Change of research environment

At the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, the duration of the research stay(s) must be at least four weeks. If possible, longer stays are preferred as this gives you the time and opportunity to develop networks with other researchers.

You can divide your change of research environment into several stays, as long as they last a total of at least four weeks.

The change of research environment must be completed within your enrolment period.

Since the Industrial PhD programme is carried out in collaboration between a company and the university, and the PhD student thereby is part of two working environments, Industrial PhD students are considered to have already fulfilled the requirement concerning a change of research environment.

Industrial PhD students who wish to complete additional research stays abroad or in Denmark, are free to do so and to apply for financial support from the Graduate School on the same terms as ordinary PhD students.

The Graduate School recommends that you go abroad for your research stay. Going abroad gives you the opportunity to make international contacts and gain new perspectives on your research. You can apply for financial support if your stay(s) last at least four weeks.

Addendum to your employment contract
If you are employed at UCPH and your stay abroad exceeds 28 days, you will need an addendum to your employment contract in order to be covered by UCHP's travel insurance. Please contact your place of employment if this applies to you. If you need further information or have any questions concerning the addendum, please contact International Staff Mobility. 

If you are employed elsewhere, make sure to check your employer’s insurance conditions.

You can also meet the requirement by staying at another Danish university, company or institution. The stay needs to last at least four weeks in total. The Graduate School offers financial support for stays in Denmark if the stay is carried out at a university / research institution outside the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand.  

The change of research environment is a mandatory part of the PhD programme. Accordingly, your supervisor plays a crucial role in the planning of your stay.  

• Your supervisor must help you identify institutions, research groups or organisations that are relevant to your project, e.g. via his/her own network.
• Activities at another research institution or private research company must be approved by your principal supervisor.

As a rule of thumb, a stay at a supervisor’s research facility or department cannot be approved, unless your supervisor’s research facility or department differs from your own.

During temporary stays in a country outside the EU/EEA, employees will be able to access personal data stored on a network drive or SIF or another secure platform via a VPN connection. If the employee does not share or disclose personal data to others in the country of residence, it will not be necessary to enter into agreements on the transfer of personal data to third countries. 

For example, a PhD student will be able to work with personal data stored at the UCPH during a change in research environment to a country outside the EU/EEA.

Read more about safe storage of personal data at the Research Portal on KUnet.