Programme details
The curricular component of the Doctoral Program on TERM&SC is organized into two semesters with a total of 60 ECTS. It should accommodate: 1) general contents, covering aspects such as Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Research Methods and 2) transversal/ interdisciplinar contents covering from basic aspects (Biology, Biomaterials, Engineering), to strategies in Tissue Engineering, up to in-vitro/in vivo validation and its subsequent translation to the clinics, as well as ethical issues.
First year:
- 10 ECTS filled with a “horizontal” course, offered across the School of Engineering (Univ. Minho) on “Research Methods”, Leadership or Entrepreneurship
- 5x4 ECTS of four optional courses specific in the field of TERM&SC, that could include: Biomaterials, Stem cells in Regenerative Medicine, Advanced Materials and Biomimetic Strategies in Regenerative Medicine, Nanobiomaterials, Biocompatibility in Tissue Engineering, Biological performance of Tissue Engineering Products, Clinical Translation of Regenerative Medicine Products, Animal models and In Vivo Tests. The teachers are encouraged to include up-dated results from their own researcher or from the most recent developments obtained from other research groups and/or invite other scientists to present and discuss recent research related to the topic of the course. This will be central to maintain the contents in the frontiers of science and technology of advanced healthcare technologies involving regenerative medicine strategies. The students will be challenged to analyze current unmet problems in the TERM field from the different perspectives approached in each course.
- 15 ECTS filled with the “Dissertation Planning”. In this case the doctoral student should acquire a range of skills including: gain autonomy in designing experiments; researching scientific information; handling specific experimental techniques; treat and interpret experimental results; writing scientific reports, and present in public scientific results. The students will attend an international meeting organised by the 3Bs Group (done annually since 2007) where they will contact with world-recognised scientists and the latest development in TERM≻ a special poster session will be done exclusively to the students where they will need to present the plan of the thesis (for evaluation).
A Diploma of Advanced Studies on TERM&SC will be given to the students that complete the 60 ECTS of the curricular component of the PhD program. This diploma certifies the acquisition of skills resulting from the deepening of matters related to TERM&SC.
The dissertation (180 ECTS) runs in the last 3 years of the program and comprises necessarily a work of original research, with a clear contribution to the extension of the frontiers of knowledge in TERM&SC, which will be disseminated through publication in scientific journals and international conferences. The partners form the EIETERM could act as co-supervisors in a “sandwich” scheme, where students spend alternate periods in both institutions.
It is expected that all the students will have at least one working period abroad during their PhD program. The definition of the specific periods abroad and of the international co-supervisors involved requires a careful planning that will take place in the second semester of the first year. This planning will take into account the best interest of the student, the topics to be investigated and the complementarity of the facilities and expertise available in the selected international partners.
