DOCTORATE IN IRTIS

Developing scientific competence takes time and concentrated effort. We believe this is best achieved when Ph.D. students work on their research full-time. Doctoral students at IRTIS typically combine a Ph.D. scholarship with a part-time contract on one of our research projects. The work on the doctorate and other research activities (which are usually closely linked) should correspond to a full-time position in terms of workload and salary.

In Czechia, a significant change in the funding of doctoral studies is being prepared. Therefore, it is unclear what the Ph.D. scholarship will be in 2025 and onward (in 2023, it is 12,000 CZK/month netto). Regardless of these changes, the combined base rate (i.e., Ph.D. scholarship + IRTIS salary) for starting junior researchers is between 32,000 and 35,000 CZK per month (possibly more, depending on the change in the law). Throughout the Ph.D. studies, the salary increases with respect to performance.

In addition to the basic salary, IRTIS also provides a comprehensive bonus scheme. The bonuses are primarily based on the researcher's experience, participation in research projects, and publication and popularization activities. Doctoral students are eligible for the same bonuses as their IRTIS colleagues, i.e.:

• semi-annual bonus for good job performance (cumulative rewards for the work in the last six months, linked to regular semi-annual evaluations)
• bonuses for specific outputs or milestones, e.g., published scientific articles, media appearances
• funding for foreign business trips, international conferences, educational activities

All of this allows early career researchers to focus entirely on their research career without having to seek additional funding through projects or another job unrelated to their Ph.D. studies. However, it also means that remote work is not possible - we expect researchers to be present at the workplace (home office is possible, but not as the primary way of working). Similarly, combining a Ph.D. at IRTIS with another job (e.g., a part-time clinical practice) is very difficult.

We place a strong emphasis on teaching junior researchers how to conduct social science research:

• from initial study design and preregistration, selecting measures, piloting the research, and communicating with the research agency or participants
• to collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data
• and finally, writing up the results in the form of peer-reviewed studies, research reports, and popularizations.

Junior researchers do not play the role of passive helpers. Together with their mentors, they actively participate in all phases of a research project. During their doctoral studies, junior researchers systematically develop their dissertation topic. The topic should fit into our ongoing or planned projects, allowing us to provide support, stability, and collaboration opportunities. At IRTIS, we have ample experience with diverse research designs and national and international projects. For example, we received funding for our large national project Modeling the FUTURE: Understanding impact of technology on adolescents' well-being (2019-2023). This complex project covers/covered theory development and integration, cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys, experimental studies, and innovative types of data collection using a research app. On the international level, we are part of the EU Kids Online network, and we are involved in international projects CO:RE – Children Online: Research and Evidence and ySKILLS – Youth Digital Skills. As a result, we closely collaborate with top researchers from around the world (e.g., Sonia Livingstone, Anke Görzig, Hajo Boomgarden, Giovanna Mascheroni, Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Sy-Miin Chow), and our junior researchers can draw also on their expertise and experience.

One of the main objectives of the Ph.D. program is mastering effective communication of new findings to other researchers through scientific articles. Our junior researchers are encouraged to lead studies, write first-author articles, and publish them in high-quality scientific journals. We know that conducting and writing your own study is not easy. Therefore, you will have the support of mentors from IRTIS and abroad. They will actively collaborate on the study and help you improve your academic writing and navigate the publishing process. We know this process not only as researchers but also "from the other side." We publish a peer-reviewed journal, Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. Thus, we can also share our experience as reviewers and editors. Some of our Ph.D. students are actively involved in the journal's operations.

Our Ph.D. students also present at international conferences (see, for example, presentations from the ECREA conference in Denmark). We support conference participation financially and help select a conference, write an abstract, and prepare the presentation/poster. IRTIS co-organizes the international interdisciplinary conference Cyberspace, which is regularly held in Brno.

Lastly, we recognize the importance of communicating our results to the broader public. At IRTIS, we produce research reports and support our members in popularization activities, e.g., drafting press releases, media appearances, public lectures, or preparing blog posts for the IRTIS website (see, e.g., Why do Czech adolescents come face to face with people from the internet? or see IRTIS in the media - CZ).

Ph.D. students at IRTIS actively develop their academic and scientific skills. This primarily involves developing statistical and methodological skills through online courses and attending summer/winter schools abroad (typically one- to two-week block courses). We strive to ensure that our researchers have the opportunity and resources to participate in such educational events regularly - at least once a year.

We organize internal team workshops on specific methodologies and principles of scientific publishing (e.g., working with longitudinal data, applying open science principles) where we share our know-how and opinions. We also invite interesting guests from abroad with whom IRTIS researchers can discuss their specific research topics as well as broader issues. In recent years we have welcomed, for example, Sy-Miin Chow from Penn State University, Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics, and Tobias Dienlin from the University of Vienna.

We also support the development of teaching skills (see below) through CERPEK courses and presentation and communication skills through courses, media training, and mock conferences.

Each junior researcher has one or more senior mentors (typically their Ph.D. supervisor). Mentors share their experiences, help the students set and achieve their goals, and provide opportunities to develop students' careers further. Mentors meet with students regularly, give them systematic feedback, actively collaborate on their research, and invite them to participate in their own research activities. Every six months, the junior researcher and the mentor meet to evaluate the collaboration and identify strengths and weaknesses. Together, they create a plan for further development and adjust the workload or content of the work (if necessary).

IRTIS has established collaborations with experts from abroad, which we are constantly developing and expanding. We employ foreign postdocs directly at IRTIS, and our staff regularly undertake research internships and trips abroad. Travel to international conferences (e.g., ECREA, ICA, EARA) and project meetings (e.g., EU Kids Online network meetings) is an integral part of the work at IRTIS. We fully fund Ph.D. students' travel expenses, from airfare to meals. In accordance with the requirements of the Ph.D. program, we also count on the Ph.D. student to complete a study exchange program or a research internship abroad (for one or two semesters). We try to combine these internships with work for IRTIS as best as possible. We also help students with choosing interesting and relevant research teams/departments.

At IRTIS, we understand how challenging a scientific career can sometimes be, which is why we discuss these topics together and organize workshops on work-life balance. At six-month intervals, each IRTIS member and their mentor have an evaluation meeting, during which goals are set for the next six months, the atmosphere at work is reflected upon, and a safe environment is created for expressing dissatisfaction or ideas for improvement. At IRTIS, we emphasize the prevention of any form of coercion or harassment, and we do not tolerate stereotypes based on gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics. Instead, we value the diversity of our team and promote a culture of mutual respect and dignity.

We aim for IRTIS to be not just a workplace but a team where we know about each other and support each other. Throughout the year, we organize informal activities and get-togethers, such as visits to the ZOO or laser tag.

The development of pedagogical competencies is also part of doctoral studies. Ph.D. students are, therefore, gradually involved in teaching, usually first as teaching assistants in courses taught by senior IRTIS members and later as lecturers on topics related to their doctoral research. The Ph.D. program includes supervising, advising, and opposing the theses of undergraduate students.