A very interesting article published in 2022 in the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association (JIOA) caught my attention as it examines the specific role that ombuds may play in supporting doctoral students.

For each of the past two years, CERN has hosted more than 230 doctoral students*, as part of its Doctoral Student Programme.  

In my role as Ombud, I have been visited by many doctoral students. They come to discuss a variety of issues, but the common denominator in all situations is their significant vulnerability.

In this article, I would like to address where this vulnerability comes from, what impact it may have on the students and their PhD trajectory, and how important it is to seek support without delay.   

A CERN doctoral student is attached to a university and has a university supervisor and a CERN supervisor. The student may also have a day-to-day supervisor, in cases where the CERN supervisor delegates part of their supervisory role. In most cases, CERN almost exclusively provides the financial support for this programme, for a maximum period of 36 months.

The JIOA article outlines some of the most common problems encountered by PhD students, as seen from an Ombud’s Office. Below are the ones I have observed in my role:

Problematic relationships between supervisors and PhD students
In principle, the presence of two supervisors (one from CERN and one from the university) should mean that there is always an available supervisor, even in situations where cooperation between the PhD student and one of the supervisors has become difficult, or even unworkable.

However, in some cases, the university supervisor – often a full professor – may only be sporadically involved. In this case, bad chemistry between the student and the CERN supervisor, or simply a lack of availability of the supervisor, may become a critical issue.

Insufficient planning and follow-up between supervisors and PhD students
A clear and well-defined research plan is essential at the beginning of a PhD, and one is in place in most cases at CERN. However, if such a plan is not available, delays occur.

At CERN, the Doctoral Student Programme is mainly implemented within large collaborations, where doctoral students start their research in a well-established research environment. Students in other domains may need to be more proactive in setting up their research environment, which can delay the completion of their PhD.

Furthermore, CERN expects PhD students to complete “service tasks”, i.e. tasks not directly related to the student’s research, in the same way that the university may expect some educational tasks from the student. This service time, which may differ greatly between PhD positions, is included in the 36 months of financial support from CERN and may reduce the time students can dedicate to their research.

PhD students often complain to the Ombud that meetings with their supervisors (university and/or CERN supervisors) do not take place often enough. Regular meetings, adapted to the students’ needs, are important to guide them and ensure they stay on track.

The CERN guidelines for university supervisors underline the need for regular contact between the university and CERN supervisors. They also state that the CERN supervisor’s group should invite the university supervisor to CERN at least twice during the 36 months. These visits and regular contact help to make university supervisors more aware of the CERN environment and the constraints on CERN supervisors. For the university supervisor, it is also important to ensure that the PhD student sticks to the plan and is making progress.

Insufficient follow-up on the research plan between supervisors and PhD students may create tense work relationships and inequalities between students.

Competencies of the PhD student
PhD students may have little to no experience in academic writing. As a matter of fact, CERN offers a range of courses that are particularly relevant for doctoral students. These include Convincing Scientific Presentations; Fast Forward, the productivity system for researchers; Resilience for Researchers; and Scientific writing.

Nevertheless, poor mastery of such competencies, especially for non-native English-speaking students, may also lead to delays in the PhD trajectory.

Impact of delays
Delays mean the clock is ticking, and mainly – though not only – to the disadvantage of PhD students:

• Psychological problems and stress-related problems such as depression and burn-out
• If delays are such that the student exceeds their 36 months’ allocated support, financial problems might occur and, for some students, problems accessing laboratories and research materials and equipment.

How can the Ombud help?
In the event of a problem, it is vital that the PhD student seeks support as early as possible and before the situation becomes unmanageable. There are several support channels available:

The doctoral student coordinators in the Human Resources Department are available to help and find solutions.

The CERN psychologists are here to provide support in cases where the difficulties are such that they might impact the student’s mental health.

In some cases, it is desirable for PhD students to be able to rely on the support of an independent, informal, neutral, and impartial ombud, who is bound by the strictest confidentiality. When in doubt about who to contact, the student may of course use the Ombud as an starting point.

Provided that the Ombud is contacted early on when the difficulties arise, they can play an important role in listening actively, providing information and opening discussions between the supervisor – at CERN or at the university – and the student, and help them explore solutions to improve their work relationship.

Finally, the Ombud may mediate in improving working conditions and in resolving disputes between the supervisor(s) and the PhD student and achieving solutions that are timely, fair, and humane.

If you are a PhD student, or the supervisor of a PhD student, and you are experiencing difficulties in the working relationship, especially if these difficulties are causing delays to the research plan, I recommend that you contact the CERN Ombud or the ombud in the student’s home institute without delay to discuss the situation. As an independent, impartial, informal, and confidential resource, the Ombud is in a position to provide you with effective support.

Laure Esteveny

I would like to hear your reactions and suggestions – join the CERN Ombud Mattermost team at https://mattermost.web.cern.ch/cern-ombud/.

All information on the role of the CERN Ombud and how to contact her may be found at https://ombud.web.cern.ch/