Radboud University
A PhD degree can be pursued in various types of PhD trajectories. The skills required for all these categories of PhD trajectories are identical, and the doctoral degrees are equally valued and appreciated.
To clarify the difference between internal and external PhD candidates, the following section describes the distinct processes and requirements associated with each type of PhD trajectory at Radboud University. It also describes how to apply for the various types of PhD trajectories.
Internal PhD candidates are recruited and appointed when funding becomes available for a research project on a specific topic (often proposed and developed by the PhD supervisor(s)). Thus, the admission requirements specific to that PhD project are posted as part of the PhD vacancy, on the university website, as well as on www.academictransfer.com (the Dutch portal for academic vacancies).
If a vacancy for a PhD position is available, applying to become an internal PhD candidate follows the typical application procedure for vacancies at Radboud University. The steps to follow are addressed in the text of the vacancy posted on the faculty website and on the Academic Transfer website.
The projects of internal PhD candidates are already funded. This means that internal PhD candidates will receive a salary for the period that they are appointed to carry out their research. In most cases, it also means that internal PhD candidates will be allocated a personal research budget, which they can use to attend international conferences, participate in courses and/or summer schools, purchase data, conduct fieldwork, etc.
International external PhD candidates with a scholarship (IPS) are PhD candidates who are not employed by Radboud University, but who conduct their research full time and make use of a workstation and office at the IMR. Their research is not funded internally, but through a scholarship or sponsorship programme from their home country, usually for four years.
Since they carry out their research full time, IPS are a special category of external PhD candidates who are charged an annual fee of €6000,- per year. Of this amount, €4000,- will cover the material costs for research facilities; €2000,- will be deposited to their personal research budget, which they can use to attend international conferences, participate in courses and/or summer schools, etc.
This fee should be covered by the IPS’ scholarship or sponsorship programme. If the programme offers a higher fee, the remainder of this amount will be spent on the candidate’s research (as laid down in a formal financial agreement made between the IPS and their supervisor(s)). Specifically, this remaining amount could be used:
In the case of distressing circumstances, this remaining difference could also be used, on an incidental basis:
If the programme does not include a fee (or includes an insufficient one), and the candidate is not able to cover the full fee through their own means, the IPS’ department may decide to waive the (remainder) of the fee
These financial arrangements must be discussed and agreed upon in writing before the start of the IPS’ PhD trajectory. They must also be communicated to the Financial department at fmfinancien [at] fm.ru.nl.
The skills required from prospective IPS are identical to those required from internal PhD candidates, and their doctoral degrees are equally valued and appreciated. However, the selection process for IPS is different.
Oftentimes, a prospective IPS will approach an IMR researcher with a request for supervision. At this point, the prospective IPS should be referred to IMR Doctoral School website for more information on the application process and the PhD trajectory in general. Should the supervisor be interested, the selection process can start.
During the selection process, the supervisor should download the Checklist for IPS selection (docx, 36 kB)and follow the steps it outlines.
If, after the selection process, the prospective IPS and the supervisor decide to work together, the admission process can start. This involves:
A filled in recommendation form for IPS candidates, which you can find here(this Intranet link is only accessible to people with a RU IMR account).
The Head of the Doctoral School will review these documents and make a decision regarding the admission of the (prospective) IPS candidate to the IMR Doctoral School.
Based on the Letter of Acceptance (and some other documents), the prospective IPS will apply for the scholarship or sponsorship programme. If this process has a positive outcome, the IPS will arrive on the agreed date and can begin their research project.
Selection and admission are only the first two stages in the case of IPS PhD trajectories. A third stage, preparation for arrival, is crucial for the good start of the IPS’ project. Moreover, multiple parties are involved in all three stages, from the starting point to the actual start of the IPS’ trajectory.
In order to provide a clear overview of these steps, the key contact persons involved, and their responsibilities, the IMR has drafted a flowchart for IPS PhD trajectories.
IPS supervisors and other relevant parties are encouraged to download this flowchart and familiarize themselves with the steps that need to be followed in order to select, admit, and prepare the start of IPS PhD trajectories.
Candidates interested to pursue an external PhD trajectory are welcome to apply by filling in the application form below. After reviewing this application, the IMR Doctoral School will contact the interested candidate with a final decision or with a request for additional information.
In order to be admitted as external PhD candidates at the IMR, candidates (both Dutch or international) must have an affinity with one or more IMR research topics (to be found here and here) and must display academic and research skills sufficient to begin their PhD research project.
The requirements for external PhD candidates are:
Application for an external PhD trajectory via a potential first supervisor requires that the potential supervisor submits the following documents to the phd [at] fm.ru.nl (IMR Doctoral School):
The Head of the Doctoral School will review these documents and make a decision regarding the admission of the (prospective) external PhD candidate to the IMR Doctoral School. Should the decision be a positive one, an admission letter will be issued, and P&O will be contacted to proceed with the registration formalities.
Are you interested in doing independent scientific research based on your professional experience on sustainability? Would you like to do PhD research relevant for your professional context? Then the Radboud Global PhD Programme on Sustainability Challenges is the opportunity for you.
The Radboud Global PhD programme on Sustainability Challenges enables life-long learning by allowing mid- and end-career sustainability professionals to do research on a topic relevant for their work. The programme focuses on both environmental and social sustainability challenges. With supervisors from different disciplinary backgrounds supporting the programme, candidates are encouraged to conduct multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary research. The topic of research is inspired by the candidate’s professional context. During the programme, PhD candidates learn how to design and implement academic research and become part of a community of sustainability researchers and professionals who want to make a difference.
Are you interested in the Radboud Global PhD Program on Sustainability Challenges and do you want to know more? Please click here for more information.
Joint Doctorate PhD candidates (JD) are candidates who obtain one PhD diploma from two (or more) universities. These universities work together to ensure the training of the PhD candidate and the preparations necessary for the doctorate.
The legal, financial, and research agreements made between the partner universities vary from case to case. In order to ensure the good development of the JD PhD trajectory in question, these agreements are recorded in a formal JD cooperation agreement between representatives of the partner universities (a model JD agreement for Radboud University can be found here.
According to Radboud University’s joint doctorate (JD) regulations, as well as the Nijmegen School of Management’s policies regarding JD regulations, the formal JD cooperation agreement, approved by the RU’s SOO and signed by the partner universities’ Rectors should be finalized:
Drafting the formal JD cooperation agreement is the responsibility of the JD supervisors.
In order to facilitate the early stages of this process, to ensure that supervisors consider all the key decisions to be made regarding the JD in due time, and to collect all of these (as yet informal) decisions in a central document, the IMR has drafted a checklist for preliminary JD agreements which can be found here (docx, 45 kB).
JD supervisors are encouraged to fill it in and then submit it for advice to Paul Mans, the secretary of the Faculty Board, at p.mans [at] fm.ru.nl (paul[dot]mans[at]ru[dot]nl). After this step, drafting the formal JD cooperation agreement can proceed in a more straightforward way.
Filling in the checklist for preliminary JD agreements and contacting the secretary of the Faculty Board for advice regarding them are the first steps to follow in the case of JD PhD trajectories.
However, there are multiple other steps involved between this starting point and the actual start of the JD PhD candidate’s research project, with multiple parties involved.
In order to provide a clear overview of these steps, the key contact persons involved, and their responsibilities, the IMR has drafted a flowchart for JD PhD trajectories, which can be found here (pdf, 142 kB).
JD supervisors and other relevant parties are encouraged to download this flowchart and familiarize themselves with the steps that need to be followed in order to select, admit, and prepare the start of JD PhD trajectories.