Obtaining PhD
Nov 02, 2010
The high quality of PhD research published in the country has earned Holland a place in the very top ranks.
In Holland research is carried out by research universities, research institutes and by companies. Only the 14 research universities can award PhD degrees. However, since other research institutes generally work in close collaboration with these universities, they can also provide positions for PhD-candidates.
What is doing a PhD in Holland like?
The aim of doing a PhD is to complete a dissertation based on original research. In Holland this requires a minimum of four years of doing research and writing. PhD research projects and dissertations must of course always be original work, as candidates are required to make an original contribution to the body of knowledge in their field. The dissertation is made public and parts of it are often used as articles in international journals. In general Dutch dissertations are held in high esteem since they live up to the highest academic standards.
Once the research is complete the supervisor judges whether the dissertation is ready for publication and oral defence. Then a committee of professors is appointed to read and approve the dissertation and to question the candidate at the traditional, centuries old oral defence ceremony.
PhD researchers often paid position
Of the total number of PhD candidates in Holland, the majority sign an employment contract with the research institute at which they do their PhD-research. In most cases, research groups create research proposals for which they create a PhD position. Such positions are often advertized by means of job boards such as www.academictransfer.org, notices in scientific journals and on the website of the institution. If you know in which topic you want to do PhD research and you cannot find a vacancy which fits your interests, it is wise to proactively propose your research to research groups of your choice.
Fellowship or grant
About one sixth of the PhD candidates in the Netherlands are not employed by the institution but finance their PhD research through a fellowship or grant. Often these candidates come from abroad. If you want to use this option you need to find yourself a fellowship or grant. To find available fellowships and grants please visit:
www.euraxess.nl/fellowships-grants and www.grantfinder.nl.
You also need to find yourself a supervisor at an institution. A supervisor will support your proposal and serve as the official supervisor for your research.
Euraxess
At www.euraxess.nl you can find all sorts of practical information useful for researchers (including PhD candidates) coming to Holland. You can read about immigration procedures, social security, taxation, healthcare insurance, etc.