Head of the department:
- has administrative responsibility for the department's supervisors and candidates employed at NIH;
- must transfer the personnel administrative responsibility to the head of another department when she/he is the supervisor for a doctoral candidate;
- will make sure that procedures and routines relevant for the doctorate student are carried out according to plans and preconditions;
- proposes expert committee for review of applications for the PhD program. If the candidate is employed before enrollment, the proposal shall be submitted at the start of the employment contract;
- proposes evaluation committee for the submission of the candidate's thesis. There are specific requirements for the composition and academic competence for both expert and evaluation committee, see Guidelines;
- sets the date for public defense, after discussions with the evaluation committee, the rectorate and the candidate;
- will ensure that the relationship between the candidate and the supervisor works according to intentions, and uncover difficulties in such relationships;
- will oversee that the candidate and the supervisor report according to the guidelines;
- must follow up on the annual reporting and uncover the lack of/delayed progress;
- must try to find solutions in case of unforeseen delays for doctorate students.