Handling the go/no-go moment

The go/no-go decision is an important one that you will be asked to take within the first year of the PhD trajectory. It is an important decision because if the candidate does not have the capacity to complete the trajectory it is better, both for you and for the candidate, to interrupt the PhD within the year. While the decision seems to be a straightforward one, it is not always clear-cut.

It is worth hearing the perspective of some of our more experienced PhD supervisors. Here are the questions we have asked them:

• What is the importance of the go/no-go moment in the PhD trajectory?
• What makes it difficult to make the right decision for a go or a no-go? What do you do in this case?
• What do you need to see from the PhD to make this important go/no-go decision during the first year?

What is important in your discipline to make the go/no-go decision? What skill set, what professional and personal attitude and features do you expect from someone starting a PhD? What do you need to see from the PhD to make this important go/no-go decision during the first year? Please share your experiences and discuss them with your fellow learners.