PhD

How do I apply for a PhD position?

Every year about 50 newcomers start their career as a PhD student within the Casimir Research School. Over 60% of them have a non-Dutch nationality.

Candidates can apply to open positions advertised by individual researchers when grant-money becomes available. Also there are positions available in case a suitable MSc student comes by. 

Casimir Graduate Program 2013 - 2014

The application deadline for a position within the Casimir Graduate Program 2013-2014 was 7 January 2013. A new call for positions opening in the final trimester of 2013 will be announced in the course of spring 2013. Meetings of the review committee are also to be announced. However, you can always use this form to send in your resume, motivation letter etc. Only complete applications will be reviewed (see the required admission materials section in the below). You will be notified on the procedure. 

Procedure
The entry level for a PhD program in the Netherlands is a Master of Sciences degree. Based on the scientific qualifications, a committee of leading scientists of the Casimir Research School will make the selection. The selection consists of several rounds, each one more in-depth than the previous one. The best candidates will be invited for a personal interview. In summer 2013, the selected candidates will be informed that they are welcomed into the Casimir program (exact dates of the selection rounds are soon to be announced). They will start their PhD program in the final trimester of 2013 but exceptions can be made.

Your PhD
In the first six weeks the selected candidates will start by working for brief periods in three research groups of their choice. After this they may choose the subject for their research as well as the supervisor they would like to work with. In some cases student and supervisor may already have agreed on a project before the starting date.

Individual open positions:
The current vacancies are presented under Positions. Applications should be directed towards the supervisor.

Indication of gross PhD-salary (per month as per 1 January 2013):
year 1: € 2062
year 2: € 2403
year 3: € 2517
year 4: € 2638

PhD in the Netherlands 

The PhD positions we offer are full-time salaried research positions. The normal duration of a PhD position in the Netherlands is four years. Most PhD students will finish their PhD within this timeframe. The success rates for the Casimir Research School are high, above 90%, and the average time for submission of the manuscript agrees with the standard contract period. During your PhD you are expected to take specialized courses and contribute to teaching.

At least 83% of Dutch people speak sufficient English to hold a smooth conversation with a native English speaker. This makes getting around very easy if you do not speak Dutch. Of course the penetration of English in our research environment is even greater. All seminars and colloquia are given in English, and undergraduate and graduate theses are normally written in English.  

Find out more about the Netherlands

Required Admissions Materials

•     Motivation letter of 1,000 words expressing why you are interested in the project and how carrying out research in this field matches your future scientific/research ambitions

•     A copy of the original certificate providing the official TOEFL or IELTS score (academic version) if you are not exempt from proof of English proficiency.

•     A copy of your original Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

•     If your academic degrees are not in English, French, German or Dutch, please provide a translation into one of the languages mentioned above.

•     A copy of your original transcripts with marks for each year of Bachelor’s and Master’s study

•    A translation of the transcripts into English, French, German or Dutch

•    A copy of your official GRE results (if available).

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