• Start meeting & submission of the Education and Supervision Plan (OBP, approximately after 3 months);
• Submitting the 8-month paper (i.e. text on which the first substantive evaluation is based);
• Go/no go decision (Annual Thesis Progress Evaluation*);
• Annual review meeting with one or two independent members of staff;
• Start conducting research and writing of the dissertation;
• Start taking training courses (both academic as well as generic skills) at one of the National Research Schools or your institute, and/or courses offered as part of the University Teaching Programme for PhDs.

• Annual Thesis Progress Evaluation* and update of OBP;
• Annual review meeting with one or two independent members of staff;
• Conducting research and writing of the dissertation;
• Taking courses (both academic as well as generic skills) at one of the National Research Schools or your institute and/or courses offered as part of the University Teaching Programme for PhDs.

• Draft 1^st chapter/article finished;
• Draft 2^nd chapter/article finished;
• Draft 3^rd chapter/article finished;
• Taking courses (both academic as well as generic skills) at one of the National Research Schools or your institute and/or courses offered as part of the University Teaching Programme for PhDs;
• Annual Thesis Progress Evaluation* and update of OBP;
• Annual review meeting with one or two independent members of staff.

• Draft 4^th chapter/article finished;
• Draft dissertation finished;
• Annual Thesis Progress Evaluation* and update of OBP;
• Annual review meeting with one or two independent members of staff;
• Dissertation finished;
• Organisation of the defence;
• Exit meeting.

* Annual Thesis Progress Evaluation: for employed PhD candidates this is an annual Performance  & Development Interview (ROG). Comparable meetings are held annually with contract PhD candidates.