Go No Go assessment

Eight months after the start of a full-time PhD project, the candidates’ project progress is assessed on the basis of a so-called Go No Go product. For candidates with other obligations, this term can be extended to submitting a product within the first year, if this is agreed upon in the registration phase.

Please carefully read the document Go No Go assessment - introduction and explanations.

For your Go No Go you will have to submit a substantial product (an extended research plan or a combination with the short research plan and an article). The product will need to be submitted to the VU-GSSS together with the filled Go No Go assessment - portfolio, a data management plan, and a plagiarism check report.

For your Go No Go product, you will have to do a plagiarism scan with the software iThenticate. PhD candidates receive the login information to iThenticate after their registration, so please check your VU inbox for emails from UBVU iThenticate. For further information on the plagiarism scan, see Plagiarism check - background and procedure.

Annual progress interviews

Once a year, both employed and externally funded PhD candidates have the opportunity to speak formally about development, results, and working conditions with their supervisors. Supervisors and PhD candidates look back together at the previous year, and they make concrete and transparent agreements about how the PhD candidate is expected to perform and develop. 

For employee candidates, this may coincide with the annual review conversations, of which the results are stored on the VU-dashboard. 

For candidates within a part-time project that is stretched over a longer period of time, the review is held regularly, such that a minimum of five reviews take place.

For instructions on the annual progress review interviews, see Annual progress review instructions. To prepare for and record the results of the conversation, this form can be used.

Half-way assessment

PhD candidates who are about halfway through their PhD trajectory will be invited to a halfway assessment conversation. During this meeting, the candidate and a Program Manager will go through a checklist to make sure the candidate is on track and discuss any topics that may impact the progress of the trajectory.