Mission Statement
The aim of the planned special doctoral programme is the excellence education of qualified students from within and outside Austria in recent and relevant research topics covering different aspects of reactivity in materials- and nanoscience. The joint forces of three faculties (Chemistry and Pharmacy, Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences and Mathematics, Informatics and Physics) and five Institutes allow students to appreciate reactivity from different important viewpoints, ranging from homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, reactivity of surfaces and interfaces over activation mechanisms of molecules and biomolecules, reactivity of metals, oxides, metal-oxides and intermetallic compounds to gas phase molecules. The resulting input from several different scientific approaches yields a much more in-depth assessment of reactivity as compared to usual and conventional doctoral education, both from a theory and experimental viewpoint. Scientific exchange on all levels will be particularly promoted. The participants of the special doctoral programme will additionally benefit from an interdisciplinary access to national and international research groups and contact to potential employers from scientific and industrial partners.
The special doctoral programme will be operated within the framework of the special research platform Materials and Nanoscience, inaugurated at the University of Innsbruck. Each scientific adviser of the doctoral programme will at minimum introduce one doctoral student (but not more than two) at the same time. If for some reason such a student is temporarily not introduced, the respective member will be still available for scientific guidance. The doctoral programme will be composed of 10 prospective students at minimum, the maximum number of allowed students will be set at double the number of scientific advisers.
Educational basis of the special doctoral programme are the respective curricula of the doctoral programmes of the participating faculties with interdisciplinary guidance of at least one additional participating scientific adviser. Scientific exchange will be ensured via regular meetings of both students and advisers and additional summer and/or winter schools. Successful participation in the special doctoral programmes will be acknowledged by a certficate once all required courses have been successfully completed.