Background: Our Wellcome Trust CIDCATS PhD programme operates a 1+3 (year) training model, with an initial year of tutorials, a group project and 2 individual rotation projects. At the end of the 1st year, students transition to a specific PhD project for Years 2-4. This process is student-driven and your task is to develop a PhD project proposal, in collaboration with prospective supervisors, for review/approval. Approved projects will be forwarded to the Wellcome Trust for their final approval, which then releases the studentship award.
As you are now nearing the end of your 2nd rotation project you will be working on their PhD project proposals during the next 2 months.
Please note:
PhD Project outlines
Final PhD Proposal Forms
(please note that we will source feedback for 'Rotation Reports' (page 2) and make this information available to you).
Any questions about supervision or project area should be directed to CIDCATS office (cidcats@york.ac.uk ) asap.
Background: Our Wellcome Trust CIDCATS PhD programme operates a 1+3 (year) training model, with an initial year of tutorials, a group project and 2 individual rotation projects. At the end of the 1st year, students transition to a specific PhD project for Years 2-4. This process is student-driven and their task is to develop a PhD project proposal, in collaboration with prospective supervisors, for review/approval. Approved projects will be forwarded to the Wellcome Trust for their final approval, which then releases the studentship award.
Our 5th cohort of students (from the 5 year programme award) are nearing the end of their initial training year and will be working on their PhD project proposals (for Years 2-4) during the next 2-3 months.
What you need to do now: Outline a potential research topic/project idea.
The research should lie within the CIDCATS programme remit, be interdisciplinary, and involve one or more colleagues as prospective co-supervisors. Note that you can act as the primary supervisor of only one CIDCATS student (Years 2 - 4) at any given point. Currently, there are no limits on the number of students you can act as a co-supervisor.
Summary Format of Research Outline (submitted via a web form)
Supervisor Info (all supervisors have to be members of the CIDCATS supervisory pool)
Title (<200 characters)
Summary (< 300 words; headings Background, Objectives, Novelty, Timeliness)
Fit to CIDCATS research themes
Interdisciplinarity (<200 words)
Key References/Resources (both URL and free text fields available)
Students are expected to draft and work up their own PhD proposal with the guidance of staff (principally prospective supervisors, but with additional review/feedback from wider programme staff). Thus PhD proposals outside of the submitted staff outlines may emerge.
Deadline: Research outlines should be submitted by 9am Monday 27 June 2016. The full list of approved outlines will be circulated to the students later in that week. Note that the only reasons that will prevent your outline from being circulated to the students are:
if it does not fit into any of the CIDCATS research themes;
if it is not interdisciplinary;
if the primary supervisor is the primary supervisor of another current CIDCATS student (from 1st October 2016).
Information and Submission Form: additional background information, timeline for proposal preparation and a web form for submission of outlines can be found here.
Please contact cidcats@york.ac.uk if you have any questions regarding this process.
Timetable for the Transition to PhD - 2015/16
22 June 2016 | Student briefing session (Leo Caves, Dimitris Lagos) |
09:00 27 June |
Staff submit research outlines (then filtered for fit to remit) |
28/29 June | Project outlines circulated to students |
1 August |
Checkpoint 1 – Students attend a feedback/advice session to discuss progress |
22 August |
Checkpoint 2 - Students submit draft PhD proposal for review and receive feedback |
20 September | Checkpoint 3 - Submission of final PhD proposal for approval by CIDCATS Programme Directors |
1 October | Submission of proposals to The Wellcome Trust via the eGrants system by students |
October | PhD commences… |
NB: Students will be advised to book appointments and meet with potential supervisors during July/August. Please be as flexible as possible in supporting the students during the summer period. The students will be advised to take a 2-week vacation, ideally during September