Royal Decree 537/2020, approved by the Spanish Government, establishes the lifting of the suspension of all deadlines with effect from 1 June. Therefore, the deadline for submitting the doctoral thesis will be extended by a total of 79 days. From Thursday 25 June, you can consult your new deadline for submitting your doctoral thesis in the "Follow-up of doctoral theses" section of the UPF website. The duration of this period does not depend on UPF, but, as indicated at the beginning, is determined by a royal decree of the Spanish government.

Yes. The PhD School, with the agreement of all UPF PhD programmes, has made arrangements to facilitate the application process for a first-time extension for the academic year 2020-21. If you have not yet applied, a simpler application form will be made available. Unless an unfavourable report is filed by your supervisor, the first-time extension will be granted.

Yes. The PhD School, with the agreement of all UPF PhD programmes, has made arrangements to facilitate the application process for a second-time extension for the academic year 2020-21. If you have not yet applied, a simpler application form will be made available. You will need a favourable report from your thesis supervisor. The PhD programme’s office will request this report from your thesis supervisor and will contact you regarding the outcome. 

Like always, deadlines for depositing doctoral theses are extended for the duration of a certified sick leave. In the current situation, you need not provide a medical report, since, as mentioned above, the duration of the state of alarm will be added to the deadline for your thesis deposit. However, if you would prefer for a record of your sick leave to appear in your transcript, you can send a photo of the medical report to your PhD programme’s office.

No. Although, in general, UPF regulations state that if you deposit your thesis after 30 September you have to enrol for an additional year and pay the corresponding fee, the University has decided that if you thesis is deposited between 1 October and 31 December 2020, you will exceptionally not have to pay the 2020-21 fee (enrolment must nevertheless be formalised, so that you are officially registered with UPF).

This exceptional measure will also apply for subsequent academic years for PhD students who have been enrolled at UPF during the state of alarm decreed in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Yes. An online procedure has been set up. If you wish to deposit your thesis, contact your doctoral programme’s office to find out how to proceed.

Yes. You can opt to defend your thesis on the scheduled date by video conference or to postpone your defence until on-campus activity are resumed. Contact your PhD programme’s office to find out what to do to defend by video conference or to organise a new date.

So as to allow for timely planning of thesis defences, these procedures will be valid at least until 31 December, even if the state of alarm end before that.

Your PhD programme’s office will inform you regarding the evaluation procedure and any required modifications.  

No. For the time being, due to the current situation caused by COVID-19, the PhD School has decided to suspend the 6th edition of the Rin4' competition. https://www.upf.edu/web/rin4

 

In accordance with the Ministerial Order of 11 May 2020, the deadlines for submitting documentation for the second phase of applications (from 18 to 20 May 2020) were re-established. The provisional resolution of the pre-doctoral grants is expected to be published in July.

For further information: http://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/dam/jcr:e2fcdf6f-2164-4f0c-855e-1dcfa5cf16d6/orden-reanudaci-n-de-plazos-fpu.pdf

 

All procedures are suspended until the end of the state of alarm. This affects the following: progress report, final report, the extraordinary report due when a grant expires without the thesis having been defended, and also “subsanaciones” (submission of missing or incorrect documents and information). 

Contract extensions and interruptions.

In accordance with Royal Decree-Law 11/2020, of 31 March, fixed-duration contracts financed through public human-resources-for-research competitive calls which expire between 2 April 2020 and 1 April 2021 can be extended. The contract may also be interrupted if this is for the PhD student to join the Health System to participate in professional tasks related with the current health crisis. 

What procedures do I need to undertake?

You need to apply for the extension (or interruption) by completing the form available from the Ministry website and email it to  [email protected]/[email protected] at the Research Service, who will submit your application through the Trámites y Servicios platform.

Deadline to submit this document: from the date on which the Royal Decree-Law 11/2020, of 31 March entered into force until the end of the predoctoral contract. No applications will be accepted for contracts that have already come to an end.

When should an extension be applied for? We recommend undertaking this procedure at least a month before the end of the contract, given that we will have to wait for a response from the Ministry to process the extension. 

Application form for an extension to a predoctoral contract as a result of COVID-19

We recommend you read the instructions carefully.

 

According to the latest information from the State Agency, it is planned to publish the provisional resolution of the selected candidates over the next few days or weeks. Remember that it is not possible to start hiring until the final resolution is published. We will keep you informed.

For further information contact Nieves Martínez, of the Research Service, at [email protected] / [email protected]

On the basis of the provisions of Royal Decree-Law 11/2020, of 31 March, it is possible to extend fixed-term employment contracts financed by public calls for human resources in the field of research that end between 2 April 2020 and 1 April 2021. The PDI Service will contact each of the people affected two months before the end of their contract.

New: Resolutions have been posted on the Spanish Ministry’s website with lists of FPIs (2015-2016 and 2017) that have the possibility of extending the grant; the University is preparing the addenda of those affected to extend the corresponding grants.

The administrative deadline for submitting the documentation relating to the scientific-technical justification has been resumed (24-month follow-up reports and final reports). We will notify the beneficiaries (researchers in training and thesis directors) to remind them that they must submit the documentation in sufficient time so that it can be uploaded to the application and closed by the centre.

We remind you that you must notify Nieves Martínez ([email protected]), of the Research Service, to close the file from the application.

In accordance with Royal Decree-Law 11/2020, of 31 March, fixed-duration contracts financed through public human-resources-for-research competitive calls which expire between 2 April 2020 and 1 April 2021 can be extended. The PDI Service will contact those affected two months before the end of their contract.

With regard to applications for grants for training activities in the framework of the last year of grants in the FI 2019 call (grants that end during this year), the deadline for carrying out these training activities will be extended to up to 9 months following the date of completion of this grant (currently, the period was 6 months). For those researchers who have completed their third year of grant from the declaration of the state of alarm (14/03/2020), the deadline for submitting applications will also be extended to 3 months following the end date of the grant.

In cases where the training activity has begun during the state of alarm, this grant may also be applied for within these deadlines, after the start of the activity.

On the other hand, we anticipate that from next Tuesday the process of progressive reincorporation to the offices of the AGAUR will begin, so they will be able to begin to review all the documentation in physical support submitted just before the lockdown and during all these weeks.

If you have any questions, please contact Nieves Martínez, from the Reasearch Service, at [email protected].

In accordance with Royal Decree-Law 11/2020, of 31 March, fixed-duration contracts financed through public human-resources-for-research competitive calls which expire between 2 April 2020 and 1 April 2021 can be extended. The PDI Service will contact those affected two months before the end of their contract.

Next Monday, 1 June 2020, the suspension of the administrative deadlines established following the declaration of the state of alarm will be repealed, and this entails the resumption of the calculation of all deadlines associated with the calls managed by the AGAUR.

In relation to the aid programme for the recruitment of novice research staff (FI), however, we anticipate that over the next few days the following extensions and modifications of the current calls will take effect:

· The deadline for accepting grants for new concessions in the FI 2020 call will be extended until 15 June 2020.

· The deadline for the incorporation of all beneficiaries of the grants of the FI 2020 call will be extended until 1 November 2020. This extension will affect all beneficiaries, both EU and non-EU.

· With regard to these new incorporations, it will also be possible to submit enrollment in a doctoral programme for the 2020-2021 academic year, without the need to previously formalize enrollment in the 2019-2020 academic year initially planned in the call. This enrollment for the 2020-21 academic year may be submitted when the respective universities can formalize it.
 

 

The original time frames will not apply due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. You will have to wait for indications from the relevant agency for each call. Please remember that the calls are usually published between September and October. For more information, consult the Research Service website.

Can I claim eligible expenses that I have already paid in advance, if they are related to a short research stay that has been cancelled or that I have had to interrupt? Yes. These expenses can be claimed and allocated. We are looking into possible solutions for these cases (impossible to begin or finish a short research stay because of the world health crisis), so that the mobility can be resumed after the crisis is over.

 

What expenses can I claim? You can claim an expense if it is duly justified and if, after cancellation, it has not been reimbursed by a travel agency, airline, railway company or other relevant service provider. As part of the justification, you may also be requested to produce evidence of any steps undertaken to claim reimbursement from the service provider. You should, therefore, keep all records of communication and other documents related with these expenses.

 

My flight has been cancelled. Will the travel expense be eligible, even though it exceeds the five-day limitation, given the exceptional international situation? The five-day limitation requirement, specified in the instructions for financial justification of expenses, is not applicable to travel affected by the current situation. The beneficiary organisation (UPF) will specify the particular circumstances that have made it impossible to meet the requirement in the corresponding final financial report.  

 

What documents do I need from the host institution of my short research stay? It is important that you obtain from the host institution of your research stay (interrupted due to the current coronavirus crisis) a signed certificate, on which both the start date and the date on which the stay was interrupted are clearly stated. Once the research stay is resumed, you will need to ask the host institution to sign a new certificate stating the dates of the new period. 

 

See the internal instructions and the document on certification of short research stays. 

 

For any queries regarding short research stays, please contact [email protected] and [email protected] at the Research Service. For more information, see the AEI FAQs  on the effects of the coronavirus situation on AEI calls. 

We recommend you to check the FAQs section on industrial doctorate programmes projects published by the Generalitat of Catalonia.

The deadline for the first partial resolution (first fortnight of June) has been cancelled, and applications submitted in the first period (until 14^th of April) will be resolved within the deadline set for the second partial resolution.

These are the deadlines foreseen for the publication of the resolutions:

First partial resolution (first fortnight of June): cancelled.

Second partial resolution: second fortnight of July 2020 (for applications submitted from 26^th of February to 9^th of June 2020 at 2:00 pm): change due to the state of alarm.

Third partial resolution: first fortnight of December 2020 (for applications submitted from 10^th of June to 6^th of October 2020 at 2:00 p.m.).

Fourth partial resolution: first fortnight of February 2021 (for applications submitted from 7^th of October 7 to 15^th of December 2020 at 2:00 p.m.).

According to the provision of the Spanish Ministry of Health published in the BOE (Spanish official gazette) on 20 May 2020:
 

• Temporary authorizations which have expired will be automatically extended, without the need to issue an individual resolution for each of them by the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería).
• This automatic extension will start the day after the authorization expires and will last until six months have elapsed since the end of the state of alarm.
• The validity of the foreigner's identity card having expired during the state of alarm or in the ninety calendar days prior to the date on which such state was decreed, will be automatically extended for the same period as the authorizations (six months from the end of the state of alarm).
• Those who are abroad will be able to enter Spain with the presentation of their valid and in force travel document and the expired foreigner's identity card. Despite this, and taking into account the indications given by the police, as this recognition is in Spain, in order for those who are abroad to be able to return they should confirm it with the airline (for the control of documentation they do) and, if they are outside the Schengen area and must go through a customs control, with the border authorities of the country from which they travel.
• The period of the state of alarm does not count for the purposes of the maximum six months of stay abroad to be able to renew the temporary residence permit.

Please contact [email protected] for any information or clarification you may need on these issues.

Doctoral students are considered research teaching staff (PDI) for the purposes of campus access.
In this link, you will find all the updated information about access to the university campuses

The electronic resources of the UPF’s Digital Library remain accessible during the closure of the campuses and the conditions remain the same for the whole of the university community. Remember that all the contents of UPF’s Digital Library are accessible 24/7 from outside of UPF for all members of the university community. This webpage explains which resources are available: Bibliographic resources that are available to you during the closure of the Library/CRAI facilities. As you can see, users are informed that during lockdown the interlibrary loan service remains in operation. You can make your requests (only for e-documents: journal articles, conference proceedings, etc.) through the usual channels: Interlibrary loan. Please note: during lockdown, no fees will be applied and the interlibrary loan service is free of charge.

 

If you are interested in on-line training on how to access the e-resources from home, how to use the interlibrary loan service, or on any other relevant area, we can organise personalised sessions by video conference. 

Please check the information available in this link 

Yes, If you have any queries regarding the production of your doctoral thesis (editing criteria, format, etc.) or publishing in TDX, go to this webpage: Thesis. Remember that we can help you at La Factoria to set the format and prepare the cover. Please contact us with any questions you may have on this topic! 

As always, you can write to us or call regarding any queries or requests you may have, through the CAU or by telephone, from 08.00 to 21.00, at the Ciutadella Library/CRAI: 93 542 17 09; Poblenou Library/CRAI: 93 542 23 52; or Mar Library: 93 316 35 35

Our communication channels remain open. You can open a request in the CAU or call us on the user support numbers of each Campus’ IT Units. Click here for more information.

VPN connections enable access to IT resources that are only available on the UPF network from outside of the University. You can consult our guide to set up a VPN connection to the University.

With Office 365 you can install this version of the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote...) on up to 5 personal devices. Our Office 365 guide contains all the information you might need. In addition, we have subscriptions that allow students to access certain applications like Matlab or Autodesk 3D Studio. More information is available on the webpage Software for private use.

UPF uses Google’s Gmail as a tool for managing email. Google Drive with unlimited storage space is available. You can look through our Google Apps page to find out what other tools you can use.

A number of different tools are available for video conferencing, from Google Meet, designed specifically for meetings, to Collaborate, which is integrated into Aula Global and which enhances lectures and seminars with a series of advanced features (user roles, virtual blackboard…). Consult the guides for both services on the Video conferences page.

See our Slack UPF Barcelona guide to find out how to join the community.

With Slack you can:

• Exchange messages (like Whatsapp) with your friends and colleagues
• Share documents, images, video... and link these with external applications like Google Drive
• Receive alerts for urgent notifications sent to the Campus Global
• And much more

And if you install the application on your mobile, you’ll have all the important notifications in the palm of your hand. 

During the lockdown the SAP will continue to offer its services by video conference. The therapist will contact those interested in the service before the appointment to confirm the communication channel or application to be used. This format for support will be available for as long as the current remote teaching measures are enforced at UPF. https://www.upf.edu/web/upfinclusio/sap_estudiants

Yes. During the lockdown, in case of need, you can contact the Equality Unit by email: [email protected].