Frequently asked questions and their respective answers

The most frequently asked questions and their answers We have compiled the most frequently asked questions and their answers for you. Here is a compact overview for all those who want to tackle a doctorate within three years.

What is a scholarship?

Scholarships are financial support for the particularly talented or highly gifted. They serve to promote education. Therefore, scholarship holders receive a monthly sum of money which they can use to pay tuition fees or cover their living expenses. In addition, there are also scholarships in the form of monetary benefits or non-material support, for example through seminars or mentoring programs.

What is the scholarship rate in the Graduate School of Logistics?

Scholarship holders in GSofLog receive 1,450.00 euros per month tax-free. In addition, each scholarship holder has a travel budget for attending international conferences or trips to the sponsor. In addition, a material cost budget is available for technical equipment or for participation in individual continuing education formats.

What is a structured doctorate?

A structured doctorate differs from an individual doctorate in that it provides systematic and intensive supervision within a program, often enabling a doctorate to be completed within three years. In the case of the Graduate School of Logistics, the intensive supervision is covered by the doctoral supervisor, the day-to-day supervisor and the coordination. In addition, a fixed doctoral program sets milestones and provides support through events, networking and continuing education to achieve them.

GRK, Graduate School – what is the difference?

A GRK is a graduate school funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) on a specific topic. As a rule, the focus is on basic research. Up to 12 fellowships are awarded. The program adheres to fixed call deadlines (every 2-3 years) and the different doctoral topics of the fellows pay off on the specific, overarching theme.

The Graduate School of Logistics is industry-sponsored. Thus, the focus is on application-oriented research. The fellows conduct research on a specific problem from practice and transfer their scientific findings directly to the sponsoring company. The industrial partner thus enables the evaluation of the scientific results and provides a real application case. The dissertation can be tested on concrete data, structures, processes in practice.

Are there fixed application deadlines in the GSofLog?

No, the GSofLog invites tenders throughout the year. As soon as a concrete research question has been identified in industry and the company agrees to funding, a thematic framework for a doctorate is advertised.

Which subject areas are addressed in the GSofLog?

GSofLog is looking for particularly talented master’s graduates in logistics, industrial engineering, computer science, engineering, data science, statistics or economics. Depending on the thematic framework, social scientists or psychologists are also in demand. GSofLog works in an interdisciplinary manner. The focus is on digital transformation.

What are the basic requirements for an application?

Since this is a talent promotion and doctoral scholarship, a final grade of at least 2.0 is expected. The master’s degree should have been completed in a standard period of study. Valid exceptions, such as a semester abroad, will be considered. At least 300 ECTS must have been earned during the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. Applicants should not be older than 28 years and should submit at least one, but usually two, letters of recommendation from university professors. Ideally, the applicant already has scientific and/or practical knowledge in the advertised subject area. The ability to do good, scholarly work must be clearly evident. In addition, working on-site at the LogisticsCampus is a requirement, as is a willingness to travel (conferences, stay with the sponsor). GSofLog is looking for team players who are interested in interdisciplinary exchange.

Do I enter into an employment contract with GSofLog or the sponsor?

A fellowship is generally not based on an employment contract. Scholarship recipients receive a certificate of sponsorship from the Graduate School of Logistics. Thus, scholarship holders are not obligated to perform towards the sponsor or GSofLog. The focus is on uninfluenced scientific work. In the context of the scholarship program, only an agreement to actively participate in the doctoral program is required. In addition, it is possible for fellows to enter into a non-disclosure agreement with the sponsor. This can be a basic requirement, as the doctoral candidates work with concrete company data and gain deep insights into internal processes. Competitive disadvantages for the company should be avoided. The right to correct scientific work and the publication of the dissertation remain unaffected.

Is a scholarship taxable?

A scholarship is tax-free. The scholarship rate of 1,450 euros is transferred to the account tax-free. A tax return is not required if none has been prepared to date. However, scholarship holders must take out their own health insurance if inclusion in the family insurance is no longer possible.

Over what period is the scholarship awarded?

The scholarship is designed for three years, but is initially limited to one year and extended for two years after a successful intermediate examination, after about nine months.

What can I expect in the intermediate examination?

The intermediate examination consists of two parts. In the first part, the written one, a ten-page, pre-structured report is prepared that records the activities of the first months of the fellowship and includes an objective with a milestone plan for the coming months. The report must be submitted two weeks prior to the oral examination. In the second part, the oral, a 30-minute presentation is given to representatives of the Board of Directors of the Graduate School of Logistics, followed by a discussion of approximately 30 minutes via a question and answer session. In terms of content, the fellows present their results to date and give an outlook. The focus is on the examination of scientific skills.

Which Dr. title can I obtain?

GSofLog is an interdisciplinary institution and cooperates with different universities and faculties. Our field of application is logistics and it is just an inter-discipline. If the doctoral thesis is supervised by a board member from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TU Dortmund University, the Dr.-Ing. degree is usually awarded. In the case of a doctorate in logistics with a predominantly economic orientation, the Dr. rer. pol. is awarded. If the first supervisor comes from the Faculty of Statistics at TU Dortmund University, the Dr. rer. nat. is awarded. In each scholarship announcement, the desired subject background as well as the future doctoral supervisor is specified. The future Dr. title is then based on this.

Which doctoral regulations are relevant for me?

Every scholarship holder is anchored at the university and faculty of his or her doctoral advisor. Therefore, the current doctoral regulations apply at the start of the doctoral studies. For the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TU Dortmund University, you can find the current regulations here. For the Faculty of Statistics at TU Dortmund University here. If you are supervised by the Faculty of Economics at the WWU Münster, you will find it here. The doctoral regulations specify the minimum requirements that students must meet to enter a doctoral program, but also specify what achievements must be met during the doctoral program. The structured doctoral model of GSofLog generally covers these requirements.