1. Role and function of the DS Scientific Councils

• These Councils have two major roles: to stimulate the creation of thematic DSs and to issue scientific opinions on these same DSs. The members of these Councils also play the role of a contact point within their institutions.
• In the event of absence from meetings, the members of the Scientific Councils cannot normally be represented or attend, at least during the current consultative phase.
• As in the case of the procedure incumbent upon the contact groups of the F.R.S.-FNRS, it is up to the Presidents of the Scientific Councils to take the initiative to organise the meetings and to follow them up.
• It is not necessary to provide each Scientific Council with specific regulations, as the general regulations apply uniformly to all the said Councils.
• As part of the process of creating a thematic DS, the Scientific Councils must deliver an opinion, even if one or the other Research Council consulted in the context of the creation of a thematic DS is reluctant or delays in issuing an opinion. In case of excessive blocking, the Scientific Council concerned may appeal to the Commission.
• It is the Scientific Councils’ task to encourage, within a single thematic DS, the grouping of teams working on similar themes.

2. Particular competence of the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral School Commission

• Any dispute that may arise in connection with the creation of a thematic doctoral school shall be submitted to arbitration by the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral School Commission.

3. Role of the F.R.S.-FNRS contact groups

• The contact groups are still relevant as their tasks are different from those of the thematic DSs. Contact groups must to work in parallel with the latter and thus accelerate their creation.

4. Project to create a thematic doctoral school  

• Existing DSs that are not interuniversity schools must open up to cooperation with other institutions if they want to be approved by the F.R.S.-FNRS.
• The proposal to create a thematic DS must be submitted to the Research Council and the Rector of the institution concerned. When creating an interuniversity DS, the endorsement of the Research Councils and Rectors of each partner institution is necessary.
• The procedure for creating doctoral schools is a two-step process. The first step concerns the research teams, who put together the application files. The persons in charge of a are invited to gather the appropriate teams by themselves. The second step is that of the Scientific Council, which could help to associate the other potentially integrable teams.