Online tracking system TRACK makes progress on obtaining a doctorate transparent and flexible

Young Talent Best Practice – Maastricht University

To ensure that doctoral candidates’ progress can be clearly followed, the CAPHRI School at Maastricht University built an online monitoring system. CAPHRI tracks several areas for doctoral candidates and serves as an example for the rest of the university.

What does the career development policy involve?

Training and supervision plans filled in properly and retained in a filing cabinet causing these to outdate, and a list of doctoral candidates stored on the hard disk of one computer at a school. These are two random examples of methods with which the plans and progress of doctoral candidates are sometimes organised. A year ago research school CAPHRI at Maastricht University called for improvement. The solution: TRACK, an online tracking system providing doctoral candidates, supervisors and coordinators access anywhere at all times.

How does it work?

TRACK is a secure environment for doctoral candidates, supervisors, second supervisors and doctoral coordinators. Doctoral candidates can log into a website to fill in surveys about the quality of supervisors and second supervisors, add research data, communicate with supervisors and file important documents.

Supervisors, including second supervisors, have the opportunity to monitor the progress of all doctoral candidates they supervise, and have the latest data relating to the doctoral candidate at their disposal.

What makes this career development policy successful?

For everyone involved, all agreements are clear and up-to-date, and remain so. Important documents are stored in a central, secure location in TRACK and can no longer get lost or mixed up with each other. Everyone has access to the same information which is continuously updated by all relevant parties.

An even more important aspect of a central tracking system is the trends that become visible. A simple traffic light system (red, orange and green) shows the status per period throughout the duration of the doctoral programme. Latent problems causing delay, or even causing the doctoral candidate to drop out will no longer be an issue. Exceptional results can be rewarded and utilised; talented doctoral candidates are scouted faster and this can be incorporated via CAPHRI through the talent or incubator policy.

Developments can be seen clearly at a glance, which makes it easier to respond efficiently.

Why was this system chosen?

Over 200 internal and external candidates are associated with CAPHRI and this requires that supervision be well organised. In the previous situation with many supervisors applying their own methods, a great deal of information was not visible to everyone and the School was sometimes unaware of the problems or delay, or made aware of these in good time. An annual survey provided the broad outlines but it was difficult to understand and draw substantiated conclusions about progress and supervising a doctorate process. A clear tracking system which is accessible online was selected to gain a good idea of and monitor the progress of doctoral candidates

What are the future plans?

After TRACK was launched at CAPHRI in April, other schools and faculties have also shown interest in the system. The university is currently looking at whether it would be feasible to apply TRACK across the whole of Maastricht University as the university doctoral research monitoring system.

What else does CAPHRI do to supervise doctoral candidates and postdocs?

CAPHRI pursues an extensive policy for doctoral candidates, postdocs and Research Master’s students. Apart from the tracking system, CAPHRI offers a budget for following and attending courses and congresses. Any problems that may arise between the doctoral candidate and the supervisor can be discussed with the doctoral coordinator and the confidential adviser. Successful doctoral candidates receive supervision and support when applying for a postdoc position and possibly a VENI grant.

Talented students, doctoral candidates and postdocs furthermore have the opportunity to obtain a Kootstra Talent Fellowship, a personal grant which bridges the Master's phase and the start of a doctoral candidacy, or the doctorate and postdoctorate programme. The grant enables them to write a research proposal and to start part of their research in the interim period so that they can commence their programme with a head start.

Download the full CAPRHI policy for doctoral candidates, postdocs and Research Master’s students here.

Why is it important to invest in young talent?

Young talent is the capital of the future. Making the most of talent will create opportunities for creativity paving the way for significant innovation and solutions. Star performers will only obtain the space and opportunities to prove themselves if adequate investments are made in them.