#  DAC Meetings 

 



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After students complete their [Preliminary Qualifying Examination](/training/curriculum/pqe) (PQE), they are required to form a Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) in consultation with their thesis advisor and the program directors. The DAC advises on project scope and timeline, course selection, career development, mentorship in lab, and any project issues that may arise and is responsible to the University to ensure that students meet all program requirements. A major role of the DAC is to assist dissertation advisors and students in deciding when to close off further experimentation and to begin writing the dissertation. If major concerns arise, the DAC can recommend a review with the program directors, who would meet with the student and their dissertation advisor to discuss the issues raised and determine the best plan of action.



 

##  Guidelines for PiN Students 

 





###    Forming Your DAC  expand\_more  

 

After passing the PQE, students are required to form a dissertation advisory committee (DAC) comprising at least three faculty members, typically the same faculty who served on your PQE committee, but substitutions may be made in consultation with your advisor and the program director. Any changes to your committee after the PQE must be approved in writing by the program director or associate director and reported to the program administrator. At least one committee member must be affiliated with PiN; one member may be external to Harvard. Students are required to designate a DAC chair who will be responsible for leading the meetings and submitting DAC reports to the program.



 

 

 



###    DAC Meeting Requirements  expand\_more  

 

**Scheduling & paperwork**  
Students are required to schedule their first DAC meeting within 9 months of passing the PQE. Subsequent meetings must be held at least once every 9 months through the end of the G5 year and at least once every 6 months thereafter, unless the DAC recommends meeting more frequently. Students should start the scheduling process at least 8 weeks before each meeting deadline and are required to notify the program administrator when they have confirmed a date with their committee.

Students are required to share a 1-2 page project summary with their committee and the program administrator at least 48 hours prior to each meeting, addressing scientific background, questions, progress, problems/issues, and future aims. Students are responsible for ensuring their DAC chair sends a report to the program administrator following the meeting. These two documents become part of their official student record.

**Meeting format**  
DAC meetings typically last two hours. The general format is as follows: 1) the DAC meets with the student while the PI steps out; 2) the DAC meets with the PI while the student steps out; 3) the student gives a presentation on their project to date, including a brief summary of scientific background, problems/challenges, and future aims, everyone discusses, and the DAC makes recommendations. The DAC meeting is NOT an examination. It serves several purposes: (a) to give students and PIs feedback on the research project; (b) to identify and address any challenges; (c) to make sure students are making timely progress toward graduation. The DAC may also advise on elective courses and career development.



 

 

 



###    Final DAC Meeting & Permission to Write  expand\_more  

When students have completed experimentation and are ready to begin writing their dissertation, their DAC chair will "check the box" on the DAC form at the end of their final meeting, indicating the committee agrees the student is ready to begin writing up their results.

**Box check requirements (effective January 1, 2025)**  
At the final DAC meeting, students are required to discuss how their work would comprise a published paper (or papers) for a peer-reviewed journal, as if they were writing up a bioRxiv manuscript from their results, which would constitute the main data chapter of their thesis. Students are required to organize their results into figures and outline the logic they plan to follow in their thesis in the final project summary they share with their DAC ahead of the meeting. The figures do not have to be completely polished for the meeting but should nonetheless provide a clear, logical exposition for how the data will be presented in the thesis. Based on these figures, the DAC will evaluate whether the results are ready to be written up for a peer-reviewed journal, including all essential controls. PiN does not require students to publish a paper before graduation, but the work presented in the thesis should be *publishable*.

**After the box check**  
After the DAC chair submits the final DAC report to the program with the box checked, the OGE PhD Defense Coordinator will email the student with information regarding next steps and an invitation to schedule a meeting to discuss dissertation and defense requirements. Students should refer to [OGE PhD Dissertation & Defense Resources](https://ogephd.hms.harvard.edu/dissertation-and-defense) for reference.

 

 



 

 

 

 

##  DAC Form 

 



 [ Download here arrow\_circle\_right ](/resource/pin-dac-form)