Questionnaire - PhD Students - Göteborgs universitet · 2007-10-29 · Total 41 0 14 17 10 i = Utbildningsbidrag (the whole period) , ii = Doktorandtjänst (the whole period) , iii

2007-09-30 21.02Questionnaire - PhD Students

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Questionnaire - PhD Students

PhD Students - Question 4Grouped by question 4. One report page per group generated.

Summary Total number ofanswers

41

Filter no Group by question 4) My position as a PhD student in the research

school has been... •fully financed by the

re... 20 answers

•funded by externalmoney...

21 answers

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE RESEARCHSCHOOL IN GENOMICS AND BIOINFORMATICS

The Swedish national agency for higher education(Högskoleverket) is currently conducting an evaluation of theinitiative from 2000 to establish 16 research schools in Sweden.The following statement is taken (and translated from Swedish;the Swedish version is given below) from the instructions to theevaluation:

“The basis for the evaluation is that the research schools haveprovided a better way of educating PhD students in thecorresponding research topics, and have provided a bettercollaboration between the educational institutions involved. Themain objective of the evaluation is to find out to what extentthese two goals have been achieved.“

"Utvärderingens huvudsakliga utgångspunkt är attforskarskolorna dels ska innebära förbättringar avforskarutbildningen i de ämnen som berörs, dels bidra till bättresamverkan mellan de lärosäten som ingår. Utvärderingenshuvudsyften är att se i vilken utsträckning dessa två måluppnåtts."

The research school will submit a self-evaluation at 1/10, 2007.Therefore, it is important that the opinion of all parts involved isexpressed. The answers to this questionnaire will be compiledand made available to the Swedish national agency of highereducation, and results given in the report. Parts of the answers



to the questions will also be cited in the self-evaluation.

Background information about yourself

1) Affiliation

Total GU Chalmers HH HIS LU fully financed by theresearch school

20 25% 30% 5% 10% 30%

funded by external money(associated)list

21 61.9% 4.76% 0% 4.76% 28.6%

Total 41 18 7 1 3 12

2) Sex



Total Female Male ? fully financed by the research school 20 45% 50% 5% funded by external money (associated)list 21 57.1% 42.9% 0% Total 41 21 19 1

3) Do you see yourself mainly as a theoretician or an experimentalist?

Total Theoretician Experimentalist fully financed by the researchschool

20 50% 50%

funded by external money(associated)list

21 38.1% 61.9%

Total 41 18 23

4) My position as a PhD student in the research school has been...

Total i) ii) A) fully financed by the research school 20 100% 0%



B) funded by external money (associated)list 21 0% 100% Total 41 20 21 i = fully financed by the research school, ii = funded by external money (associated)list

5) Will you finish and defend your thesis before the end of 2007?

Total Yes No fully financed by the research school 20 65% 35% funded by external money (associated)list 21 23.8% 76.2% Total 41 18 23

Note! – Most questions you should give a mark on a scalebetween 1 to 5, where 5 stands for the best (the most positive)!

Note!– if you want to you can give your comments in Swedish!

Questions about your situation as a PhD student

6) What type of position have you had during your PhD?



Total i) ii) iii) ? A) fully financed by the researchschool

20 0% 50% 30% 20%

B) funded by external money(associated)list

21 0% 19% 52.4% 28.6%

Total 41 0 14 17 10 i = Utbildningsbidrag (the whole period) , ii = Doktorandtjänst (the whole period) , iii = Amix between utbildningsbidrag och doktorandtjänstcomment on the % if you have had a mix:18 have commented on this question

fully financed by the research school [ 6 ]— 30 % utb 70 % dok— 50:50— 50% utbildningsbigrag 50% doktorandtjäanst— Half and half.— About 30% (18 months) utbildningsbidrag— 50% utbildningsbidrag 50% doktorandtjänst

funded by external money (associated)list [ 12 ]— 50-50— 33% utb bidrag 67% doktorandtjänst— 20% Doktorandtjänst resten stipendium— 20% doktorandtjänst, 80% stipendium— 50 / 50— utbildningsbidrag + 20% första året, sedan tjänst 100%— Will have doktorandtjänst after my half time in nov 2007— 60% tjänst total in the end— Utbildningsbidrag kompbinerat med undervisning halve tiden av tiden(dvs tom med fram till 2007-09. Vidare framåt har jag doktorandtjänst. — 50/50— Utbildningsbidrag 50% Doktorandtjänst 50%— 10 % utbildningsbidrag, 60 %doktorandtjänst, 30 % annan tjänst



7) How much teaching/work for the institution has been part of yourposition as a PhD student (given in % as an average over the wholeperiod)?41 have answered this questionfully financed by the research school [ 20 ]— 20%— 5— 20%— 20— 20%— 2%— 10%— 20%— 20%— officially 20%, in practise around 15%— 20— 10 %— 25%— has not been mandatory but has been involved in many bioinfomaticscourses given by the institution and the chalmers bioinformatics masterprogramme— 20— 14%— Probably around 5%— 5%— 20— 15 %

funded by external money (associated)list [ 21 ]— 20%— 10— 5%— 10— 1-2%— 20— 20— 20— 20%— 0%— 0— 20— 20— 20— 12%— 5— 20— 10%— 20— 8%



— 5 %

8) Do you have a co-supervisor?

Total Yes No fully financed by the research school 20 90% 10% funded by external money (associated)list 21 85.7% 14.3% Total 41 36 5

9) If yes – is your co-supervisor from the same (or similar) disciplineas your main supervisor?

Total Yes No ? fully financed by the research school 20 30% 60% 10% funded by external money(associated)list

21 42.9% 42.9% 14.3%

Total 41 15 21 5



10) Do you regard the multidisciplinary design of the research schoolto have been of value for your education and scientific maturation?(1=not at all, 5=absolutely)

Total 1 2 3 4 5

fully financed by the research... 20 0% 10% 10% 50% 30% funded by external money

(asso... 21 0% 0% 4.76% 47.6% 47.6% Total 41 0 2 3 20 16

Comments9 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 4 ]— A large part of this benefit has been in learning to understand what thebiologists are saying and to communicate with them about biology. This isa process that takes time.— My contacts to theoretisians gave me possibilties which I wouldotherwise not have thought of pursuing.— Collaboration yielded few results, but interesting to get glimps of anotherfield.— It has given me a broader education and a broader insight into thescientific community.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 5 ]— Got insights by discussion that I do not think I would have gor othervize— I think it is of great value and a necesity for future science— This has been one of the absolutely strongest parts of the researchschool. I have gained a lot of experience from interacting with people fromother disciplines.— Jag tycker att iden är väldigt bra men tyvärr lyckas vi inte heltkommunicera med varandra på rätt sätt under open days work shop etc.det är svårt att hänga med i matematik och modellbyggande för mig i allafall och väldigt svårt att få med sig den värdefulla kunskap som jag trorlevereras.



— the multidisciplinary design is one of the crucial aspects of the researchschool experience for me. It forces one to think of his/her own project fromdifferent angles, offering a new level of understanding. It also helps tobroaden ones horizons.

11) When writing your personal studyplan, was it considered that theresearch school has a number of compulsory events/courses? Withother words, was it made clear that the workload for you as a studentslinked to the research school was not greater in terms of courses etccompared to other students at the department? (1=not at all,5=absolutely)

Total 1 2 3 4 5

fully financed by theresearch... 20 15% 5% 30% 30% 20%

funded by external money(asso... 21 19% 19% 23.8% 9.52% 28.6%

Total 41 7 5 11 8 10 Comments8 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 5 ]— Jag tror att denna typ av samarbete kräver en extra tydlighet. Eftersommånga moment tillkommer bör de moment som redan finns tydliggöras i etttidigt stadium, för alla inblandade. Annars riskerar doktoranen att klämmasmellan krav och åsikter från olika håll, vilka kan vara både implicita ochexplicita. Detta skiljer sig från "standard-doktoranden" som har en tillvarosom är mer lik den som andra har och på vilken kraven är merstandardiserade.— Most of the courses in the research school were too basic and not ofinterest anyway.— Pretty clear.— The credits for research school courses and events where counted justlike credits for other courses, but still it sometimes felt like a burden to keep



up with the two curriculums.— One third of the credit points needed for a PhD at this department arefrom a fixed set of courses, so there is much room for individual variations.However, no specific research school courses were included in my plan,though they likely could have been.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 3 ]— I joined the research school after my studyplan was written.— Not really. I had to shoehorn the courses in as we went along, much tothe dismay of some of the seniors aournd here.— The compulsory courses provided by the reserach school has actuallyhelped me a lot to fill up the course points needed for my PhD education,apart from being relevant for my eductaion as a PhD student.

12) How would you rate the time you have spent on events linked tothe research school (courses, workshops, open days etc) comparedto other activities (research, teaching, etc.) if you look over the wholeperiod of the research school? (1=too little time, 3=perfect balance,5=too much time)

Total 1 2 3 4 5


(asso... 21 0% 4.76% 66.7% 28.6% 0% Total 41 0 2 27 12 0

Comments8 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 4 ]— I regret not taking more research school courses. The workshops andopen days had a nice regularity to them, and were needed for continuityand cohesion of the research school. — De öppna dagarna kunde kanske under de sista åren delvis bytts ut motmer socialt inriktade tillställningar, eftersom just nätverkandet var den stora



behållningen.— Looking back it was a rather good balance, even if it did not alwaysseem so at the time.— Only problem was that all students did not need the same courses otherthan for general experience. Same with conferences - not all appealed toall.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 4 ]— A perfect blend. The meetings were held often enough that you feltupdated enough, yet not so often as to interact negatively with life at theinstitute.— Reaserch school has organized plenty of events throughout the yearsbut it was just enough to keep up-to-date with what's going on in the fieldand has never caused any interference with my main project work orteaching.— I think it was very well balanced— under den första hälften av doktorandtiden såg jag alla "events" somenormt inspirerande. Nu mot slutet vill man ju hellre fokusera helhjärtat påsin forskning och tiden man lägger på annat kan vara jobbig

13) Would you say that you have formed a social and scientificnetwork that actually will last even after you have finished your PhD,which will be of value for you in your future career as a researcher?(1=Not at all, 5=absolutely)

Total 1 2 3 4 5


(asso... 21 0% 0% 9.52% 47.6% 42.9% Total 41 1 2 5 17 16

Comments8 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 4 ]



— The majority of my collaborations are with persons that I have metthrough the research school.— Always good to meet people. Interesting with other fields.— Yes, at least if I return to Göteborg - then I believe I will have a broaderrange of contacts.— It's a big world, and I might never come into contact with most of thesepeople again. Then again I've gotten to know quite a few people throughthe research school, and I've already had some use for some of thesecontacts.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 4 ]— My PhD project has already benefited from the colaboration with otherstudents within the school, yielding a publication and I do believe that thesecontacts would be of great value in my future career— Most certainly so! This has probably been the best aspect of theresearch school - the interdisciplinary networking part with people Iotherwise never would have met.— Om jag fortsätter att arbeta som forskare har jag skaffat mig vädligtmycket bra kotakter som jag skulle kunna använda mig av i framtiden ochdet är väldigt positivit. Man vet om vilkar grupper som gör vad på GU ochvar man kan få hjälp. — Mostly with senior researcher that I have met during different activitiesarranged by the research school

14) Has the multidisciplinary design of the research school beenvaluable for your own research projects?

Total 1 2 3 4 5


funded by external money(asso... 21 4.76% 4.76% 19% 38.1% 33.3%

Total 41 2 4 8 16 11



Comments11 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 5 ]— Some of my research has been well outside the multidisciplinary scope.But this constant exposure to biologists and biological questions has mademe more interested in biology, which certainly has influenced my researchdirection.— Not on a personal level, but highly valuable in terms of contacts torelevant people.— In a sense good to meet statisticians, although maybe not essential forproject as such.— Yes, since my project was multidisciplinary in itself, but it will alsocontinue to be useful for future and present collaborations.— Att få gedigen inblick i tillämpningar gör att man ser många intressantaproblem som man som metodutvecklare kan lösa.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 6 ]— It played a key role in the completion of one of my projects, resulting in apublication together with a collaborator within the school with a differentbackground. It also alowed me to appreciate the ways people with diferentbackgrounds approach the same problem.— My project is not one of them. I am associated.— I would say it has been INvaluable! During my time in the researchschool I have established many contacts with people from other disciplinesand universities. This has resulted in several scientific publications already,with more waiting to be submitted.— Mest att jag kommit lite mer i kontakt med statistiker, och fått möjlighetatt diskutera problem med dem.— Thanks to the open days and workshop events I realized of new tools Icould use for my own benefit— A bit to much medical science.

15) How would you overall value the activities in the research schoolthat you have taken part in? (1=very poor, 5=super)



Total 1 2 3 4 5


(asso... 21 0% 0% 14.3% 61.9% 23.8% Total 41 0 2 9 24 6

Comments9 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 6 ]— The summer schools were memorable, which is a great quality in anyeducation. The open days did not always interest me much, and then feltmostly like a chore, but sometimes they were truly interesting.— I think that the quality of the meetings (open days etc) have declinerecent years.— course in the research scool was of highly varying quality (from verypoor to super)— Socially well constructed. Very good in the sense that there was roomfor all fields. Although in the end what you really need is you own field.Statistics course way too difficult, became more or less pointless, whichwas a shame.— They served as a continuous education inbiology/medicine/bioinformatics, without much effort on my side to find suchactivities on my own. — Nätverkandet har varit det bästa och där vet jag att samarbetenspontant har formats. Det bör finnas rikligt med tid för justnätverkande/social tillvaro/pauser på dylika aktiviteter.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 3 ]— I have taken out something relevant/valuable for my own work andeducation from every single event organized by research school Iparticipated in, these include summer school, open days, workshops andconferences. The invited teachers and speakers for all these events wereamong the top in their field, presenting state ot the art data and stimulatinginteresting discussion.



— Excellent. A nice blend of theoretical and practical biology in aninterdisciplinary context.— Mycket är fantastikt! Men en hel del av semenarium etc har passeratovanför mitt huvud. Mer tid på introduktion är ett måste på samtligaföredrag när gruppen är så spridd i sin kunskap.

16) Would you say that you via the research school have acquiredbetter contacts with researchers and students at the otheruniversities/university colleges in south-western Sweden, comparedto other PhD Students at your departement? (1=no, 5=absolutely)

Total 1 2 3 4 5

fully financed by the research... 20 0% 5% 20% 30% 45% funded by external money (asso... 21 0% 0% 4.76% 19% 76.2%

Total 41 0 1 5 10 25 Comments5 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 2 ]— There is no doubt that I know far more people in different disciplinesthan I would if I had not been part of the research school.— No doubt about that.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 3 ]— Most certainly!— unfortunately— The research shool made the contact/collaboration making process a loteasier, first of all by bringing the students and supervisors working within acommon general area (genomics and bioinformatics) together.

General questions about the research school



17) Mention three not so good sides of the research school inGenomics and bioinformatics (consider both research and education)37 have answered this questionfully financed by the research school [ 20 ]— bad organisation, events canceled suddenly, lack of a 'red thread'through the seminars— * Fewer students from the theoretical sides * Open days could beimproved to a higher scientific level * Some of the compulsive courses werenot very well organized.— Few supervisors took part in the activities. More involvement probablyresults in better discussions and more collaborations. The open days andsummer schools were sometimes difficult. More emphasis on the basicparts. Perhaps separating the class at a few occasions. It would have beennice to meet the research school from the east coast more than once. — The multidisciplinarity sometimes meant that people had no commonground, though I suppose this problem decreased with time as we learnedmore from each other. The open days were sometimes a chore, especiallyif they clashed with other activities outside the research school. Early onthere were some management/communication issues (that were sortedout).— No other people with sequence analysis as speciality for discussions.More courses to choose from. For instance I would have liked to taken apractical course in how to build databases. To little time for the groupprojects.— *The activities did not always feel meaningful (if they were in a topic andat a level too far from my own) *It was rather hard to keep up thecollaboration project without more backup support from the establishment.*Some activities were planned with too short notice, and/or changed at alate stage.— 1)to many open days, 1-2 per year would be enough; 2)not enough timeto help each other/colaborate as long as you are not on the sam project;3)not enough engagament from supervisors — Some courses were not followed up (e.g. universeum) which is not goodfor motivation. Other courses were very basic. These were also compulsorywhich may not be necessary. — 1. Loss of time to do research 2. Some lectures were extremly boringsince the field was so different from your own that it was impossible tocomprehend anything 3. — 1. There should be more contacts or cooperations between studentswith different backgrounds in their projects. 2. Some course are too easyand not deep enough. 3. career support— Vissa kurser som getts har haft rörigt innehål och lite väl pedagogisktundermåla föreläsare (läs excentriska professorer). Lite väl spriddaområden. det finns skillnade mellan människor, svampar ochmicrooganismer. Ibland lite sen information.— All events are compulsory. You "must" take round 20 points in coursesbut there are few relevant courses for theoreticians. The research schoolshould focus more on genomics"and bioinformatics. I believe that the focushas been too much at traditional biology and, more recently, at systems



biology (which I do not define as genomics or bioinformatics).— We were "forced" to take course which we had no/little intrest in. limitednumber of course especially in the beginning the quality of "open days"were low - as much presented data were of very preliminary nature -naturally this got better as we got further in our studies. But 8hours on atrain for 6 hours of scientifically rather poor presentations felt wasteful.— 1. Too much compulsory activities. As a PhD student you are obliged tocourses etc at your home department and given compulsory courses etc inthe research school as well is too much. 2. The courses included in theresearch school, which are compulsory, has fitted my education poorly.Instead of thinking of the students' best, i.e. which courses are suited forstudents with diverse background, it has been more important that certainpersons in the school has been given a course to execute. There shouldhave been more general courses in research communication, methods,ethics and so on, instead of specific, introductory courses in molecularbiology, statistics and bioinformatics. There should also have been apossibility to choose from a number of courses, instead of being told withcourses one should take. 3. The development and ruling within theresearch school has been one-sided, i.e. the head of the research schoolhas decided what should be included in the school, how it should develope,what activities should include and so on, and there has been littleconsideration of what the students actually wanted.— 1. To much focus on genes and yeast during Open Days 2. Too littletime for social activities for the students. (thats when you get to knowpeople) 3. To few group activities!— 1. To wide in terms of subjects for conferences and courses - many hadlittle relevance to my project. 2. Mandatory statistics course bad. 3. Afundamental problem in my case was to little pre-meditation on thecollaboration project. Aim was too ambitious, and management poor. — To many open days, 1 per semester would be enough— * Dålig planering (för mycket och för ofta i sista minuten). * Mångaobligatoriska moment och stort fokus på att det är obligatoriskt. * — 1. The multidisciplinary approach tend to make some Phd projects out offocus. 2. A tendency of becoming a "jack of all trades, master of none." 3.Unrealistic expectations for paired-Phd projects to work, probably due tothe very high risk nature of the project — Lack of acknowledge that studying fields at graduate level without anybackground in that field is rather hard! that is the summer courses wassometimes very difficult. Opend day concept is rather good, but the mainfocus of the Ph.D. students is, and should be, _always_ getting theirdegree. The work load is tough and one has to prioritise. There isn't time fordoing everything, and the main point here is that the student have to dowhat brings his/hers work forward. The Ph.D. student has the judgement,and can, prioritise for himself/herself!

funded by external money (associated)list [ 17 ]— 1. poor access to courses during the academic year (not summerschool) 2. few of the courses match my interests and they take placealmost only in Lund 3. poor organisation of the course participation — The popular science project, Universeum That the research school isending



— Uppgifter i projektform fungerade dåligt på grund av spridningengeografiskt. Det hade varit bättre att genomföra dem när folk var samladeav annan anledning. Lite för mycket fokus på genomik. Det kunde ha varitmer bioinformatik (vilket används inom mycket annat än genomik)— Lack of computer specific courses nothing in my mind nothing in mymind— Very hard to point out the not-so-good things. The only thing I can thinkof is that less time is devoted for hands-on or lab courses.— unfortunately, you can be at two different places at the same time..— I do not particularly have any.— * Difficult to fit the events of the research school into my curriculum.Limited understanding from my home institute in this regard. * Perhaps a bittoo theoretical, with too little biology involved at times (at least to my taste)* Not all courses given appealed to me — Obligatoriskt deltagande vid functional genomics konferensen — 1. Många föredragshållare som kommer till oss lägger sig på för högnivå, tar med för lite bakgrund. Dessutom känns det som om mångaföredragshållare har varit välidga karrirärister, och ibland tycker jag att detskulle vara väl så intressant att höra på en människa som inte blivitprofessor innan 40 eftersom det på något sätt är mer representativt ochden vägen man förmodligen själv kommer gå. Mer inspirerande med ensmåbarnsförädrer som kommit en bit på väg än en superforskare som ägnat sitt liv endast åt forkning, många av oss kommer inte kunna leva detlivet. 3. Mera kvinnliga föredragshållare, förstår att det ibland kan vara svårtatt få tag men det känns som att männen varit extremt överrepresenteradevad gäller externa föredragshållare och även nu senast på functionalgenoimcs konferensen.— I can't think of any— Open Days: A tendency for the same speakers to give talks. Website forthe research school not updated. Missing a suitable ethics course relevantfor the research topics within the school.— Could be very time-consuming at times when the "mother" institutionneeded a lot of your time. The sometimes long travel distances for onlyshort get togethers. — none— 1 Too much medical science 2 A bit time consuming 3 To little cources— Sad that not all summerschools have taken place Better to have fewerlonger get-together than a lot of separate open days — * hard to bridge the gap between experimentalists and theoreticans * toomany compulsory events

18) Mention three strong/good sides with the research school inGenomics and bioinformatics (consider both research and education)39 have answered this questionfully financed by the research school [ 20 ]— However the idea of summer schools is good, getting to know peoplefrom other expertise areas is good. I have personally got help from anotherfield of expertise from one of my friends in the research school.— Formed a large social and scientific network Increased understanding for



other disciplines Collaborations — Some courses, notably the summer schools, pulled off themultidisciplinarity thing really well, with students working together andpooling their skills. We non-biologists were forced to learn quite a bit ofbiology, in order to understand and participate in discussions. The coursesintroduced a set of relevant topics that I would not have studied otherwise.— The group projects, to get to know people and to see the potential ininterdisciplinary dynamics. Interesting themes and good lecturers on allsummerschools. The regular open days, filled with interesting talks and anice way to stay in conact with your friends from the research school. Veryoften a welcome disruption in your work.— 1. Meet new people 2. Make you think out of the box 3. Opportunity tolearn things (for example PERL programmation!) or do things that onewould have never done on a "normal" PhD — 1. Quite many interesting activities, like summer school, course,workshops. 2. Bring students with different background together 3. Goodadministration— networking/cross diciplnary contacts above all — Vissa kurser har varit riktigt bra. Träffa intressanta världsledandeforskare. Anders.— Good networking, nice meetings and social events. Good sommerschools.— 1. Possibility to meet other students from diverse areas. 2. Somecourses have been good. 3. Very good lecturers, that have a lot ofknowledge in their areas.— 1. To get to know people from other diciplines. 2. Courses outside yourdicipline. (Like the PERL-course for me as a chemist) 3. The groupactivities that we had!— Provides a broader spectrum of courses than given at a singledepartment. Good place to interact with students from other departmentsGood way to get experience in presenting scientific material— 1) multidisciplinarity 2) inrease a posibility making contacts at the earlystage of research career; — 1. High ambition when it came to bringig peolpe together. Niceatmosphere. Nice to see other types of science. 2. A clear plan for courses.3. A sense of security with employment. — *Broad education, with a deeper understanding for the experimentalsciences *Good contacts with other PhD students from differentbackgrounds *Opportunity to travel and see other universities, and inparticular Sanger Centre— Scientific net working Work shops - good opportunity for trainingscientific oral presentations (less formal) Interdisciplinary courses — * Goda möjligheter till nätverkande. * Pardoktorand-formen medfinansiering. * Trevliga tillställningar (sommarskolor, etc) som varitpåkostade och genomarbetade.— * Scientific contacts * Interact with people from different background *Nice conferences and summer schools— 1. Social networking with other PhD students 2. Exposure to differentresearch area 3. Potential for collaboration— knowledge about other departments, a broader forum for researchquestions, oppertunity to meet other PhD-student



funded by external money (associated)list [ 19 ]— 1. multidisciplinary character 2. open days, summer school 3. meetingpeople from my area but also from different ones (broadens horizons),networking— 1. Good netwroking 2. Got practise to present the work 3. Interestingdiscussions that helped me in my research— 1.scientific net work 2.courses 3.scientific maturation— -Meet people and work with people working in other disciplins -Be intouch with other disciplins -good and diverse feedback for your project— Meeting people from other disciplines. An eye opener for relatedsubjects that still are fairly close to my field. Some of the courses— 1. Excellent networking opportunities 2. I have got some very novelcomments and ideas about my research which I think will be really helpfulfor me. 3. By knowing what other research school students are working on Ithink I have got a much better understanding of the whole field of genomicsand bioinformatics. I think now I have a better grip on the subject whichwould not have been possible otherwise.— Network, opendays and workshops— Practise to give presentations. Practise to ask questions about otherswork. Interesting summerschools.— Lära känna mkt folk, få nya ideer, hitta samarbeten— networking great scientific diversity compulsory events = good(otherwise I would probably not have participated as much) — 1. Nätverket som sådant, mkt kunskap finns tillgänglig 2. Work shopaktiviteterna där man får veta vad det andra gör 3. Iden med detmultidiplicinära nätverket är underbar! — 1. Meeting PhD students that have other research areas. 2. Summerschool in Cambridge was wery usefull for mly research 3. Practising ofholding presentations— * THE place to network! It has been absolutely great in this regard - trulyvery valuable. I have many publications resulting from this networking. *Lead by the right people. A very multi-backgrounded and skillful set ofleaders and lecturers involved. * Good courses that I would otherwise nothave participated in (and thus missed the important topics generallyinvolved). * I was happy to see that everyone who has asked for help hasreceived it from the various seniors and young scientists involved (one wayor the other) in the research school — Multidisciplinary thinking, Current, state of the art science Interactionwith other reseraches (networking)— Summerschools good and interesting. Nice with recurring events, so thatall students meet up regularly. A nice mix of theoretic and experimentalPhD-students in the school.— Man får ett vidare perspektiv eftersom man kommer i kontakt medforskningsområden man normalt inte arbetar inom. Detta får till följd attman får nya ideer. Bra kurser. — The summerschools have been very, very educating and good Goodmixture of students Good networking platform— Networking Multidisciplinary A good all-round education — * interesting meetings between various disciplines * inspiringsummerschools * a good place to practice your presentation skills in a



friendly environment

19) How would you say that the research school has been regarded byother PhD students (not part of the research school) at yourdepartment? (1=a poor activity, 5=an excellent activity)

Total 1 2 3 4 5


funded by external money(asso... 21 14.3% 0% 42.9% 38.1% 4.76%

Total 41 3 1 22 13 2 Comments8 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 3 ]— I don't think they know that much about it, really.— Good in sense of clear plans for courses and conferences and meetingpeople, and security for the student. Not good in the sense that somestrange collaborations were awarded with positions, wich creates a feelingthat it is more important to appeal to funding agencies and to collaborate assuch than to be interested in a field and a specific line of reasearch.— Viss skepsis mot bastard-verksamhet utanför området, för att hårddradet.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 5 ]— I never got any specific comments from the people in my department,but the general impression is good.— Sadly, it seems that many people (even in the field) have not heardabout it, or at least don't know what it is about— jag tror de flesta på min avdelning inte äns vet vad forskarskolan är förnågot.— Comments are rare but if they give any it is often about the fun activitiesand that they think it would be part of a group like that.



— They really have not made any comments on it.

20) How would you rate the research school in Genomics andbioinformatics as a way of educating PhD students, compared to theeducation that the other students at your department is given?(1=very poor, 5=excellent)

Total 1 2 3 4 5


(asso... 21 0% 0% 9.52% 57.1% 33.3% Total 41 0 1 6 24 10

Comments9 have commented on this questionfully financed by the research school [ 5 ]— Framtiden inom många områden hänger ju på att samarbeta mellandiscipliner.— Good for applied mathematicians, who find the results in the appliedscience as important as the theoretical results, but it can not replace alleducation in mathematics - since some parts are necessarily lost in favor ofapplied knowledge.— the importance ot networking connat be overrated— Very nice to have a clear plan for courses and responsibilities and beingsecure. It might be a problem though that projects get too controlled andare not allowed to grow "from the ground up", meaning that it's moreimportant to impress a grant-provider in an application than what youactually perform in the lab. "We promise to do this!" is more important thanyour record. This is not a good incitament, and it lowers motivation in thelab. At least that's my feeling. Also, the research school seems expensive.— The best type of education really varies from student to student; someare more interested in more theoretical studies with no strong connection tobiology, while others already have a background very different from whatthey do here. But in many cases, it could be very helpful to be part of this



more multidisciplinary environment, and to make contacts outside thedepartment and existing collaborations.

funded by external money (associated)list [ 4 ]— it is more focus and brings new posibilities that the "standard" systemignores— Utbildandet av forskarstuderande är nog ganska lika, även om uppläggetär på olika sätt.— Overall, it is more stimulating, with higher opportunities of discussingyour work with fellow students and getting a feedback and learning aboutthe current trends in science from senior researchers.— Very good if there were more specific cources in bioinformatics

21) Do you think it would be valuable to continue this type of researchschool activity in Genomics and bioinformatics in the future?

Total Yes No fully financed by the research school 20 100% 0% funded by external money (associated)list 21 95.2% 4.76% Total 41 40 1 Comment9 have commented on this question

fully financed by the research school [ 5 ]— There is a need for theoreticians understanding the applied sciences, aswell as for experimentalists understanding theory and modeling - andpeople with this type of education attract interest abroad too.— If it is improved! Listen to former students!— To an amount, yes. — Gives you a broader perspective on science, makes you familiar with thescience outside your science group and might improve your own science ifyou are open to new perspectives.— if the organisation is tightened



funded by external money (associated)list [ 4 ]— Mainly because of the networking between younger students that arespecialised in different areas. — It has been extreemly valuable and beneficial for my PhD education frombeing one of the greatest experiences during the phD studies and I thinkthat it is very important that it continues in the future.— mutli-disciplinarity is the key for great research, not keeping it will be ashame and a step back— absoulty yes

22) If the research school was to be continued, mention some waysthat you see it could be improved!30 have answered this questionfully financed by the research school [ 18 ]— Do not emphasise the multidisciplinary part. Do not remove it completelybut try to do activities/courses fot each disciplinary by themselves and thenone can have "get together" schools (like summer schools) where you meetand socialise and talk science, in a more relaxed way. But do not try toforce the students to learn a whole new area, after all we do a Ph.D. to digdeeper into an area (our own field), and often a rather difficult area as well.Then you don't want to dig deeper into a field of expertise where you don'thave any background information -unless you need that information in yourown research. The research school should just bring contacts, let you knowwhere you can find the expertise when you want it.— It would be interesting to see the Research School as an autonomousentity within the hosting university. For example, the PhD curriculum couldbe the sole responsibility of the Research School. — All the points I made for question 17) could be improved...— It would have been nice to meet the research school from the east coastmore than once. Require that supervisors took part in the activities. Theopen days and summer schools were sometimes difficult. More emphasison the basic parts. Perhaps separating the class at a few occasions. — Bättre framförhållning med saker och ting. Mer tydlig social inriktning påtillställningar, kanske med fokus på att hitta samarbeten. Pardoktorand-formen är ju bra, men kräver flexibilitet inför nya samarbeten om det intefungerar smidigt av något skäl.— It would be interesting to involve all people in one giant project, whereeach and every member of the research school have a specific role. If thiscould be done without to much interference with your own science I think itwould be a nice idea.— 1)try to find some time so students can help each other with theirprojects, this could be a part of the workshop f.e.— A wider spectrum of courses. — By listening to other former students. Offer more and other courses, sothere is a list courses to choose from. Take of away the compulsory parts.It is just a burden.— 1. More cooperation between experimentalists and Theoretician 2.Students can choose other summer schools outside of the research school.



3. Have a group discussion webpage, where students can post theirquestions and discussions on different subjects, which makes it open to allstudents in the research school. — Mera skola, mindre seminarieserie.— Increase the quality of the open days.— it would be good with a continuosly recruitment of participants. so it willbe a mix of experienced graduate students and people just starting out.— More social events for the students!! More group activities!— Maybe award solid projects. Probably it has been good in getting peopleto meet and use each others capabilities, although this might also be donemore cheaply. Also, expand the courses and make room for alternatives.Open days are ok. summer school is more fun than scientifically rewarding,but very nice as teambuilding.— More participation from supervisors - and in particular supervisors withmultidisciplinary interests and backgrounds.— Try to inform the departments about the courses that are planned insuch a way that the research school courses and activities can be workedinto the individual study plans in a natural way.— se above and greater emphasis on oppertunities for collaboration

funded by external money (associated)list [ 12 ]— On some courses, experimentalist and theoretician needs to be dividedup further, considering individuall background knowledge. The number ofopendays can be reduced to 2 a year. Otherwise, PERFECT!— It would be nice for if there could be more practical parts for alldisciplines— More dedicated cources for the students in the research school and lessopen days— That we could select courses from other researchschools as well andget those payed. That makes the polette of courses wider and moreadapted for each of the students. Possibility to finanze conferenses werewe have got papers accepted.— 1. Mera bakgrund till varje föredrag 2. Mera kurser (har inte varit någotmer än sommarskolorna för mig som inte varit med från start 3. Merakvinnliga föredragshållare. — * Days set aside for bringing people together and discuss whatpublications we could get out together, and what's stopping us from gettingthem out. * Joint publications to a greater extent. * More and betterinvolvement by the "associated" supervisors (who were always invited butseldom showed up). * A course on scientific writing / publishing, withteachers ranging from young to senior scientists who have a lot ofexperience of puboishing articles, to people from the university libraries, topeople from a publishing company, to someone from an Englishdepartment.— Wider selection of courses aimed for the more theoretic students.— I would like to see some more hands-on courses especially a widerrange than is available now. I would also like to see more time spent onthese hands-on courses.— More flexibility. Maybe open up for even more students to be able to joincourses and events. — -I will like to see more diverse courses, which can be acheived by



expanding the RS network. -More events and Workshops— 1. it should provide more course weeks then open day seminars— more courses, better organized course participation, courses indeifferent places

23) Any additional comments you want to make in relation to theresearch school that has not been part of the given questions?7 have answered this questionfully financed by the research school [ 3 ]— After a somewhat shaky start, Anders Blomberg grew into the role ofleader for the research school. He's done an excellent job of organizingactivities for this rather unruly bunch of students from very diversebackgrounds.— Tack för allt nerlagt jobb med att få det att hända!!!— Make sure there are some postdoc money!

funded by external money (associated)list [ 4 ]— I'm very greatful to have been a part of this research school and hope itwill continue as it gives much more possibilities to share scientificknowledge than any other events/conferences/workshops.— none— The research school has been a great experience for me. Thanks to theresearch school I have easily published twice as much as I otherwise wouldhave. It has been the perfect start on my scientific career. I now have anetwork on my own, separate from that of my supervisors. Many thanksfrom me for my time in the research school!— It would be interesting to have a lunchmeeting or some informalgathering for alumni in each town, once or twice per semester, to retain allthe connections that have been formed.

Contact person: Anders Blomberg, [email protected] modified: 27/09/07

Documents

Questionnaire - PhD Students - Göteborgs universitet · 2007-10-29 · Total 41 0 14 17 10 i = Utbildningsbidrag (the whole period) , ii = Doktorandtjänst (the whole period) , iii