From the Promovendi Netwerk Nederland (PNN PhDs Network Netherlands) Monitor Arbeidsvoorwaarden Promovendi 2019 it appeared that Dutch Universities do not have an unambiguous policy regarding a PhD candidate’s contract duration and terms for prior education. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam greatly values being considered a good employer, therefore it has drawn up the following guideline with regard to the PhD candidate appointment policy. The guideline largely matches existing procedures and standing policy within the faculties.
Appointment duration PhD candidates
As a result of PNN's analysis, contracts offered by VU Amsterdam, as well as their differences, were studied. The biggest difference between PhD contracts within VU Amsterdam is the duration of the appointment, specifically appointments based on Marie Curie funded PhD trajectories. The difference lies in the fact that some PhD trajectories cover 3 years instead of the usual 4 years. Following NWO guidelines for PhD’s, it is indeed possible at VU Amsterdam to offer a PhD candidate a 3-year PhD trajectory. In that case the candidate must have followed an accredited Research Master prior to the PhD trajectory, or must make use of an existing data set, to (partially) replace the second year of the PhD trajectory. Please also see VU Amsterdam’s guidelines for Marie Curie projects (only in Dutch).
Previously, and contrary to the guidelines drawn up by NWO, a 2-year’s Research Master's degree was not part of the requirements listed in VU Amsterdam’s vacancy texts. As a result, unambiguous VU guidelines have been drawn up in accordance with NWO guidelines, and with suggestions following from the PNN report.
Below is an overview of the terms and conditions of employment that VU Amsterdam offers to PhD candidates.
Employment conditions PhD candidates
As a rule, a PhD employment contract is offered for the duration of 4 years, based on 1.0 FTE. This will be clearly stated in the vacancy text.
Only in specific cases a PhD-student can be offered 3-year employment contract. In line with NWO guidelines, VU Amsterdam may offer a candidate a 3-year PhD trajectory if:
- the candidate completed an accredited Research Master prior to the PhD trajectory or the candidate has comparable qualifications, as evidenced by his/her curriculum. The Master should amount to at least 120 ECTS. In addition, a minimum of 60 ECTS of the program should be spent on research preparation relevant to the PhD trajectory’s theme. The candidate has sufficient prior education and work experience to enter the second year of the PhD trajectory. If it concerns a foreign candidate, and therefore not a Dutch Research Master, the committee should pay extra attention to the candidate's prior education
- for their research, the candidate will make use of an already existing data set, as a (partial) replacement for the second year of the PhD trajectory
When the faculty still chooses to appoint a candidate who only holds a regular 1-year Master's degree for a project for which 3 years of external funding is available, the faculty offers a full-time contract for 4 years, and is responsible for the candidate’s salary and other expenses during the 4th year. The faculty also bears the financial risk of a potential dropout of the PhD candidate.
The vacancy text should clearly state whether the position is for a 3-year or 4-year PhD trajectory. In case of a 3-year trajectory, the conditions mentioned above will be explicitly listed in the vacancy text and handled during the application procedure.
Please contact the HR Advisor of your faculty, if you have any remaining questions.