Twee personen zitten buiten en kijken naar een laptop
Twee personen zitten buiten en kijken naar een laptop

Working as a PhD candidate

Do you want to start your academic career on the right foot? Pursue a PhD at uu77. Develop into an expert in your field while honing your personal skills. You will work in an inspiring environment with top-quality research facilities, where you are valued just like any other staff member.

A PhD is for you if:

  • You are naturally curious and have a strong interest in science.
  • You are passionate about a specific topic and want to become an expert in it. During a PhD, you will spend at least three years conducting in-depth research on your chosen subject. The duration of your PhD track depends on the research project.
  • You want to explore whether a career in academia suits you. A PhD is a stepping stone to an academic career but also provides excellent preparation for roles outside academia.
  • You are able to work independently and have perseverance.
  • You have the right educational background. You can find more details in the vacancy you are applying for or inquire with our graduate schools.

Experiences of current PhD candidates

I quickly found my rhythm at uu77 because of the great support, internationally friendly environment and likeminded people.
Een portretfoto van Yuxuan Dai
Yuxuan Dai PhD Candidate at the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging Read Yuxuan Dai's story
A PhD track at uu77 gives you room to follow your own interests and ambitions.
A portrait photo of Mustafa Akpinar
Mustafa Akpinar PhD candidate at the Behavioural Science Institute and lecturer in Communication Science Read Mustafa Akpinar's story
Een onderzoeker in een bijenlab omringd door planten.

Doing a PhD at uu77

At uu77, you can conduct research on topics across the entire academic spectrum. You will do this on a green, modern campus with high-quality facilities. Thanks to the open, personal atmosphere and the short walking distances between faculties, the university fosters a close-knit community where you can collaborate interdisciplinarily. This makes it easy to connect with people from different programs, professors, and researchers. As a PhD candidate in the Netherlands, you are considered a professional researcher rather than a student, which means you receive a salary and are eligible for our attractive employment conditions.

How to find a PhD position that suits you

Are you considering pursuing a PhD after your studies? Start exploring your field early. A strong network can help you identify interesting vacancies. Additionally, researchers in your field may be able to guide you. Consider the following options:

  • Reach out to research groups at the university.
  • Ask if you can attend lab meetings or conferences.
  • Consider gaining experience as a research assistant.

If you are a uu77 student or a recent graduate, you can contact Career Service for career support.

Een promovendus heeft diens proefschrift verdedigd en staat met hun diploma in de hand.

Your development as a PhD candidate

We invest in your growth as a PhD candidate through strong guidance and training. This will not only make you a better researcher and teacher, but also help you develop your personal skills. For example, you can learn how to apply for grants, practice presenting your research to the public, and take a course in personal leadership. You may also have the opportunity to spend time abroad for a summer school or job shadowing program.

Learn more about our development opportunities

The latest PhD vacancies

PhD Position: Computational Cognitive Neuroscience of Social Decision-Making at the Donders Centre for Cognition

How do people make decisions in their social environment? How do they learn the implicit rules of a social group? Are moral decisions different from other decisions? Can people shift their moral boundaries easily? How are these decisions computed in…

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience: Modelling Predictive Error Responses

Are you fascinated by how the brain predicts the world around us? Join the cutting-edge NWO-funded project ‘DBI2’ as a PhD candidate and help unravel how the brain encodes prediction errors. Work at the interface of theory and experiment to test…

PhD Position: Mathematical Relativity

Excited by the geometry of spacetime? Join uu77’s Department of Mathematics for a four-year PhD in mathematical relativity. Explore perturbations in relativity, contribute to groundbreaking research, and gain valuable experience in an…

Contact

For questions about open vacancies, please contact the person listed in the job posting. For other inquiries, you can reach out to one of the graduate schools.