Drug Research Doctoral Programme - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants
DRDP serves as a postgraduate programme for graduates of the Master’s Degree Programme in Drug Discovery and Development at the University of Turku but it is open to applicants from anywhere in the world, who have a suitable M.Sc. level education and an interest in drug research.
The training provides a general view of the drug development process, starting from molecular and mechanistic levels and continuing to preclinical and clinical drug research, pharmaceutical development, and pharmacoepidemiology.
The doctoral candidates of Drug Research Doctoral Programme (DRDP) carry out their doctoral studies at the Faculty of Medicine or at the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Industrial PhD training in DRDP
DRDP began industrial doctorate training (iPhD) in 2019, in collaboration with industrial partners. The aim of industrial doctorate training is to train doctors with strong scientific thinking in combination with applied research expertise, and capabilities to work in both academic and industrial research environments as well as in their interface. Doctoral candidates on the iPhD track will carry out their research primarily (>75 % of total 4 years) in an industrial environment, and are supervised by both industrial and academic supervisors. The academic training is composed of academic secondments (akateeminen työskentelyjakso, max 25 %), and post-graduate education courses at the UTU. Applicants to the iPhD track select the iPhD track in their application, and attach the special iPhD Supervision plan as an appendix.
>Application periods for doctoral training
The next application period is 1-18 September 2020. The right to study for a doctoral degree will start on 1 January 2021.
DRDP call for UTUGS applications (pdf)
Please read carefully the guidelines for applying
> Faculty of Science and Engineering
Prepare also the documents mentioned in the call for applications of the Drug Research Doctoral Programme.
- Check the application period
- Read the instructions of the faculty in question and the doctoral programme carefully!
- If you are going to verify your language skills with a language test, make sure that you book your test time well in advance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make his/her own language test arrangements
- Get the required signatures in time and prepare the appendices
- Fill in the electric application form
- Remember to apply in time
- Keep your original certificates at hand and prepare to acquire officially certified copies if needed!
Link to the electronic application form, the list of required attachments and the guide for filling in the form will be available during the application period.
Application period and what can be applied for
On the period of 1-18 September 2020 applications are invited for the right to study and/or funded doctoral training position at the University of Turku in the Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Science and Engineering in Drug Research Doctoral Programme. The right to study for a doctoral degree will start on 1 January 2021.
Applying
Qualified applicant with research topic fitting the scope of DRDP can apply. The motivation to apply to DRDP is presented in the Motivation letter. The applicant should have 1-2 supervisors with at least one supervisor affiliated with University of Turku and holding the UTU -account (UGIS-supervisor) to use the UGIS system. One member in the follow-up committee should be well familiar with the practicalities of doctoral training in the faculty and DRDP. To plan the theoretical studies, take into account the Learning outcomes of DRDP and your career plans.
Application documents
The application should contain
1) electronic application form DRDP ID number is XXXX (link will be open from September 1st, 2020 00:00 to September 18th, 2020 23:59)
2) Pdf files
The application should include the following:
If you are applying for the right to pursue study for a doctoral degree you should attach all documents
At Faculty of Medicine
If you already have the right to study for a doctoral degree you should attach only first four (1-4) attachments
1. Motivation letter (why do you wish to perform doctoral studies in this doctoral programme)
2. CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use attached CV model)
3. Structured research plan approved by the supervisor (max 5 pages).
The plan should consist of: abstract, background, aims and hypotheses, significance, how will the plan be carried out in practice, research environment, timetable and funding plan.
By attaching the research plan to the application form the applicant gives permission for checking the research plan with Turnitin Originality Check (system for electrical plagiarism detection).
4. The postgraduate study plan. Mark to the plan the studies you have already taken.
Faculty of Medicine:
5. Supervision plan
the Faculty of Medicine form: Supervision plan - fill in electronically, print, sign together with the supervisor/-s and the head of subject and scan as an attachment (a mandatory attachment in the Faculty of Medicine).
or Industrial PhD (iPhD) Supervision plan
See: Subjects in doctoral training and heads of doctoral subject
6. A university degree certificate, if applicant has attained the higher university degree somewhere else than in the University of Turku and in addition, a transcript of studies if the degree has been completed outside Finland.
- If needed - please see the instructions: Degree giving the eligibility
Those applicants who have been granted the right to study and who have completed their studies at a University abroad have to submit officially certified copies of the degree certificates, other educational documents and the official translations of the documents to the University of Turku according to the instructions given in the admission notification. If the admitted applicant does not submit the degree documents in time as indicated in the admission notification, they shall forfeit the study place.
7. If applicant has to pass a language test, the copy of the language test result must be attached to the application
- If needed - please see the instructions: Language proficiency
If applying for the right to study for a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the required attachments may vary from the above-mentioned. Please check and follow the instructions of the faculty in question.
At Faculty of Science and Engineering
Doctoral training at the Faculty of Science and Engineering
If you already have the right to study for a doctoral degree you should attach only first four (1-3) attachments
1. Motivation letter (why do you wish to perform doctoral studies in this doctoral programme)
2. CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use attached CV model)
3. Structured research plan approved by the supervisor (max 5 pages).
The plan should consist of: abstract, background, aims and hypotheses, significance, how will the plan be carried out in practice, research environment, timetable and funding plan.
By attaching the research plan to the application form the applicant gives permission for checking the research plan with Turnitin Originality Check (system for electrical plagiarism detection).
4. Supervision plan - Postgraduate graduate study plan
Use this Supervision plan
5. A university degree certificate, if applicant has attained the higher university degree somewhere else than in the University of Turku and in addition, a transcript of studies if the degree has been completed outside Finland.
If needed - please see the instructions: Degree giving the eligibility
Those applicants who have been granted the right to study and who have completed their studies at a University abroad have to submit officially certified copies of the degree certificates, other educational documents and the official translations of the documents to the University of Turku according to the instructions given in the admission notification. If the admitted applicant does not submit the degree documents in time as indicated in the admission notification, they shall forfeit the study place.
6. If applicant has to pass a language test, the copy of the language test result must be attached to the application
If needed - please see the instructions: Language proficiency
The steering committee of the DRDP will process and evaluate the applications. Research proposals may be checked by using Turnitin Originality Check (system for electrical plagiarism detection) before the selection.
DECISION
The Dean of Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Science and Engineering decides on granting the right to study for a doctoral degree, based on the proposals of the steering committee of the Doctoral Programmes. All applicants will be personally informed on the decisions. The right to study for a doctoral degree begins January 1, 2021.
All applicants will be personally informed about the decisions.
An admitted applicant has to notify University of Turku of his/her acceptance of the study place by the 15 December 2020 at 15.00 (GMT +3) according to the instructions given in the admission notification. If the admitted applicant does not give the notification in the time indicated, he/she shall forfeit the study place.
A person admitted to more than one university or polytechnic degree has to notify only the degree in which he/she accepts the study place. Notification is binding, it is not possible to cancel or change it later.
According to Finnish legislation, student may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term (autumn term 1.8.-31.12. or spring term 1.1.-31.7). This rule applies to all higher education. Higher education degrees included in the rule are Bachelor degrees and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities of applied sciences, Bachelor degrees and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities and Licentiate and Doctoral degrees awarded by Finnish universities. Only exemptions are Transfer student selections, the Åland Polytechnic and the Police College of Finland.
Those applicants who have been granted a right to study and who have completed their prior degree abroad have to submit either the original degree certificates or certified copies of the degree certificates and other educational documents and the official translations of the documents to the University of Turku as instructed in the admission notification. If the admitted applicant does not deliver the required certificates by the deadline set in the admission notification, he/she forfeits the study right. Instructions on delivering certificates and country-specific requirements are available here: https://www.utu.fi/en/study-at-utu/accepted-students/original-documents
Appeal for rectification
If an applicant is dissatisfied with the result of the student selection (right to study for a doctoral degree), he/she has the right to submit an application for the rectification of the decision to the Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Science and Engineering within 14 days of the official publishing of the results.
Additional information
Faculty of Medicine:
Chief Academic Officer Outi Irjala
Faculty of Faculty of Science and Engineering:
Chief Academic Officer Sanna Ranto
Coordinator Eeva Valve