Doctoral Programme of the Lisbon Academic Medical Centre – Ph.D. CAML

Lisbon School of Medicine, Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM) and Santa Maria University Hospital (HSM-ULSSM) f recently formed the Lisbon Academic Medical Center, CAML (Ordinance No. 1371/2009 of 27 October), a consortium that aims to promote the development of the academic dimension and excellence in clinical practice, modernization and development of research, medical education and innovation in the health sciences. CAML aims to ensure the essential compatibility of medical education and research with the development of the care mission, renewing the concept of university hospital.

As part of this consortium, FMUL, IMM and HSM-CHLN have designed a joint doctoral program: the CAML Doctoral Program. A program focused on excellent research projects, which includes a flexible and modular training component.

The CAML PhD Program, being research-oriented, aims to stimulate clinicians to ask new questions regarding patients and diseases and to bring them into the laboratory. And reciprocally to bring questions from the laboratory into clinical practice. By bringing together medical and non-medical researchers, the program stimulates new collaborative approaches and more effective communication between basic and clinical researchers.

The three institutions, FMUL, IMM and HSM-CHULN, actively participated in the design of the PhD Program, using existing resources and creating new synergies to create an attractive and motivating environment for clinicians and researchers to develop their PhD theses. The program is managed by a Board of Directors and a Scientific Committee, both composed of representatives from the three institutions.

You can consult its constitution HERE

Tasks of the Scientific Committee:

• Assessment of training programs and credits, assessment of training books;
• Assessment of accreditation processes;
• Monitoring the selection process and the candidate's curricular path;
• Assessment of the scientific research projects for the Thesis and the admissibility of the final thesis;
• Preparation of the Scientific Council Advice.

 Todas as decisões relacionadas com estas competências estão sujeitas à ratificação pelo Conselho Científico.

 All decisions related to these competences are subject to ratification by the Scientific Council.

See the schedule of meetings

The CAML PhD programme includes a PhD Students’ Committee composed by student representatives of each CAML institution:

• Biomedical Sciences
• Medicine
• Health Sciences and Technologies.

This Committee is composed of representatives elected each year by the corresponding student community. The representatives serve as mediators between the CAML community and the Board of Directors of both the PhD programme and of each CAML member institution. Therefore, the PhD Students’ Committee focuses on creating a communication platform where students can voice their concerns and suggestions. To this end, the Committee participates in some initiatives, such as making a Slack channel and an Academic available to all doctoral students, and scheduling regular meetings with students to understand the priority action points.

In addition to the PhD Students’ Committee, the PhD CAML also includes frequent opportunities for scientific discussion organized and moderated by the students. Volunteers are recruited every year to organize seminars with internal and external speakers. Thus, CAML PhD students are the ones who maintain the regularity of:

• Friday Lectures
• Pizza Seminars
• Annual CAML PhD meeting
• between others.

To contact the 2023-2024 Course Committee:

camlphdstudents@medicina.ulisboa.pt

CAML PhD Program, being research-oriented, aims to stimulate clinicians to ask new questions regarding patients and diseases and to bring them into the laboratory. And reciprocally to bring questions from the laboratory into clinical practice. By bringing together medical and non-medical researchers, the program stimulates new collaborative approaches and more effective communication between basic and clinical researchers.

The program intentionally emphasizes research and proposes a very flexible curricular structure that can be adapted to candidates from different medical and related fields as well as allowing students to choose between a full or partial time commitment. Individual pathways are thus created, which best suit the profiles of the doctoral candidates.

During their PhD, candidates are followed by a supervisor and a Thesis Committee. The Thesis Committee is responsible for monitoring and analyzing the progress made by the student. It is composed of 2 members proposed by the supervisor, preferably one from the host institution, who are experts in areas related to the thesis topic and a third member, the Tutor, chosen by the student from among senior researchers. The Tutor has a role of provider and must monitor the institutional integration and the development of the scientific culture of the doctoral student.

The PhD Program is composed of:

An Advanced Training component equivalent to 1 semester (corresponding to 30 ECTS) with a modular structure ("student-oriented"), which can be developed continuously or intermittently during the PhD Program.
e
A Research Project, leading to the presentation and discussion of the Doctoral Dissertation, with a duration equivalent to seven semesters (210 ECTS, including 30 ECTS corresponding to the guidance of the scientific project by the thesis supervisor over the four years).

CAML PhD Regulations

Ph.D. Student Guide – PhD CAML

Regulation of the CAML PhD Program (in portuguese)

CAML PhD Branches and Specialties (in portuguese)

Regulamento de 3.º Ciclo de Estudos da FMUL 

During the PhD, the doctoral student is supported by the supervisory team that should effectively and actively guide the candidate in their research and in the preparation of the thesis or equivalent works, without prejudice to the academic freedom of the doctoral student and their right to defend the scientific opinions that are theirs. The doctoral student regularly keeps the supervisor informed about the progress of their work, in accordance with the terms agreed between them. All PhD CAML doctoral students must submit a proposal for the establishment of the Thesis Committee (CT) during the application process. The CT's role is to monitor and analyze the progress made by the student and should follow the institutional integration and development of the scientific culture of the doctoral student. The aim is thus to create moments of reflection and to have greater monitoring of the progress of the work, by experts external to the project and suggestions for the smooth running of the same.

The CT is composed of 2 members chosen by the Supervisor (preferably one internal and one external to CAML) and a third member chosen by the PhD student from among the Professors/Researchers of CAML (preferably with PhDs). The CT must meet with the PhD student at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years, with the responsibility for calling the meeting lying with the PhD student and the supervisor. Whenever necessary, as assessed by the CT, the PhD student, or the supervisor, a meeting may be requested in the 4th year. Even if no meetings are deemed necessary in this year, the CT should review and provide feedback on the PhD student's report. Annually and until the submission of the imprimatur, the PhD student submits the annual report at the academic secretariat fénix, accompanied by the feedback from the guidance team and the CT, as well as reports from the 1st to the 3rd year.

PhD students enrolled in the 4th year, and until the submission of the imprimatur, submit the annual report at the academic secretariat Fénix, accompanied by the opinions of the supervision team and the opinion of the CT. Before each meeting, the PhD student must send to the members of the CT a brief report describing the results obtained and future plans, properly contextualizing with the proposed thesis project. The meeting consists of a presentation of the work by the PhD student and a discussion of this with the CT (total duration of approximately 1 hour).The PhD CAML does not fund expenses related to travel and accommodation for CT members. At the end of the meeting with the PhD student, the CT may briefly meet with the Supervisor for a joint assessment of the project's progress. If the PhD student is conducting their work at a research unit external to CAML, the internal Supervisor must be present at the CT meeting with the PhD student.

The CT is responsible for constructively discussing the results obtained, identifying the difficulties, and making any recommendations regarding the work plan to be developed in order to ensure the success of the project. At the end, it must fill out the existing form for this purpose, of which a copy will be given to the Doctoral Candidate and the Supervisor, duly signed by all those present at the meeting. The Scientific Committee of the Doctoral Program monitors the process and intervenes whenever justified. Download the reports from the CT for the 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, and follow-up (if applicable).

Annual registration renewal is mandatory and must be completed within the established deadlines at the  fénix academic office. The deadlines are set annually and published HERE. The deadlines are set annually and published HERE. You can consult the Annual Tuition Fees Order HERE.

Enrollment renewal requires

1. Submission of the annual report at the fénix academic secretariat - Submission of Doctoral Report

Submission by July 31 of each academic year.

• Statement from the Advisor(s) - The advisory team, formally approved by the Scientific Council of FMUL, must issue an opinion, which may be individual or joint.
• Annual Report - Annual presentation of the written annual report on the progress of the work with the opinion of the advisory team, to be sent annually between June and July 31.
• Thesis Committee Reports - Under Order No. 6665/2011, creation of the Doctoral program of the Academic Center of Medicine of Lisbon, during their doctorate, candidates are accompanied by a supervisory team and by the Thesis Committee and tutor. The Thesis Committee (TC) has the function of monitoring and analyzing the progress made by the student. The Tutor has a provider role and must monitor the institutional integration and development of the doctoral student's scientific culture. The TC reports for the year in question must be attached, if applicable, 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, and interim report, if applicable.
• FCT Scholarship Renewal - FCT scholarship students are required to submit their FCT scholarship contract or its renewal. Tuition fees will only be waived in Fénix after receipt of this document.
• Affiliated Institution Proof, if applicable
• Tuition Fee Payment Proof - Other entity, if applicable
• Other documents, if applicable

2. Procedural aspects to be observed:

• No debts from previous years;
• Payment of the first installment for the academic year in question, or, applicable to FCT scholarship students, presentation of the scholarship contract or its annual renewal;
• Annual presentation of a written report on the progress of the work with the opinion of the guidance team, to be sent annually, with a date to be defined
• Technical instructions for formalizing registration in Fénix in the tab:
  • Student – Register – Registration processes – Register – select “Discussion of Scientific Project by Advisor,” save, continue, finalize.
  • Student – Register – Registration processes – Register – select the “respective year of the thesis”, save, continue, finalize.

First-year students who do not have a contract with FCT at the time of enrollment and registration at the Faculty of Medicine must send a document proving that they have been considered eligible for a scholarship to the Postgraduate Area (email adress camlphd@medicina.ulisboa.pt)

After formalization of the contract with the FCT, a copy of the contract must be sent for the attribution of the tuition fee exemption generated in the Fénix academic system.

Every year they must request the annual renewal of the scholarship with FCT, sending the documentation and deadlines defined by the FCT:

https://www.fct.pt/financiamento/programas-de-financiamento/bolsas/

The declarations of registration in the doctoral program for the purpose of the FCT scholarship renewal are issued by IFA, after request by the student.

• PhD VIVA

The APG initiates the administrative process of the public examination with the following procedures and steps:

1. The Scientific Council is requested to issue the Jury Appointment Order;
2. The Scientific Council, in conjunction with the Director's Office, issues the order by the Director of the Faculty;
3. The APG informs the chair of the public examinations that the formal conditions are in place to initiate contact with the appointed jury members;
4. The APG informs the jury members of their appointment, as well as of the FMUL Privacy Policy, and requests their consent.
5. The APG sends the FMUL Privacy Policy to the members, who are given a period of 8 consecutive days, which cannot be extended, to issue a statement of acceptance, taking into account the measures for the protection of personal data and scientific material. This is brought to the attention of the exam chair and advisor;
6. Once the jury members have submitted their statement of commitment and agreement to FMUL's Privacy Policy, or if any member fails to meet the 8-day deadline, the exam chair and advisor will be notified so that additional measures can be taken to contact them.
7. Once all declarations of commitment to the FMUL Privacy Policy have been collected, we are in a position to forward the candidate's thesis, summary, and curriculum vitae for consideration by the members.
8. The jury is given a period of approximately three weeks to review the documentation submitted by candidates for admission to the exams.
9. Instead of a jury meeting, the chair may request that the members give their opinion in writing on the candidate's thesis, summary, and curriculum vitae, by means of a statement of acceptance of the thesis for public discussion, which is sent together with the documentation for admission to the exams.
10. Once consensus has been reached by all to schedule the Public Examination without the need for a prior meeting, the Scientific Council contacts the Advisor so that, upon indication of the availability of the Examination Chair, the public defense can be scheduled with all members.
11. Once a date has been agreed upon by all parties, a statement of agreement with the proposed date and the distribution of teaching duties is sent to the members of the Jury.
12. If there is unanimity regarding the conditions for acceptance of the thesis and the distribution of the examination and respective times, we can proceed with the respective disclosure through a public notice on the FMUL portal (https://www.medicina.ulisboa.pt/provas-academicas-1) and the University of Lisbon portal (https://www.ulisboa.pt/info/doutoramentos).
13. The jury meets before the start of the public defense to ratify the decisions rendered.
14. As provided for in Resolution No. 429/2023, of April 20, and in accordance with the Postgraduate Studies Regulations of the University of Lisbon, the Scientific Council of FMUL determines that the public defense should not exceed 2 hours and 30 minutes. The candidate has an initial period of up to 20 minutes to present their work, and during the discussion, the candidate has the same amount of time as the members of the jury.
15. Once the exams are completed, the jury meets to assess and deliberate on the final evaluation of the doctoral candidate.
16. The degree of doctorate is conferred on those who have passed the public defense of their thesis.
17. The thesis or equivalent work shall be considered final after the examinations have been completed or after the chair of the jury has confirmed that the requested corrections have been made.
18. After the examination, the candidate shall have up to 30 working days to submit the final documentation in digital format:

• Tese definitiva;
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Versão da tese provisória;

     19. The award of the Doctorate degree is certified by:

• the mandatory issuance of a Degree Completion Certificate, requested and issued by FMUL, within a maximum of 15 working days after the request and payment by the interested party;
• mandatory issuance of a Certificate of Registration (generically referred to as a diploma), requested from FMUL and issued by the services of the Rectorate of the University of Lisbon, within a maximum period of 90 working days after request and payment by the interested party.
• and Doctoral Letter, optional request at FMUL and issued by the services of the Rectorate of the University of Lisbon, within a maximum period of 90 working days after request and payment by the interested party.

 The instruction of the process is carried out in the academic portal fenix candidate area, with the completion of all tabs and submission of the following documents:

• Proposal for writing the thesis - Provisional Version
• Updated summary of the Curriculum Vitae, with reference to indexed publications (2 to 5 A4 sheets); 
• Abstract of the thesis (the thesis must include abstracts in Portuguese and in another official language of the European Union, with a minimum of 300 words each, up to 5 keywords in Portuguese and in another official language of the European Union, and indexes).

When, according to the specific regulations, the thesis is written in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a more developed abstract in Portuguese, with a length of between 1200 and 1500 words.

• Supervisor(s) advice(s) on the final draft of the Thesis (2 copies - 1 A4 sheet).
• Submission of dated and signed Thesis Committee reports.
• Formative booklet signed by the supervisor(s).

Supporting documents:

Logotipos FMUL + ULisboa

The instruction of the process is carried out at the Advanced Training Institute (IFA) with the submission of documents, in pdf format. by email sharing Dropbox, Google Drive or WeTransfer link to the email address: provas.academicas@medicina.ulisboa.pt 

Required documents:

• Application addressed to FMUL's President of the Scientific Council requesting the scheduling of PhD exams.
• Payment of the fee of € 500 according to the table of fees in force, consult the personal area of the fénix academic secretariat
• PhD Thesis; Curriculum Vitae; PhD Thesis Summary
• Declaração de cedência de dados

Internal rules to be observed on the inside cover of the thesis

By express determination of FML Director (order-48/2004), for the purposes of printing the PhD thesis, all volumes must contain on the inside cover the following statement, in bold and body 14, on the inner 1/4 of that page:

"The printing of this thesis was approved by Lisbon School of Medicine Scientific Council at a meeting on (date of approval)." 

Supporting documents::

Logotipo FMUL + ULisboa

Thesis Approval

The thesis is final after the tests have been completed (when no corrections have been requested) or after the President of the Jury has confirmed that the requested corrections have been made.

Documents to be submitted:

The candidate has, after the test, 30 working days to deliver, under the terms of article 46 D, of Decree-Law no. 65/2018, 1 copy of the thesis on paper for the purpose of the legal deposit provided for in paragraph 4 of article 50 of the same decree-law.

It is also necessary to deliver it in digital pen-drive format:

3 copies of the definitive thesis;
1 curriculum vitae;
1 copy of the provisional version of the thesis;
The formatting of the cover of the definitive thesis follows the same criteria defined in the formatting of the provisional cover excluding the designation "provisional version".

The APG initiates the administrative process for the public examination with the following procedures and steps:

1. The Scientific Council is requested to issue the Despacho Nomeação de Júri;
2. The Scientific Council, together with the Director's Office, proceeds with the issuance of the order by the Faculty Director;
3. The APG informs the chair of the public examination that the formal conditions are met to initiate contact with the designated jury members;
4. The APG notifies the jury members of their appointment, as well as of the FMUL Privacy Policy, and requests their consent;
5. The APG sends the FMUL Privacy Policy to the members, granting them a non-extendable period of 8 consecutive days to issue a declaration of acceptance thereof, taking into account the measures for the protection of individual data and scientific material. This is made known to the chair of the examination and the supervisor;
6. Upon receiving the declaration of commitment and agreement to the FMUL Privacy Policy from the jury members, or if the 8-day period is not met by any member, the president of the examination and the supervisor will be informed so that additional measures can be taken in the contacts to be made;
7. Once all declarations of commitment to the FMUL Privacy Policy have been gathered, we are able to forward the Thesis, Abstract and Curriculum Vitae of the candidate for consideration by the members;
8. A period of approximately 3 weeks is allowed for the jury to review the candidate's documentation for admission to the examination;
9. As an alternative to the panel meeting, the president may request that members express their opinion in writing regarding the Thesis, Abstract and Curriculum Vitae of the candidate, by means of a declaration of acceptance of the thesis for public discussion, which is sent together with the documentation for admission to the examination;
10. Once everyone agrees to schedule the Public Defense without needing a prior meeting, the Supervisor is contacted by the Scientific Council so that, based on the availability of the President of the Examinations, they can expedite the scheduling of the public defense with all members;
11. Once a date is agreed upon by all involved, a statement of agreement with the proposed date, as well as the distribution of teaching duties, is sent to the members of the Jury.
12. If there is unanimity regarding the acceptance conditions of the thesis and the distribution of the questioning and respective times, we can initiate the respective dissemination through a notice on the FMUL website (https://www.medicina.ulisboa.pt/provas-academicas-1) and the University of Lisbon website (https://www.ulisboa.pt/info/doutoramentos).
13. The jury meets before the start of the public defense to ratify the decisions made.
14. As stipulated in Resolution No. 429/2023, of April 20, and in accordance with the Postgraduate Studies Regulations of the University of Lisbon, the Scientific Council of FMUL determines that the public defense should not exceed 2 hours and 30 minutes. The candidate has an initial speaking period of a maximum of 20 minutes to present their work, and during the discussion, the candidate has the same amount of time as the members of the examining board.
15. After the examinations are completed, the board meets to assess and deliberate on the final evaluation of the doctoral candidate.
16. The title of doctor is conferred upon those who have obtained approval in the public defense of the thesis.
17. The thesis or equivalent work becomes definitive after the examinations are completed or after confirmation by the president of the examining board of the introduction of the requested corrections.
18. After the examination, you have up to 30 working days to submit the final documentation:

• Final thesis
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Provisional thesis version;

19. The awarding of the Doctoral degree is certified by:

• The mandatory issuance of a Certificate of Completion of Degree, requested and issued by FMUL (Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon), within a maximum of 15 working days after request and payment by the applicant;
• The mandatory issuance of a Registration Certificate (generally called a diploma), requested at FMUL and issued by the services of the Rectorate of the University of Lisbon, within a maximum of 90 working days after request and payment by the applicant.
• and a Doctoral Letter, which is optionally requested at FMUL and issued by the services of the Rectorate of the University of Lisbon, within a maximum of 90 working days after request and payment by the applicant.

Advanced Course Programs

The CAML Doctoral Program stands out for its individualized and flexible approach. Its organization is centered on the doctoral student and their research project.

The main objective is to enable doctoral students to develop original research projects, enhanced by a unique academic climate of research and assistance, which includes clinical and non-clinical researchers, in an integrative concept involving the clinical, biomedical, and health sciences and technologies areas.

The advanced courses of the CAML PhD are available annually and can be consulted HERE.

The curricular structure of the Doctoral program, can be completed over the four years of doctoral studies, for a total of 30 credits, see course booklet.

CAML PhD Program Surgical Oncology Research