Cooperative Doctoral Platforms

At TU Darmstadt the following subject-specific doctoral platforms serve for cooperative doctorates, carried out in cooperation with Hessian Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW):

Platform Spokesperson Participating HAW
Chemistry at the interface of university and applied research Prof. Dr. Harald Kolmar Hochschule Darmstadt
Optical analysis methods and renewable energies Prof. Dr. Andreas Dreizler Hochschule Darmstadt
Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Dr. Frederik Janssen Hochschule Darmstadt

The platforms were set up as part of a project, funded by the HMWK, the Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts (duration 2016-2020). The project is anchored in Ingenium , the umbrella organisation for promoting early career researchers at TU Darmstadt. Project partner is Hochschule Darmstadt, University of Applied Sciences.

Cooperative doctorates are carried out at the relevant department of TU Darmstadt. Professors of the Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) are involved in the procedures as supervisors and referees. Cooperatively, doctoral candidates thus have two supervisors: one at TU Darmstadt and one at the HAW.

In order to be accepted for a doctorate at TU Darmstadt, certain admission requirements must be met. These are generally part of the doctoral regulations (opens in new tab) of TU Darmstadt as well as in the specific regulations of the departments.

Within the framework of the professional doctoral platforms, cooperatively, doctoral candidates can conduct their research both at TU and the partner institution.

The relationship between supervisors and doctoral candidates is reliably and transparently regulated by the conclusion of a supervision agreement.

As part of the cooperation with the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, doctoral students can enrol simultaneously at TU Darmstadt and Hochschule Darmstadt. Information on enrolment at TU Darmstadt can be found here – at Hochschule Darmstadt here.

The doctoral members of the cooperative doctoral platforms have access to a range of extra-curricular support services. Contact person for central questions concerning cooperative doctorates is Dr. Bettina Wagner. Dr. Angela Müller at TU Darmstadt and Dr. Janina Fengel at Hochschule Darmstadt are available for individual consultations. As a cooperative doctoral student, you can make equal use of the opportunities offered by both institutions.

Counselling and support

  • Prospective doctoral candidates and doctoral candidates at TU Darmstadt: Dr. Angela Müller
  • Prospective doctoral candidates and doctoral candidates at Hochschule Darmstadt: Dr. Janina Fengel

Networking and connection

  • Meet & Greet – personal welcoming and information meeting for newly admitted cooperative doctoral candidates on the platforms.
  • Starter Package – all relevant information on contact persons and offers of the participating universities.
  • Further offers from Ingenium and the Graduate School of Hochschule Darmstadt: Impulse – Getting started and connected, career development

Transferable skills

In order to acquire key competences, doctoral candidates can participate free of charge in the Ingenium qualification and networking programme as well as the PhD-accompanying studies at Hochschule Darmstadt.

At the request of the platforms, demand-specific offers can also be developed, such as “doctoral studies in distributed teams of supervisors”. Please contact the coordinator of the cooperative doctoral platforms, Ms. Nina Straub.

Central contact person is Dr. Bettina Wagner, coordinator for cooperative doctoral platforms at TU Darmstadt with the following responsibilities:

  • support in setting up and administering cooperative doctoral platforms
  • administrative and organisational support of the cooperative doctoral platforms
  • preparation and further development of of sample contracts and procedural standards
  • interface to the participating institutions (e.g. HAWs, HMWK)
  • contact and central counselling service for cooperative doctoral candidates
  • central counselling service for professors

Contact person at Hochschule Darmstadt is Managing Director of the Graduate School, Dr. Janina Fengel.

Funded by HMWK