About Us

The Vienna Doctoral School in Cognition, Behavior and Neuroscience (VDS CoBeNe) was granted in 2016 as one of the first Doctoral Schools at the University of Vienna, and was based in the Faculty of Life Sciences. After integrating the Faculty of Psychology, as well as researchers in the humanities, in 2020, the VDS is now a major interdisciplinary Doctoral School at the University of Vienna. The school integrates excellent existing research centers in Cognition, Behavior, and Neuroscience in Vienna. These centers were previously mostly independent, and range from molecular, cellular, developmental biology to psychological sciences and the humanities.

Quality Assurance Measures

We integrate several doctoral research programs in four different research clusters. For all our doctoral candidates the qualification profile, the requirements for admission, the structure of the doctorate, evaluations for quality assurance, and finally the completion and defense of the doctoral thesis will be consistent, and aligned with the VDS CoBeNe Director of Doctoral Studies Program to comply with international standards of the discipline(s) involved.

Defining and assessing the quality of doctoral programs, using both qualitative and quantitative measures, is critical for attracting the best and brightest students and faculty and thus for ensuring success in achieving the mission of UniVie's doctoral schools. 

  • Standardized PhD recruitment and assessment
  • Transparent monitoring of PhD project progress
  • Joint Supervision through a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) 
  • Interdisciplinary research options
  • Financial opportunities through cross-disciplinary seed grants
  • Distinct guidelines

Code of Good Practice for Doctoral Schools

The Code of Good Practice provides guidelines for good practice that are binding for all doctoral schools at the University of Vienna and needs to be signed by all faculty members and students. It contains information about: 

  • Responsibilities of the director of the VDS CoBeNe
  • Responsibilities of the supervisors
  • Responsibilities of the doctoral candidates

For joining the VDS CoBeNe as a UniVie group leader/supervisor, please sign the Code of Good Practice as your commitment to the VDS CoBeNe Quality Assurance Measures and the University Vienna Code of Conduct.