The PhD programme in Chemical Science and Technology aims to guide students on advanced specialised and multidisciplinary training in different areas of chemical science and technology, i.e. train expert researchers in chemical science and technology with a high degree of professional specialisation.

The PhD programme in Chemical Science and Technology is designed to train researchers in the field of chemistry and its applications. The general aims of the programme are as follows:

• Strengthening collaboration between the UIB, other research centres and productive sectors by establishing ongoing links that enable training to dynamically adapt to detected requirements
• Training highly qualified researchers at the cutting-edge of knowledge for the aforementioned areas who are able to immediately join R&D&i labs at tech firms and research centres.

The PhD programme in Chemical Science and Technology is geared towards training higher qualified scientific and technological academics and professionals who are able to face up to and solve wide-ranging problems, as well as make original contributions to knowledge and new technology in different fields of chemistry with a multidisciplinary approach and, more specifically, in the following fields: analytical chemistry, automation and the environment, renal lithiasis and biomineralisation, food engineering, bioinorganic and bioorganic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, molecular reactivity and drug design. This is one of the areas for which the UIB Department of Chemistry is internationally renowned.

Finally, we should also highlight that five of the UIB research groups which are part of the proposed research teams have been recognised as competitive groups within the framework of the Balearic Islands Technology Research and Development Plan:

• Analytical Chemistry, Automation and the Environment (Group of Excellence)
• Agri-food Engineering (Group of Excellence)
• Renal Lithiasis and Biomineralisation (Competitive Group)
• Chemical Reactivity and Drug Design (Competitive Group in consolidation)
• Supramolecular Chemistry (Highly Competitive Group).

Core Skills

• CB11 - Systematic comprehension of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to this field
• CB12 - The ability to devise, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial research or invention process
• CB13 - The ability to contribute to widening the frontiers of knowledge through original research
• CB14 - The ability to perform a critical analysis, assessment and synthesis of new and complex ideas
• CB15 - The ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community, as well as with society as a whole, about their areas of knowledge in the methods and languages commonly used within the international scientific community
• CB16 - The ability to promote scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural advancement in academic and professional settings within the knowledge-based society.

Personal Skills and Abilities

• CA01 - Work in contexts where there is little specific information
• CA02 - Uncover key questions that need to be answered in order to resolve a complex problem
• CA03 - Design, create, develop and undertake new and innovative projects in their area of knowledge
• CA04 - Work in a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary setting
• CA05 - Incorporate knowledge, handle complexity and provide opinions with limited information
• CA06 - Intellectual criticism and defence of solutions.

The recommended entry profile for the PhD programme is: graduates in sciences or pharmacy, or industrial, chemical or agricultural engineers who, in the event of having a level-two qualification in MECES, hold a university master's degree in areas linked to chemical science and technology, or where they have a level-three qualification in MECES, the curriculum from the corresponding programme included research training credits equivalent to master-level credits in research.

In this sense, and regardless of doctorands having taken other equivalent studies, the following master's degrees are available at the UIB:

• Master’s Degree in Chemical Science and Technology
• Master’s Degree in Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling (MQTE).

The Academic Committee for the PhD Programme may require admitted students do supplementary training in accordance with the following additional profiles:

• They have undertaken a prior training period as an entry method to the programme which did not include research training credits
• They have taken a master’s programme or a PhD training period (via any of the methods set out in applicable legislation) but in a different area of knowledge to chemical science and technology.

Students interested in applying for a place on the PhD programme need to submit their pre-registration application within the deadline and as per the methods set by the UIB Doctoral School (EDUIB).

After verifying admission, the EDUIB will submit the application to the Academic Committee for the PhD Programme to make its decision. Students may be admitted to the programme where they obtain a score equal to or above six points. Students will be admitted to the programme in line with the score they are awarded for their application. The maximum number of new available spots on the programme is 20.

• The suitability of students’ undergraduate or master’s degree for the programme: max. 4 points
• The academic record for the previous undergraduate and postgraduate degrees: max. 3 points (standardising candidates’ records). The mark for each subject shall be weighted based on the number of credits for each subject, regardless of whether they are undergraduate (four- or five-year programmes, or engineering) or postgraduate subjects. A scoring scale of subjects from 0 to 10 will be used, since it is a scoring system used in most countries and easily scalable to other systems. Students with overseas qualifications that use a different marking system will be asked to provide the equivalent average mark from the Average Mark Equivalence Service at the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (https://www.universidades.gob.es/equivalencia-de-notas-medias-de-estudios-universitarios-realizados-en-centros-extranjeros/)
• Personal interview: max. 1 point. The reasons provided by applicants to enrol on the programme and their objectives and expectations will be assessed
• Other merits: max. 2 points. Academic and scientific merits beyond the scope of the academic record/transcript shall be assessed, such as specialised courses, a background in collaborating with research groups, publications, conference attendance and professional experience.

A minimum B2 level of English in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required so that students are able to understand relevant scientific information for their thesis, as well as attend and participate in international conferences and training courses.

Applications from students who do not possess the suitable qualification for the recommended entry profile shall be assessed by the Academic Committee for the PhD Programme. The latter may, where it deems it appropriate, arrange a personal interview with students and propose suitable supplementary training. Supplementary training shall require students to take one or several subjects set out in the mandatory and common elective subject list for the UIB Master’s in Chemical Science and Technology.

International Joint Supervision Agreement between the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mure? (Romania).

Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Doctoral Studies between the company Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmgH and the University of the Balearic Islands (Industrial Mention).

Specific International Joint PhD Supervision Agreement between the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain) and the Centre for Research in Advanced Materials (United Mexican States)

Agreements and framework agreements of UIB. Search of agreements  .

Supervision Activities on the PhD Programme

PhD students are provided with specific training and support once they join the programme.

The Academic Committee for the PhD Programme uses the following procedures to assign thesis tutors and supervisors:

1. The committee shall appoint a thesis tutor for each research area every year from the permanent lecturers in the Department of Chemistry who have a six-year research period or equivalent
2. Once students are admitted to the programme, the committee will assign the corresponding tutor depending on the area of research selected on the application form
3. The tutor shall be responsible for proposing a thesis supervisor to the committee from all lecturers who participate in the PhD programme, taking into account the proposed research topic and the student’s status (whether full- or part-time)
4. The committee shall appoint a supervisor and, where applicable, a joint supervisor for the thesis within a maximum three-month deadline from the time students have enrolled
5. The thesis supervisor shall hold a PhD and have accredited experience in research. In turn, they must have undertaken research in areas linked to the thesis content. Any PhD holder from Spain or overseas may be appointed, regardless of the university, centre or institution where they work. Nonetheless, where they are not affiliated to the UIB, they may not be appointed as tutors.

Changes that may take place with regard to thesis tutors and supervisors during the PhD programme shall be approved by the academic committee.

After the programme has started, the supervisor and joint supervisor, where applicable, shall propose different activities and deadlines for successful completion of the thesis.

The supervisor and joint supervisor undertake to:

• Maintain personal and regular working contact with doctorands in their charge in order to supervise the set tasks and ensure they are fulfilled
• Hold regular meetings to discuss progress on the assigned tasks and contribute to doctorands remaining up-to-date at a scientific and methodological level
• Inform doctorands about current legal regulations affecting scientific practice.

In turn, an activity timeline will be set out containing the following:

• A weekly one-hour meeting for doctorand presentations
• A monthly monitoring and ongoing supervision meeting where doctorands’ fulfilment of the goals agreed in the previous meeting shall be assessed, as well as any possible problems. Medium-term targets may also be set, based on the progress of the thesis, for possible publications, conference attendance or stays at other universities
• An annual meeting of the Academic Committee for the PhD Programme to make decisions on the status of all programme theses, and assess student progress and findings.

Supervision and monitoring of doctorand training activities and their PhD theses shall be in line with the UIB procedures for PhDs (RD 99/2011), the UIB Doctoral Degree Regulations (https://seu.uib.cat/fou/acord/13084/) and the verified degree report that you may consult on the "Results" webpage. The administrative and academic procedures that students must perform during their PhD may be viewed on the "Procedures" section of the UIB Doctoral School website:

• Thesis Charter and Code of Best Practice
• Research Plan and Record of activities
• Initial review and annual reviews
• PhD Training Activities
• Thesis Deposit and Viva
• Distinctions for PhD degrees
• Maximum and Average Duration (to be filled in by the EDUIB)

Promoting Joint Management and Supervision of PhD Theses

With regard to supervision tasks on the programme to promote thesis supervision, the Academic Committee for the PhD Programme will hold an annual meeting with programme lecturers to clearly explain how it operates, expected outcomes and the progress of previous doctorands, as well as the current situation, motivation and goals of recently enrolled students. Likewise, the UIB shall put forward measures to incentivise thesis supervision. For instance, a training plan for new supervisors is planned with a view to incentivising initial thesis supervision by lecturers who have not yet supervised any thesis, as joint supervisors alongside a more experienced lecturer. Joint and multiple supervision is also planned to boost multidisciplinary research. The UIB shall allocate budget line items both for centres running PhD programmes and departments to fund stays by renowned visiting lecturers at the UIB. The aim here is to improve internationalisation on PhD programmes and foster joint thesis supervision.

Programme Internationalisation

Internationalisation on the PhD programme is planned through participation by renowned researchers from overseas who will jointly supervise theses and sit on viva panels. In addition, they shall write reports for international mentions and take part in PhD programme monitoring committees, particularly geared towards students’ obtaining international mentions. These international collaborations shall be established in formal agreements with overseas universities and research centres (mainly those listed under Other Collaborations). In this sense, since the advent of the European PhD Mention, and with a view to promoting the participation of international experts on viva panels, the UIB allocates an annual budget line item to the centres running PhD programmes to cover attendance expenses for at least one expert research from overseas on viva panels.

More information

• FAQs: listen to the document.
• Infrastructure available for PhD programme activities: listen to the document.