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Neuroscience Center Zurich

FAQ

Registration to the ZNZ PhD Program in Neuroscience

What is the difference between Track I and Track II?

Must I note the names of the second and third thesis committee member on the “ZNZ Registration Form” before I submit it?

I do not know my thesis title yet. Do I have to write this on the ZNZ Registration Form before I submit it?

Parallel matriculation to UZH or ETH, where can I find the information?

Thesis Committee Members

I am confused about which rules apply regarding the thesis committee members. The ZNZ requires at least one ZNZ PI, my faculty/department seem to have other additional rules. Which rules apply?

Course registration

How do I register for the Introductory Courses in Neuroscience?
How do I register for the other ZNZ courses and the ZNZ PhD Retreat?
How do I register for other courses that are not organized by the ZNZ?


ECTS credit points

What are the general ZNZ rules?
I need an official ZNZ confirmation of my credits in order to set a date for my defense. Can you give me this document?
Where do I upload my course certificates?
How do I know if the external course I want to attend will be acknowledged by the Program?
My UZH/ETH transcript includes the note “not an official document” just under the title. I do not have any other proof of my ECTS credits for this course/these courses. What can I do?
I am also a member of an additional PhD program. How do I get my ZNZ credit point confirmation?



Exams of the Introductory Courses

How do I register for the Exam of the Introductory Courses in Neuroscience?

When are the exams of the Introductory Courses in Neuroscience scheduled?


The student databases ("Student Admin" is ONLY for MNF students - all other students must upload into their personal ZNZ OneDrive folder) :

Who do I contact if I have questions regarding Student Admin (ONLY for MNF students)?

The Student Admin (ONLY for MNF Students) milestones of my thesis proposal and annual reports have not been   approved yet, even though I submitted them a long time ago. Why?

Thesis proposal and annual reports

Where do I upload my Thesis Proposal and annual reports?
Is it possible to postpone the deadline for my thesis proposal or annual report?

Thesis and defense

Who do I contact with any questions regarding the context/format of my thesis and about organizing my defense?

 

Certificate of the ZNZ International PhD Program in Neuroscience

What kind of information/documents do I need to submit in order to get my Certificate at the end of my PhD studies?


Travel Grants
Where can I find information about travel grants?

 

Registration to the ZNZ PhD program

What is the difference between Track I and Track II?

Track I – Application procedure following the Life Science Zurich Graduate School (LSZGS) online application system
Track II – Applying directly and bilaterally to a research group leader

Must I note the names of the second and third thesis committee member on the “ZNZ Registration Form” before I submit it?
No. You must however send an email with this information to the ZNZ coordinator within six months after your start date (the day you started working on your thesis).

I do not know my thesis title yet. Do I have to write this on the ZNZ Registration Form before I submit it? No. The same rule as above applies.

Parallal matriculation to UZH or ETH, where can I find the information?
VERY IMPORTANT:  Please note that your supervisor’s group will deal with your employment contract and the necessary HR and visa formalities but it is your responsibility to register in parallel as a PhD student at either UZH or ETH. Permits for foreign PhD students are linked to the registration at a Swiss University, students should therefore start the registration process early on:
http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/application/Matriculation-University-of-Zurich.html

http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/application/Matriculation-ETH-Zurich.html

 

Thesis committee Members

I am confused about which rules apply regarding the thesis committee members. The ZNZ requires at least one ZNZ PI, my faculty/department seem to have other additional rules. Which rules apply? You need to make sure that the guidelines of the corresponding UZH faculties and ETH departments are respected in addition to the ZNZ regulations.

For example, the Faculty of Science (UZH) requires that two members must have the right to promote in their faculty. Rules from various other faculties/departments are listed here:
https://www.lifescience-graduateschool.uzh.ch/en/PI/requirements_start_PhD.html

 

Course registration

How do I register for the Introductory Courses in Neuroscience?
There is no registration needed for the ZNZ Introductory Courses in Neuroscience. The same applies for the exams of these two courses. All you need to do is simply be there.

 

How do I register for the other ZNZ courses and the ZNZ PhD Retreat?
For the three ZNZ courses mentioned below and for the ZNZ PhD retreat we will send official registration emails in the springtime. We only register students that are replying directly to these emails. It is not possible to register to these courses before the invitation email has been sent out. Please bear in mind that we register on a "first-come, first serve basis":
- Course in Science Ethics for Cancer Biologists and Neuroscientists (1 ECTS credit)
- Crash Couse in Statistics (2 ECTS credits)
- Writing for Neuroscientists (1.5 ECTS credits)

Links:

https://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/courses/elective/transferable-skills.html
https://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/courses/elective/elective_research.html

 

How do I register for other courses that are not organized by the ZNZ?
Please look in the course description for the course coordinator and contact him/her directly for further details.

 

ECTS credit points

General rules ZNZ:
http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/courses.html

I need an official ZNZ confirmation of my credits in order to set a date for my defense. Can you give me this document?
Sure. ETH and UZH Psychology students need to upload all course certificates and ECTS credit documentation into their personal ZNZ OneDrive folder. After all your certificates are uploaded: please write an email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch - and ask for a ZNZ confirmation of all your credits. MNF students, please see below:

Important note for Students in the Faculty of Science (MNF): You need to upload all your course certificates under the milestone "Coursework" in Student Admin. After you have uploaded ALL your course certificates you need to send an email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch to let us know that this is done: Now we can approve the milestone "Course work" in the MNF database. You need to have this done in order to start the graduation process in the MNF system.

How do I know if the external course I just attended will be credited with ECTS credits?
External courses with confirmed ECTS credit points signed by the lecturer or the organizer will be considered case by case. If you do not have any written confirmation of the ECTS credits you need to acquire this yourself from the lecturer and send it to us. We cannot approve any credits without this confirmation.

My UZH/ETH transcript includes the note "not an official document" just under the title. I do not have any other proof of my ECTS credits for this course/these courses. What can I do?

You have three choices:

  1. Have this "transcript of records" document signed and dated by your supervisor, with his/her name added in block letters. Upload to Student Admin (MNFstudents) or your personal ZNZ OneDrive folder (other students)  and send an email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch when you need the ZNZ confirmation of your ECTS credit points.
     
  2. Organize specific course certificates for each course you want to have recognized by ZNZ (with written confirmation of the ECTS points), upload to Student Admin (MNF Students) or your OneDrive folder (other students) and send an email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch when you need the ZNZ confirmation of your ECTS credit points.
     
  3. Wait for the final official UZH/ETH transcript (normally available at the end of the semester), upload to Student Admin or your ZNZ Onedrive folder and send an email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch when you need the ZNZ confirmation of your ECTS credit points.

I am also a member of an additional PhD program. How do I get my ZNZ credit point confirmation?

Important note for members of additional PhD programs such as psychology students (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and MD PhD students:

One course can only be credited once, either to the ZNZ PhD program or to your other PhD program. It is not allowed to use one course to obtain credits twice (in two PhD programs).

At the end of your studies, in order for ZNZ to issue an official credit point confirmation, ZNZ needs the official ECTS credit point confirmation from your "other" PhD program in order to cross-check that no course will be credited twice. Please send this confirmation by email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch.

 

Exams of the Introductory Courses

How do I register for the Exam of the Introductory Courses in Neuroscience?
There is no registration needed for the ZNZ Introductory Courses in Neuroscience.

When are the exams of the introductory courses in neuroscience scheduled?
The exams usually take place on Monday afternoon of the last lecture-free week, i.e the part I (fall) exam in February in the week before lectures start and part II (spring) correspondingly in September in the week before lectures start. Link for more details about the exams:

https://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/courses/exam_introcourse.html

 

The student databases (MNF students => Student Admin, other students must use their personal ZNZ OneDrive Folder):

Who do I contact if I have questions regarding StudentAdmin?

Please note that all questions regarding the database “StudentAdmin” must be sent to the Faculty of Science: promotion@mnf.uzh.ch
Studiendekanat MNF

Y10 G23
Winterthurerstrasse 190

8057 Zürich

The student Admin milestones of my thesis proposal and annual reports have not been approved yet, even though I  submitted them a long time ago. Why?

ZNZ only approves these milestones at the end of your studies after you have finished and uploaded all your reports and credit information/confirmations, and sent us an email requesting us to confirm these Student Admin Milestones. We do this to save time, due to the fact that we need to work with two parallel databanks.

 

Thesis proposal and yearly meetings

Where do I upload my Thesis Proposal and yearly reports?
 

MNF students

Within 12 months after your start date (the date you officially started working with your PhD project/the start date of your work contract), you need to set up a meeting with your thesis committee members. In this meeting, you will discuss your thesis proposal, which needs to be dated and signed by all thesis committee members. We recommend that you send your thesis committee members your thesis proposal two weeks before the meeting, to give them enough time to prepare for the meeting.

Please upload your signed (by all committee members) and dated thesis proposal (electronic signatures are ok) under the milestone "Committee Meeting 1" in Student Admin The thesis report requirements are described on our website:
http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/documents/Thesis_proposal.html

Yearly reports
You must organize meetings on a yearly basis until you are ready for the thesis defense. Within one year after the date on your thesis proposal, you must meet again with your thesis committee (discussion about the progress of your PhD project) and you must upload the signed (by all committee members) and dated "Thesis Meeting Report Form" (https://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/documents.html) into the corresponding "Committee meeting 2" tab in Student Admin.

In the third year you must upload the next “Thesis Meeting Report Forrm” under the milestone “Committee meeting 3”.

If your start date in Student Admin is wrong, you can write an email to Cornelia Schmid at MNF promotion@mnf.uzh.ch and ask her to change the date. The start date is the date when you actually started working on your PhD project according to your work-contract.

 

UZH Psychology students

Within 12 months after your start date (the date you officially started working with your PhD project/the start date of your work contract) you need to set up a meeting with your thesis committee members. In this meeting, you will discuss your thesis proposal, which needs to be dated and signed by all thesis committee members. We recommend that you send your thesis committee members your thesis proposal two weeks before the meeting, to give them enough time to prepare for the meeting.

Please upload your signed (by all committee members) and dated thesis proposal (electronic signatures are ok) into your personal ZNZ OneDrive folder

It is your responsibility to upload your reports on time. Incomplete, not dated or un-signed reports will be considered invalid/incomplete.

The thesis report requirements are described on our website:
http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/documents/Thesis_proposal.html

Yearly reports
You must organize meetings on a yearly basis until you are ready for the thesis defense. Within one year after the date on your thesis proposal, you must meet again with your thesis committee (discussion about the progress of your PhD project) and you must upload the signed (by all committee members) and dated "Thesis Meeting Report Form" (
https://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/documents.html) into your personal ZNZ OneDrive folder.

 

ETH students

Within 12 months after your start date (the date you officially started working with your PhD project/the start date of your work contract), you must upload your signed and dated  thesis proposal into your personal ZNZ OneDrive folder. The same research project that you defended in your aptitude colloquium (one year after your started working on your ETH  PhD project) can be used as your thesis proposal.

It is your responsibility to upload your reports on time. Incomplete, not dated or un-signed reports will be considered invalid/incomplete.

Yearly reports
You must organize meetings on a yearly basis until you are ready for the thesis defense. Within one year after the date on your thesis proposal, you must have met again with your thesis committee (discussion about the progress of your PhD project) and you must upload the signed (by all committee members) and dated  (electronic signatures are ok) "Thesis Meeting Report Form": (https://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/documents.html) into your personal ZNZ OneDrive Folder.

 

Is it possible to postpone the deadline for my thesis proposal or yearly report?
If you have a good reason to apply for an extension of your deadline, we need you to write the request with the reason for the delay before the deadline per email to hgauss@neuroscience.uzh.ch.

 

 

 

Who do I contact with any questions regarding the context/format of my thesis and about organizing my defense?

For any questions regarding your thesis context/format or organization of your defense, we kindly ask you to check directly with your supervisor and the Faculty (UZH) or Department (ETH) that you are registered in, since this varies depending on your affiliation.

 

ZNZ International Certificate in Neuroscience

What kind of information/documents do I need to submit in order to get my ZNZ International Certificate in Neuroscience?

We need to have the following information:

  1. All your course certificates must be uploaded into your personal ZNZ OneDrive folder (ETH and Psychology students) or Student Admin, "course work" milestone (MNF students).
  2. The date of your defense
  3. The final (corrected and official) version of your thesis as a PDF or a link to the document.
  4. Your current address
  5. For MD PhD students and students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of UZH: An official document stating which courses are credited to your other program.

 

Travel Grants

Where can I find information about travel grants?

All information can be found here:

http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en/education/grants/reimbursement.html