Appointment of supervisors
The PhD program board will appoint a main supervisor for all PhD candidates. The main supervisor must confirm that he or she is willing to take on the assignment in advance. The main supervisor has the primary responsibility for the professional follow-up of the candidate, and should normally be employed in a permanent academic position at AHO.
In special cases, an external supervisor may be appointed. AHO then covers fees within a given hour determined by the program board. AHO does not cover travel expenses in connection with supervision. PhD candidates are entitled to the supervision of one or more co-supervisors. The hour is determined by the program board. Co-supervisors are appointed by the program board on the basis of proposals from the PhD candidate in consultation with the main supervisor. An application with CV must be submitted. AHO recommends that all PhD candidates have at least two supervisors. If possible, there should be a joint meeting between the PhD candidate and both / all supervisors at least once a year. All supervisors must have a doctorate or equivalent research qualifications. In special cases, special emphasis on specialized, subject-specific competence can be permitted with co-supervisors.
Formal requirements for supervisors
The main supervisor must hold a doctoral degree, be employed at AHO, and have supervised at least one candidate through the program to completion.
If you have never served as a supervisor, you must first serve as a co-supervisor for a candidate and follow them through the program before you can become a main supervisor.
Content of the supervision
Upon admission, a meeting shall be held between the main supervisor, the candidate, and the Head of the PhD Programme in order to clarify responsibilities, expectations, and mutual obligations.
The PhD candidate and the main supervisor shall meet regularly, although the frequency may vary depending on the type of project and the stage of the process. The extent of supervision is specified as a minimum number of hours determined by the PhD Programme Board. For external supervision, the maximum number of hours is determined by the PhD Programme Board within the applicable budgetary framework. The candidate and the main supervisor are obliged to keep each other continuously informed of all matters of importance to the completion of the PhD education and the supervision process. Both parties shall actively address circumstances that may jeopardise the successful completion of the supervision.
The supervisor shall, among other things:
- Assist the candidate with academic advice and practical planning of the work, so that the project can be completed within the framework of the PhD education and within the fellowship or contract period.
- Provide advice on the formulation and delimitation of the topic and research questions.
- Assist the candidate in identifying relevant literature and data sources (libraries, archives, etc.).
- Stay informed about the candidate's progress and assess progress in relation to the work plan.
- Take the initiative to discuss with the candidate how the supervisory relationship is functioning.
- Provide guidance on research ethics issues related to the dissertation, including assessing whether the project should be reported to the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (Sikt).
Allow the candidate sufficient scope for independent research when the supervisor and candidate participate in the same research project.
The PhD candidate shall, among other things:
- Plan the work so that the project can be completed within the framework of the PhD education and within the fellowship or contract period, and discuss any deviations from the plan with the supervisor.
- Adhere to the research ethics principles applicable to the relevant field of study.
The supervisor should contribute to ensuring that the candidate becomes part of an active research environment. Good integration into a relevant academic community and into national and international research networks is an important part of doctoral training and can strengthen and broaden the candidate's career opportunities both nationally and internationally.
Procedure for Changing the Main Supervisor
The following guidelines clarify the information regarding a change of main supervisor in AHO's Regulations for the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD):
Regulations for the degree philosophiae doctor
AHO's regulations state that both the candidate and the supervisor may request that AHO appoint a new supervisor, and that responsibility as main supervisor is transferred from the date of the new appointment.
Procedure
Requests to change supervisor shall be submitted to the Head of Institute with personnel responsibility for both the candidate and the supervisor.
Before a request for a change of supervisor is submitted, the following steps must be completed:
If the request is initiated by the candidate: The candidate must first contact the PhD Programme Director to discuss the issue in question. The PhD Programme Director shall then inform the Head of Institute of the reasons for the request.
If the request is initiated by the supervisor: The supervisor must first discuss the matter with the Head of Institute. The Head of Institute shall then inform the PhD Programme Director of the reasons for the request.
Once the request has been submitted, the Head of Institute shall prepare a case presentation for the PhD Programme Board confirming:
The grounds for the request to change the main supervisor.
The name of the proposed new main supervisor, together with confirmation that the person is willing to take on the role and has the necessary capacity.
The effective date of the change.
Changes of main supervisor are considered by the PhD Programme Board at its regular meetings.