PhD Retreat FAQs
What when where how
1. What is the PhD retreat?
Information and program are available on the main page.
2. When is the PhD retreat?
Make sure to pick up your welcome & social activities package at the Biozentrum on Wednesday 16th of June (see question #11)
3. Where is the PhD retreat? How can I access it?
The event will take place online using the Airmeet platform. You will receive the link to access the event only if you are successfully registered. Technical details are available here.
4. When and how can I register for the PhD retreat?
Registration was open from April 1st until April 30th 2021, 23:59h CET (now closed).
The event is restricted to PhD students/candidates enrolled at the University of Basel, in the departments Biozentrum or Pharmazentrum (= Pharmaceutical Sciences and external labs housed in the Pharmazentrum building). All PhD students eligible to participate receive a registration link by e-mail. To register, fill out the registration form provided. If you did not receive our e-mail by April 2021, contact the organization committee.
5. What are the requirements? Is participation mandatory? Is there a participation fee?
All students that intend to participate will have to present their latest research either in form of oral or poster presentation (see questions #8, #10).
Participation to the retreat is not mandatory, however: see question #6.
Thanks to the generous support from the University of Basel, funds, and private sponsors, your participation to the PhD retreat (including the social activities) is free of charge.
Credit points
6. Do I get credit points from participating to the retreat?
After participation to the PhD retreat, students receive 1 ECTS credit by filling out a learning contract (see question #7).
Students of the Biozentrum who started their PhD studies in autumn/fall 2016 or later are required to earn at least 2 ECTS credits during their PhD from active participation at PhD retreats. Students of the Pharmaceutical Sciences don’t have this requirement.
7. How can I receive the ECTS credit point?
Step 1: Attend all sessions from 08:30 to 16:30.
Step 2: Present your research, either with a poster or by giving an oral presentation (see next question).
Step 3: Fill out a learning contract. Details on how to submit a learning contract are available here. Example information:
- Learning Format: Other
- Title: PhD Retreat 2021
- Contents: Poster or Student Talk <add the title of your poster or talk here>
- Start date: 17.06.2021
- End date: 18.06.2021
- Number of CP: 1 CP
- Credit module: free electives
- Assessment format: active participation and presentation
- Assessor: Internal <fill in your PI>
- Assessment: Pass/Fail
Students of Pharmaceutical Sciences are required to submit the contract before the retreat. If you have further questions regarding the credit points, please contact the PhD studies office.
Presentations
8. What is the difference between oral presentation (talk), poster presentation, and poster flash-talk?
Talks are in the format 15 min presentation + 5 min Q/A and are performed on the main stage with all students in the audience. For this reason, the talks will occur one after the other, depending on session (A, B, C, D) and number (1 to 10). The number of slides is not limited.
Poster presentations are done in poster booths with a small audience (up to 7 attendees, plus the presenter). The total number of presentations is divided into four poster sessions of 45 min each (A, B, C, D; see the program). For this reason, the presentations belonging to the same session will occur simultaneously. The attendants are free to roam between booths, while the presenters are required to stay at their poster booth for the whole session. The number of slides that the presenter is allowed to show is limited to 2 pages in 16:9 format.
Students that present a poster also have the opportunity to submit a pre-recorded flash talk highlighting the main findings shown on the poster (max 180 seconds long). Participants are free to use their imagination!
All participants are eligible to win the best talk prize, the best poster presentation prize and the best poster flash-talk prize.
9. When do I have to submit my poster/presentation?
You don’t need to send us your presentation file. You will share it directly from your computer during the event.
On the other hand, the flash-talk videos have to be submitted to the organizing committee before Monday 7th of June 2021, 12:00.
10. I have just started my project, and I don’t have results to present. Can I still participate?
Each participant is expected to present something, either with a poster or oral presentation (see question #8).
Don’t worry if you don’t have results to share yet, you can prepare a simple poster including e.g. the background of your research, your hypothesis and how you plan to address it.
Social activities & other
11. When and where will I receive the social activity package (food, drinks, …)?
You are required to pick up your package on Wednesday 16th of June. A precise time slot, as well precise location, is communicated per e-mail. Please, bring your own bag.
12. Is the BBQ originally planned on Friday evening still taking place?
No. Unfortunately the conditions do not allow to organize the BBQ safely.
Further questions
If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact the PhD retreat organizing committee!
Last page update: 10.06.2021, 11:35