Table 1 Interventions aimed at increasing the completion rate and reducing the time to obtaining a degree for students in the TRIBE program
From: Improving completion rates of students in biomedical PhD programs: an interventional study
Intervention area | Concrete measure | Description of the intervention | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|---|
Recruitment strategy | Selection criteria | The main enrollment criterion is presentation of a feasible research plan, with realistic funding options, available equipment and proposed mentor. | Students have a defined research topic and a mentor at the time of enrollment |
Interdisciplinary approach to student recruitment | Admission of students with backgrounds from any scientific field, if their targeted research topic is within biomedicine. | Building interdisciplinary teams collaborating on biomedical research | |
Program regulations | Student progress reports | Mandatory biannual reports as the main indicator of student progress. | Ongoing insight into student progress |
Strict regulations for enrollment into the next year | For each exam (including biannual reports) there are 4 opportunities per year. If students fail or do not attend these exams they have to repeat the year. Each year can be repeated only once. If they fail to pass an exam in 8 terms or 2 years, they are expelled from the program. | Students pass exams within current academic year | |
Curriculum | Formal education in relevant skills | Introduction of courses in: Lab management, Research skills, Entrepreneurship and transfer of technology, Ethics in research, Communication and presentation skills. | Acquisition of the necessary skills for a successful research career |
Focus on development of research plan | Obligatory completion of a detailed research plan by the end of the first study year, tested by oral and written examinations. | Research plan completely defined by the end of the first year |