Quality Assurance & Labelling

Implementation of these changes to allow PhD training to meet the needs of modern society often requires changes in tradition, and traditions are hard to change. The ORPHEUS Self-evaluation, Evaluation Certificate and Labelling tools assist graduate schools to persuade stakeholders of the benefits of improving graduate training.

This is appreciated as indicated by the many testimonials received from recipients of Labels or Evaluation Certificates, for example:

• The process of evaluation, particularly the site-visit was considered extremely useful by all participants (students, supervisors, administration). The suggestions have been very useful and actions are already in place to follow the advice provided. Minho, 2019

• With this token of motivation, we will work with ORPHEUS for a constant improvement of graduate education in our institution. Mannheim, 2016

• We take note of the recommendations for further improvement of the program. Bergen, 2016

• I would like to thank ORPHEUS, for your valuable guidance to us in achieving our goals. Dokuz Eylül, Izmir, 2015

The Best Practices document includes

• Basic Recommendations: Recommendations that are thought to be particularly important.
• Quality Development: Further recommendations that are in accordance with international consensus about good practice.
• Annotations that are used to clarify, amplify or exemplify expressions in the recommendations, and also to indicate flexibility

The recommendations relate to all aspects of graduate education – including research environment, outcomes, admission policy and criteria, PhD training programmes, supervision, content of PhD theses, thesis assessment, and graduate school structure. The document has been developed in collaboration with around 100 graduate schools from all over Europe and found to be relevant not only for those with large resources but also for those in the process of developing their PhD training.

This is a tool to allow institutions to assess the extent to which they comply with the ORPHEUS Best Practices document. This gives institutions a basis to discuss and reflect on their PhD programmes and decide if improvements might be made. The effectiveness of the process will likely be enhanced if relevant stakeholders (e.g. PhD candidates, supervisors, research directors, graduate school administration, graduate school leadership) are involved in completing the form.

Institutions can apply for an ORPHEUS Evaluation Certificate by submitting a completed self-evaluation form. The completed questionnaire will be evaluated by two experts appointed by the ORPHEUS Labelling Board. These experts will provide the institution with suggestions about how the programme could be improved. 

Institutions that have satisfactorily completed this process receive an ORPHEUS Evaluation Certificate.

This ORPHEUS service is provided free of charge to members of ORPHEUS.

Graduate schools that believe that they comply with the recommendations of the ORPHEUS Best Practices can apply for an ORPHEUS Label. To do this they should submit a completed Self-evaluation form. If this is generally satisfactory, the Labelling Board will then appoint two evaluators who will make a 2-day site visit to meet with relevant stakeholders, e.g. head of graduate school, dean, head of graduate school administration, programme directors, supervisors, PhD candidates, etc. The evaluators will then make a report to the Board, either indicating changes that need to be made or else confirming that the recommendations of the Best Practices are complied with allowing the award of a Label.

This ORPHEUS service is provided free of charge to members, but institutions are asked to cover the costs of the site visit. Institutions with limited budgets may apply to ORPHEUS for waiving all or part of these costs.

• Aarhus, Denmark Graduate School of Health, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Belgrade, Serbia Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Bergen, Norway Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway
• Copenhagen, Denmark Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Dokuz Eylul (Izmir), Turkey Graduate School of Health Sciences, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey
• Graz, Austria The Medical University of Graz, Austria
• Hacettepe (Ankara), Turkey Hacettepe University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
• Iceland University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Reykjavik, Iceland
• Kocaeli, Turkey Graduate School of Institute of Health Sciences, Kocaeli University, Turkey
• Lund, Sweden Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
• Minho, Portugal School of Medicine, University of Minho (PhD in Medicine, PhD in Health Sciences), Portugal
• Karolinska, Sweden Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

• Acibadem Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Turkey
• Amsterdam Medical Centre, NL AMC Graduate School for Medical Sciences, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Cardiff, UK The School of Medicine at Cardiff University, UK
• Gazi, Turkey Institute of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Turkey
• Gothenburg, Sweden Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden
• Leuven, Belgium The Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
• Liverpool, UK Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, UK
• Manitoba, Canada Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
• Manheim, Germany Graduiertenkolleg DIAMICOM, Medical Faculty Mannheim at Heidelberg University, Germany
• Masaryk, Czech Republic Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
• Oslo, Norway The Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
• Sumy, Ukraine Department for PhD and Doctoral Study, Sumy State University, Ukraine
• Vanderbilt, USA Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA