The student’s written thesis proposal is evaluated by the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The student must be enrolled in the Thesis Proposal (EPI 9997) during the term that the proposal will be submitted to the TAC.
Once the TAC approves the proposal, the student submits the Statement of Thesis Supervisor form and the Thesis Proposal by Service Request under the Plan of Study category (select View All if this type is not visible in the initial list). Once the proposal has been approved by the TAC, and any necessary research approvals are in place (e.g., research ethics board approvals, contracts), the student may begin his or her thesis research.
While there is no oral defence of the thesis proposal, each PhD student in Epidemiology must publicly present his/her thesis proposal within 6 months of the TAC’s approval of the proposal. The forum for this presentation is tailored to the student’s research area but is expected to be a group that is not the supervisor’s research team and not classmates in a course the student is taking.
The student should choose a forum that provides an opportunity for content or methods experts in the student’s field to provide feedback on the proposed research. Potential venues may include opportunities provided by the School of Epidemiology, Public Health or other rounds, within or outside of Ottawa. The forum chosen should allow a full-length (at least 30 minutes) presentation.
The student reports to the TAC after the presentation, outlining where the proposal was presented, the general nature of the feedback, and any changes to the project made as a result. The feedback and agreed changes are recorded on the Statement of Thesis Proposal Public Feedback form. Once the TAC approves this form, the student submits it by Service Request. The student should remain enrolled in the Thesis Proposal (EPI 9997) until this form has been approved by Service Request.