Going abroad

A mandatory part of the PhD study is a three-month change of environment. Such a change must take the form of a stay at another internationally esteemed research institution, preferably abroad. The supervisors are available for guidance as to which universities to consider.

You are encouraged to apply for funding from external sources; such funding opportunities are numerous, and a list of relevant funding sources is available from the link on the right. Should you be unsuccessful in obtaining sufficient financial support for your stay, the department can reimburse a return ticket to the destination and VISA (if required). The department can also reimburse documented housing costs and desk fees for stays with a (consecutive) duration of three months or more. Leaving aside the return ticket and VISA costs, the support cannot exceed DKK 6,000 per month and DKK 60,000 in total.

The how-to of going abroad:

• You should send the official invitation letter from the foreign university to Sven Kunisch, skunisch@btech.au.dk, and attach a small budget of your stay.
• You do not have to buy separate insurance, but can ask for an insurance card from AU.
• You will not receive any subsistence allowance (diæter), as it is a long-term stay. This means that BTECH does not cover food expenses, and you must use your personal card to cover those.
• You have to use your Mastercard when paying bills and not your personal card, as AU does not reimburse your expenses.
• You will have to save all your receipts and send them to Janni Ørskov Salomonsen, janni@btech.au.dk, on a regular basis (at a minimum once a month). We recommend that you make your own overview of your expenses.