TRAINEESHIPS 2023/2024 (lodz.pl)

The enrollment has started on 5 July and it will last until funds are exhausted. You can check availability by calling the UL International Relations Office (42 635 40 36).

 

The Doctoral Schools Centre at the University of Lodz implements the project "Smarter, Faster, Better - Internationalization of Doctoral Schools at the University of Lodz" from 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2026 under the STER programme funded by the National Agency for Academic Exchange. Please find more information on the project website.

Call for proposals No. 2/2025 (Action 2 - mobility placements) applications open from 11/03/2025 to 31/03/2025: find out more under the link

 

The PROM Project - Short-Term Academic Exchange provides funding for the implementation of short mobility tasks to be carried out by, among others, doctoral students and academic staff from Poland and abroad.

Those interested in participating in the Project, can now start planning task-mobility to be carried out within the period February-August 2025. At the application stage, you will need the approval of the host unit abroad. Each planned outgoing mobility is designed to develop academic or professional competencies.
Application submissions will begin in mid-January 2025, link below:

SCHEDULE

 

The goal of study curriculum is to broaden and deepen knowledge of doctoral students in the field of selected scientific discipline in an interdisciplinary environment allowing for the placement of competence associated with a given scientific discipline in a wider context. Knowledge and skills acquired during the studies will prepare you as a doctoral student to plan, design and conduct research independently within the Individual Research Plan (Indywidualny plan badawczy – IPB). 

After graduating from the Doctoral School, you will be prepared to critically evaluate scientific research results that constitute a basis for scientific publications as well as to present the obtained results in the international scientific community. The acquired knowledge and ability to share it will enable you to carry out didactic work at the level of higher education. 

Thanks to the education process you will gain competence enabling you to engage in individual as well as team scientific research, especially interdisciplinary ones, conducted by national and international research teams. The obtained knowledge and research results will constitute your contribution to the development of innovative economy and work for the public good. 

The studies last 8 semesters and they are full-time studies (the classes are held during working days). They are free of charge. 

Curriculum outline, with descrition of learning outcomes, number of hours required and PQF (PRK) codes

The community of Doctoral Schools at the University of Lodz is encouraged to read the contents of two important documents aimed at fostering transparent cooperation between doctoral students and supervisors based on mutual respect and responsibility, as well as indicating clear procedures for resolving disputes at doctoral schools of the University of Lodz

 

TIME FRAME

 

The mid-term evaluation shall take place no later than the last day of the period representing half of the period of study specified in the study programme. In the year in which the doctoral student enters the mid-term evaluation, the deadline for the doctoral student to obtain all credits and grades and to submit documentation is 10 September. In this case, the Director of the Doctoral School shall complete credits and grades pertaining to the study year by 20 September.

In the case of those who have commenced their studies at a date which prevents the doctoral student from completing the study programme in accordance with the academic calendar, as defined in separate regulations, and the doctoral student commences the study programme from the summer semester, the deadline for the doctoral student to obtain all credits and marks and to submit documentation in the year in which the doctoral student enters the mid-term evaluation shall be 21 days before the commencement of the summer semester (after two years from the commencement of the study programme).

 

EVALUATION COMMITTEE

The mid-term evaluation shall be carried out by an evaluation committee consisting of 3 persons, including at least 1 person holding a postdoctoral degree or a professorial title in the discipline in which the doctoral thesis is being prepared, who is employed outside any entity conducting the doctoral school. The doctoral supervisor and assistant doctoral supervisor cannot be appointed as members of the committee.

Evaluation committees shall be appointed by the Director of the Doctoral School, for each doctoral student individually, from among candidates proposed by the School Council, after the relevant doctoral degree committee in the discipline corresponding to the discipline of the doctoral thesis has given its opinion, at the latest three months before the date of the doctoral student's mid-term evaluation.

At the request of a doctoral student submitted no later than seven days before the date of the mid-term evaluation, a representative of doctoral students may participate in the committee's sessions as an observer. The representative of doctoral students shall be appointed in accordance with the rules laid down in the regulations governing the activities of the doctoral student self-government.

 

MID-TERM EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Evaluation committees shall conduct a mid-term evaluation of a doctoral student and an evaluation of the doctoral student's academic supervision.

The evaluation committee evaluates the doctoral student based on:

1) the effects of the implementation of the Individual Research Plan (IPB) - this is summarised on the basis of the doctoral student's annual reports, with the opinion of the supervisor(s), from the 2 years of study preceding the mid-term evaluation;

2) an examination interview with the doctoral student concerning the implementation of IPB.

The evaluation committee shall have the opportunity to review the doctoral student's evaluation sheets, together with documentation, from the 2 years of study preceding the mid-term evaluation.

In exceptional situations, it is possible to conduct an examination interview with a doctoral student using technical devices enabling it to be conducted remotely with simultaneous transmission of video and sound. The rules for conducting the interview in the aforementioned mode are defined by separate regulations in force at the University of Lodz. In exceptional situations, a member of the evaluation committee may participate in the work of the committee using technical devices enabling it to be conducted remotely with simultaneous transmission of image and sound.

The work of the committee includes:

(a) reading the doctoral student's documentation,

b) conducting an examination interview with the doctoral student,

c) preparing an evaluation of the doctoral student together with a justification (minutes/notes)

d) evaluation of the doctoral student's academic supervision,

e) preparing the result of the assessment of the scientific supervision provided to the doctoral student (minutes/notes).

The assessment of a doctoral student shall be conducted in accordance with the framework assessment criteria defined by the Director of the Doctoral School, in cooperation with the School Council, adopted pursuant to separate regulations. The evaluation of the scientific care shall take place taking into account the framework evaluation criteria, defined by the Director of the Doctoral School, in cooperation with the School Council, adopted on the basis of separate regulations.

 

OUTCOME OF THE MID-TERM EVALUATION

The mid-term evaluation of a doctoral student shall end with either a positive or a negative result. The evaluation committee shall prepare a written justification of the mid-term evaluation for each doctoral student. The result of the evaluation and the reasons for it shall be made public. In the event of a negative result of the mid-term evaluation, the doctoral student shall be removed from the list of doctoral students in the doctoral school.

The committee's assessment of the academic supervision shall be presented in writing to the Director of the doctoral school and to the supervisor(s) and/or assistant supervisor.

On 15 February 2024, a new Regulation amending the regulation on the minimum monthly basic remuneration for a professor employed in a public higher education institution has been signed (Dz.U. – Journal of Laws, item 235). It states 30% increase of remuneration since 1 January 2024 which means that the basic salary of a professor has risen from PLN 7210 to PLN 9370. The provisions of the regulation has entered into force in the day following its announcement, that is on 22 February 2024 as applicable from 1 January 2024. The regulation has been published under item no. 235 in the Dziennik Ustaw (abbreviated „Dz. U.”) or the Polish Journal of Laws.

Why is this important for doctoral students? It affects the amount of scholarship (stipend) grant that you receive each month – since its amount is steadily proportional (pegged) to the value of professor's salary, it has now increased accordingly, and you may even expect an extra balance payment once, due to the increase being applicable from January.

Pursuant to Article 209 clause 4 of the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws 2023, item 742, amended) the amount of monthly doctoral scholarship should be at least:
1) 37% of a professor's salary – gross amount of PLN 3466,90 – up to the month in which the mid-term evaluation was conducted; 
2) 57% of a professor's salary – gross amount of PLN 5340,90 – after the month in which the mid-term evaluation was conducted.

By virtue of the amendments made to the aforementioned Act by the Act of 28 July 2023 amending the Act - Teachers' Charter and certain other acts (Journal of Laws 2023, item 1672), as of 1.10.2023, the prohibition on employing doctoral students of a doctoral school as academic teachers or research staff does not apply any longer (because Article 209(10) has been repealed and the related Article 203(1)(5) has been amended). The Act does not prohibit doctoral students from taking up employment in any other capacity.

In addition, the provision making the stipend payout conditional on the amount of remuneration received has been changed. It used to refer to project participants specifically, but now it only refers to a certain form of employment.

A doctoral scholarship will not be awarded to a doctoral student whose:

- curriculum at a doctoral school involves a mandatory employment contract in an entity running that doctoral school,
- employment contract provides a remuneration exceeding the amount of the minimum monthly professor's salary (currently PLN 9 370.00 gross).

The doctoral scholarship is not subject to income tax. However, doctoral students studying at doctoral schools and receiving a doctoral scholarship are covered by compulsory pension and accident insurance. Sickness insurance is voluntary.

A doctoral student may apply for a student loan. The provisions on student loans shall apply accordingly, except that:

•    the loan may be obtained by a doctoral student under the age of 35;
•    the loan shall be granted for the duration of training at the doctoral school only once and for no longer than 4 years.

 

An academic staff member or doctoral student of the University of Lodz should indicate only one academic unit where the publication is affiliated (even if the author deals with several academic units at the same time).
The affiliation should be accurate and valid for the date of publication. You should not change the publication's affiliation if you change your employer or doctoral school afterwards.

Please pay special attention to official names of academic units under University of Lodz (Uniwersytet Łódzki), specifying the appropriate Doctoral School (Szkoła Doktorska), or alternatively Faculty /of.../ (Wydział), Institute /of.../ (Instytut).