Course GSNS Onboarding programme – workshop: Becoming a scientist

Name of workshop: Becoming a scientist

Course parameters: No. of contact hours/hours in total incl. preparation: 6/10 hrs

Capacity limit: 50 participants

For more information about ECTS, see the GSNS website

Workshop content:

Building Research Independence in Natural Sciences PhDs

This workshop is designed to support doctoral candidates in the natural sciences as they navigate the critical transition from guided learning to independent research practice.

The workshop opens by explicitly clarifying the overarching objectives of the PhD education, and participants are provided with strategies and tools to strengthen their development as independent scientists. A key emphasis is placed on collaboration with supervisors, guiding the PhD candidates in how to negotiate roles, clarify responsibilities, and manage progression effectively throughout their doctoral journey.

The course emphasizes academic ownership, encouraging participants to reflect on how to assert their ideas and contributions within collaborative frameworks. Practical strategies will be introduced to help PhDs to develop or maintain confident, autonomous research practice. Attention will also be given to supervision styles, examining how different approaches can foster or hinder academic independence. By creating awareness of these dynamics, the participants will be better equipped to manage supervisory relationships constructively.

Finally, participants will gain tools for regularly aligning expectations with supervisors and collaborators according to the evolving phases of their research. This ensures clarity, reduces conflict, and strengthens the foundation for independent scholarly work. By the end of the course, PhD candidates will have a toolkit of reflective practices, communication strategies, and practical methods to assert independence while thriving in collaborative scientific environments.

Name of lecturer(s):
Ditte-Marie From, Associate Professor 

Workshop format:
Short presentations by lecturer and students, group discussions, peer feedback

Onboarding programme:
The onboarding programme will introduce different work tools all relating to the process of initiating and doing a PhD project in the best way possible. These will be introduced through peer-mentoring groups and workshops with different topics. By participating in the onboarding programme the PhD students will be offered an insight into handling ups and downs during their PhD, and how to develop as a young scientist. The onboarding programme will also give the PhD students an opportunity to meet fellow PhD students and expand their network – both socially and academically. Read more here.

Time: 09:00 – 15:00 (Lunch included)

Place: Preben Hornung stuen, AU Conference Centre, building 1422, Fredrik Nielsens vej 2, 8000 Aarhus C

Please note that seats are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

- For questions relating to the content of the workshop, please contact Ditte-Marie From, dmf@academiccoaching.dk

- For questions relating to administrative issues, e.g. registration or location, please contact: Sututhi Perrananthasivam sper@au.dk

Course dates:

• 28 April 2026 09:00 - 15:00