Graduate School of Law

As a PhD employee, you have an employment contract with Radboud University, a salary and the same rights and obligations as other academic staff. Generally, a PhD programme lasts four years, in full-time employment. In addition to conducting research and writing a dissertation, you will teach up to 25% of the time (at 25% teaching duties, the total trajectory takes 5 years). This will be mentioned in the vacancy. You conduct research on the basis of a research proposal that you write in consultation with your supervisors.

You can become a PhD employee by applying for a position as a PhD candidate. 

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As a lecturer - usually with a six-year employment contract - at the Faculty of Law, you may have the agreement to do doctoral research. See the vacancies for this.

The rights and obligations of the lecturers doing PhD research are almost the same as those for the employee PhD candidate. You conduct research based on a proposal approved by the science committee, which is usually written in consultation with you.

To become a lecturer with PhD research, apply for a relevant position.

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An external PhD candidate does not have an employment contract with Radboud University, but does have the objective of obtaining a PhD. In the first year of your external PhD, you must complete a research proposal approved by the science committee. We also ask you to provide a training and supervision plan. The external PhD programme will be evaluated periodically by supervisor(s) and PhD candidate, to see if it can ultimately be completed successfully. After registration you will receive a campus card giving you access to the libraries on the university campus, among other things. You will also receive your own e-mail address from Radboud University. You are not obliged to follow courses, but you will be invited for meetings.

There are three different ways to become an external PhD candidate:

1. You have a research topic and contact with a professor.

As a PhD candidate, you may already have a subject for your research. You can work this out in a research proposal. Such a proposal (a few pages) usually contains:

• a brief overview of previous research in the field of your topic;
• a description of the research problem you wish to address (aim and question);
• the approach to the research (methodological approach);
• the main sources (literature).

The research proposal and your CV, including achievements in your studies, serve as the basis for a discussion with a professor about supervision and the development of your research proposal into a research plan. Only professors are entitled to act as supervisors. You are an external PhD candidate if one of our professors is willing to act as your intended supervisor on the basis of a research plan approved by the professor. Additional reflection on your research plan may be useful. You are therefore expected to submit your research plan to the faculty's science committee in the first year of your PhD programme.

2. You have a research proposal but no contact with a professor yet.

If you are not yet in contact with a professor, you can send your research proposal and your CV, including results achieved in your studies, to the coordinator of the Graduate School. The coordinator will help you find a prospective supervisor.

3. You do not have a research proposal, but you are in contact with a professor.

You may already have contact with a professor who is an expert in your field/interest. In that case, you can choose a topic together with this professor and develop it into a proposal. If you have already published and/or collected data within your professional practice, include this in the consultation. You do not decide on a PhD from the start of your research. You can also agree with the professor to work on an article or preliminary study first. In all cases, it is important that you find a professor willing to supervise you and that you consult with the professor in a timely manner.

To the application form

You want to do doctoral research at Radboud University, in addition to your job. It is possible that your employer is willing to give you time or money to facilitate a PhD. In that case, the Graduate School will make agreements with you and your employer about the PhD programme in the form of a letter of acceptance. You then become a contract PhD candidate.

You do not have an employment contract with Radboud University, but your rights and obligations in the Graduate School are roughly the same as those of the employee PhD candidate. You will have a ‘0-hour contract’, which means you will receive a campus card, access to the university libraries and an e-mail address from Radboud University. Your research plan needs to be approved by the faculty's science committee. You will follow the Graduate School's training for PhD candidates and formulate a training and supervision plan. The progress of your PhD project will be monitored.

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PhD Introduction

The PhD introduction is organised twice a year. On this introduction day, people important to PhD candidates introduce themselves, such as the vice dean for research, the research directors and the PhD network. There is also the chance to find out more about PhD research and practical tips & tricks for a successful PhD are exchanged.

Research methods and techniques

Three sessions of two hours each will provide a recap of all methods, as well as research methods for indexing and organising research information:

• ­Doctrinal legal Research;
• Comparative Law;
• ­Empirical social-cultural-legal Research

Workshop: Writing and publishing an article – the challenges of legal scholarship

Writing and eventually publishing an article is wonderful work, but also quite difficult. Many decisions have to be made and many considerations come into play, such as whether or not to publish internationally. The main purpose of two sessions - scheduled for the 1st and 3rd year of your project - is to jointly discover the conditions and requirements involved in writing and publishing a good article.

Questions related to structure, approach, style and methodology will be addressed. But also more practical questions such as the importance of publications for planning your career and applying for research grants.

Presenting own research and attending meetings

Every PhD candidate presents their own research project in the section or research centre. All fellow PhD candidates are expected to attend the presentations as well as other relevant meetings in the section and/or research centre.

University Teaching qualification (BKO) and teaching skills

If you have a teaching position within the faculty, you will follow the ‘’Education Management Course‘’ as a prelude to the University Teaching Qualification (BKO). You will be invited to this course, so you do not have to apply yourself. The Teaching and Learning Centre also has an extensive offer including coaching, didactic courses, promotion of assessment expertise and customisation. For questions about this, please contact nico.tilburgs [at] ru.nl (Nico Tilburgs). If you aspire to have an academic career, you are advised to at least teach and follow the more extensive University Teaching Qualification (BKO).

You will discuss with your supervisor whether you will take any other courses or training in addition to the core programme. In drafting your Training and Supervision Plan with your supervisor, you can determine which courses you are going to follow. You can for example think of further specialised training in the field of your research. You may also need to take a course in the research method you predominantly use in your research. This is in addition to the core programme. General skills are useful not only for your research work, but also for the period after your PhD.

GSL coordinator

• Dr. Tina Janssen MA

Board

• Prof. mr. Claartje Bulten
• Prof. mr. Jasper Krommendijk
• Prof. mr. Ben Schuijling

The law faculty wants to provide a pleasant and safe working environment for all of its employees - especially its PhD candidates. Because of the vulnerable position of this group, the faculty has appointed three confidential contact persons especially for them, in addition to the university-wide confidential advisers. PhD candidates can contact the confidential contact person for an accessible and confidential discussion.

Stefanie Jansen-Wilhelm                            
International and European law, Research Centre for State & Law                     
Email: stefanie.jansen-wilhelm [at] ru.nl (stefanie[dot]jansen-wilhelm[at]ru[dot]nl)
Room number: GR. 02.007                               
Phone number: 024-3610748

Matthijs van Schadewijk
Social Law, Radboud Business Law Institute
Email: matthijs.vanschadewijk [at] ru.nl (matthijs[dot]vanschadewijk[at]ru[dot]nl)
Room number: GR. 02.015
Phone number: 024-3612091

Marc Veenbrink
International and European law, Research Centre for State & Law                       
Room number: GR. 02.005
Email: marc.veenbrink [at] ru.nl (marc[dot]veenbrink[at]ru[dot]nl)

PhD candidates are free to decide which confidential contact person they wish to approach. This does not necessarily have to be the confidential contact person of their own research institute. The confidential contact persons are independent and are not part of the faculty board or the board of the research centre.

The role of confidential contact persons for PhD candidates

The confidential contact person is the first point of contact within the faculty when someone gets stuck in the programme, supervision and assessment or has questions or doubts about it. He or she provides a safe place where the PhD candidate can tell their story. The confidential contact person listens, asks questions and helps the PhD candidate sort out the problems and think about possible follow-up steps. If there is actual undesirable behaviour such as bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment or lack of scientific integrity, the confidential advisor will refer the PhD candidate in question to the central confidential advisor for PhD candidates if required.

Discussions with individual PhD candidates may have policy implications. The confidential contact person can provide solicited and unsolicited advice on these matters to the Board of the Graduate School and, via that route, also to the Faculty Board.

Confidential advisors Radboud University

If you experience or witness undesirable behaviour, such as bullying, aggression, harassment or power abuse, or you are feeling unsafe but you are not sure what is going on, you can contact a confidential advisor appointed centrally at Radboud University. They work independently from faculties and departments. You can also contact a confidential advisor if you (potentially) suspect violations of academic integrity.

The PhD Network facilitates communication between PhD candidates and the Graduate School of the Faculty of Law (GSL). The network provides information to PhD candidates, for example on decisions and plans of the Graduate School. On the other hand, the network communicates to the board of the GSL what is going on among the PhD candidates. In turn, PhD candidates can submit plans and thoughts to the board through the network.

Activities

The PhD Network aims to encourage contact between PhD candidates. To achieve this, activities are organised where PhD candidates can meet each other, such as regular PhD lunches and a yearly symposium.

Contact

Do you have questions, ideas for activities for PhD candidates or do you experience problems during your PhD programme? Feel free to contact us at phdnetwork [at] jur.ru.nl. Members of the PhD Network are:

• Winand Lazar
• Sandra Arntz
• Inge Bakker
• Kim Jurrius

View an overview of the dissertations from recent years at the Nijmegen Faculty of Law.

PhD archive

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