Quality supervision and monitoring as close as possible to the needs of the doctoral candidate

Throughout the doctoral program, the role of the supervisor is to support doctoral students in the management of their doctoral project, to work with them to develop the research work plan, to ensure that deadlines are met in the overall project schedule and to provide the equipment and resources necessary for their work.

The supervisor makes sure that doctoral students are properly integrated into the research team, and ensures that they become increasingly autonomous throughout the project. They provide bibliographical, scientific and methodological advice, and discuss and validate the results obtained with the student. They advise doctoral students on the use of their results (such as in publications, colloquia and patents).

The supervisor also discusses career plans with doctoral students, allows them to take courses (or even recommends them) and puts them in touch with people in their professional network if this can help them prepare their future.

To fulfil these roles, supervisors must devote a significant part of their time to doctoral students, agreeing to meet up regularly and frequently. This is why they can only supervise a limited number of doctoral projects simultaneously. The maximum number of doctoral students supervised by a thesis director is determined by the bylaws of the doctoral school to which they are affiliated. 

The individual monitoring committee ensures that the doctoral project runs smoothly and is completed within the allotted time, on the basis of the doctoral charter and the individual training agreement. It evaluates, in an interview with the doctoral student, the conditions of their education and the progress of their research. It discusses career plans with the doctoral student and ensures that they benefit from courses adapted to their research and career plans. It ensures that they aware of research ethics and scientific integrity. It shall ensure the prevention of all forms of conflict, discrimination and harassment. The individual monitoring committee allows the doctoral student to present the progress of their research project, to mention any difficulties encountered and to discuss the action taken to overcome them. It also provides an opportunity to review the doctoral student's individual training plan and their career plans.

The Monitoring Committee shall meet at least once a year until the last doctoral registration. Each meeting must include an individual interview between the committee and the doctoral student. Apart from the meetings scheduled at the beginning of the doctoral course, the doctoral student or the thesis director may request a meeting of the monitoring committee at any time. doctoral school may also request additional meetings if it deems it useful. The monitoring committee shall make recommendations and forward a report of the interview, which shall be passed on to the doctoral school, the thesis director and the doctoral student.

Each doctoral school shall determine in its bylaws the methods of composition and operation of the monitoring committees. Each monitoring committee shall have at least two members. The doctoral school shall ensure the independence of the members of the monitoring committee from the thesis director.

The doctoral student keeps a portfolio that includes a detailed list of the courses and activities in which they have participated, including teaching, dissemination of scientific culture or technology transfer. This document demonstrates the capacities and skills cultivated during the doctoral training.