What to do if there's a problem?

There are ups and downs in every doctoral project - this is completely normal and many conflicts can be resolved with a little distance and a clarifying conversation. However, if conflicts do arise in the course of your work and you feel that you need support, you should know that you are not alone.

Students in a counseling situation

What to do if there's a problem?

There are ups and downs in every doctoral project - that's completely normal. Many conflicts can be resolved with a little distance and a clarifying discussion.

However, if conflicts do arise in the course of your work and you feel that you need support, you should know that you are not alone.

In many cases, the advice of your TAC members can be very helpful. If possible, seek a confidential conversation with one of your TAC members. They can often help you with scientific conflicts in particular.

However, although supervisors, PIs and the program coordinator are usually the first points of contact for information and advice, in certain situations it may be necessary to turn to people outside your own group or department.

The Graduate Center provides a good overview of many resources related to doctoral studies, including research, research data management, writing, publishing, and good academic practice: https://www.en.graduatecenter.uni-muenchen.de/doctoral_studies/dissertation/index.html.

For family concerns, personal career crises, professional development crises, discrimination, sexual harassment, or academic misconduct, it is good to have the following contacts at hand.: