Bursaries receive the same level of extensive supervision and facilities as regular PhD candidates employed within HIMS. This is described in our PhD Welcome Pack and comprises:

• Regular informal discussions with supervisor(s);
• Taking part in group meetings and (PhD) lectures at the institute and faculty;
• Participate in assessments and obligatory courses;
• Develop your teaching skills by supervising student projects, practical’s or working groups;
• Access to the necessary laboratories and equipment and sufficient office space;
• Access to databases and electronic journals to which the UvA-Library subscribes.

Practicalities

Similar to employed PhD students, bursaries have several assessments. The first assessment is at 9 months after the start, the second after 14 months. If the supervisors after 14 months deem that the project can result in a successful PhD thesis, the position will be extended for the remaining period (48 months total). After this second evaluation, the PhD candidates are asked to report on their progress on a yearly basis.

A tuition fee of k€ 20 per year is requested to cover costs of training, supervision and courses. Usually, scholarships do not include budget to cover other costs like consumables, conferences and travel. Before a PhD track starts, the bursary and supervisor should prepare a budget plan in which all these costs are covered.

Teaching activities can be assigned to bursaries in view of their own development. These can range from supervising student projects to practical’s or working groups.

Procedure

If you are interested to start a PhD research project within the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences as a Bursary, we ask you to follow the procedure described here:

1. Check whether your research project contributes to one or more of the HIMS research areas.
2. Choose a preferred supervisor from the staff members at HIMS (Assistant, Associate or Full Professor) working in the desired area and contact her or him by sending an email with the following information (in English):
     * Curriculum vitae, including a copy of your MSc degree;
     * Academic references;
     * Personal motivation letter;
     * Source of funding/scholarship and terms;
     * Draft of your research proposal (max. 1000 words);
     * Required facilities.
3. The preferred supervisor decides whether or not to invite you for a (skype) interview.
4. In case the preferred supervisor supports you as a PhD candidate in the group and the HIMS director accepts your application, the proposal can be further developed into a work plan or into a final proposal for your scholarship council. When the scholarship funding is approved and the starting date is set, the HIMS bureau will help you acquire a visa and permit and help to search for housing.
5. Finally, you can travel to Amsterdam and start an exciting four-year period. A track that aims for your graduation to PhD, and prepares you for a future career.