PhD students / PhD projects - Researchers - Communication concerning membership - Terminating the membership of the Research School - Research programmes

PhD students / PhD projects

Admission of PhD students from the participating faculties

The selection of PhD projects as well as the selection and appointment of PhD students is in the first place the responsibility of the participating faculties.

• A candidate PhD student from a participating faculty should be reported as a member of the School via their supervisor.
• The candidate PhD student will indicate in their request the research programme in which they would like to participate.
• PhD students will be automatically admitted to the School, subject to the following conditions:
  • the PhD project fits into the mission of the School;
  • the project fits into a research programme of the School;
  • the manager of the Research School registers the participation of the PhD student;
  • the manager of the School informs the respective programme leaders of the registration of the PhD student;
  • in case of doubt concerning the programme within which the PhD student would participate, the manager of the School should first contact the programme leaders and (in case they do not react within 4 weeks) the academic director of the Research School;
  • if the programme leader is of the opinion that the research of the PhD student does not fit into the particular programme, the manager will contact the academic director of the School. If the director cannot find a solution, he/she will submit the matter to the board.

Admission of PhD students from non-participating faculties

• PhD projects of PhD students from non-participating faculties will be assessed by the programme leaders on the basis of the same criteria as for PhD students of participating faculties (see above).
• When the programme leader agrees to the request for admission, the programme leader will inform the manager of the Research School who will register the PhD student.

Researchers

Admission of researchers from participating faculties

• On the basis of the following criteria a researcher can become a member of the Research School:
• the researcher has obtained a PhD;
• the researcher should have produced at least two high-quality publications;
• the researcher should in principle be able to spend at least 0,2 fte on research that fits within the mission of the Research School;
• the research of the proposed researcher should be carried out within one of the existing programmes or projects;
• it is preferable that there has already been collaboration between the proposed researcher and the research group.
• The request to participate will be addressed by the researcher concerned to the manager of the Research School.
• The researcher indicates in the request the research programme in which the researcher wishes to participate.
• The manager of the Research School submits the request to the programme leaders involved.
• Given the connection of the researcher concerned with the participating faculty, the researcher will automatically be admitted to the School if the above mentioned conditions are met.
• The programme leader verifies whether the researcher meets those conditions and will inform the manager of the Research School accordingly.
• If the programme leader does not respond within 4 weeks to a request, the assessment will be made by the academic director of the School, who decides accordingly and reports to the board.

Admission of researchers from non-participating faculties

• Request for admission from researchers from non-participating faculties should be addressed to the manager of the Research School who will submit this request to the programme leader.
• In assessing the request the programme leader uses the following criteria:
• the researcher needs to have obtained a PhD;
• the researcher should produce at least two high-quality publications;
• the researcher should in principle be able to spend at least 0,2 fte on research that fits within the mission of the Research School;
• the research of the proposed researcher should be carried out within one of the existing programmes or projects;
• it is preferable that there is already a collaboration between the proposed researcher and the research group.
• If the programme leader does not react within 4 weeks to a request, the assessment will be made by the academic director of the School, who decides accordingly and reports to the board.

From PhD student to researcher

• After the PhD defence a PhD student will automatically become a researcher, unless he/she no longer wishes to be connected to a university.
• In the latter case it would be the programme leader who indicates that membership of the School with respect to the PhD student concerned will be terminated.
• If there is no reaction from the programme leader (after a PhD defence), it is assumed that the PhD student will automatically become a researcher; in case of doubt (and in case there is no response after a request to the programme leader) it is the academic director of the Research School who will decide.

Communication concerning membership

• The manager of the Research School keeps an overview of the members of the Research School, equally indicating in which programme they participate.
• The manager of the Research School confirms receipt of a request for membership as well as the outcome of that request, both to the PhD student or the researcher involved, as well as to the programme leader(s) of the programme within which the researcher will participate.

Terminating the membership of the Research School

At regular intervals the programme leaders verify whether the researchers (both those of participating as well as of non-participating faculties) are substantially active within the research programmes concerned or whether there may be reason to terminate the membership of a particular researcher. In that case, the programme leader will contact the researcher involved, asking whether he/she still wants to be a member of the Research School. If no agreement can be reached on that point, the programme leader submits the issue to the board.

Research programmes

Selection research programmes

As far as the selection of research programmes is concerned, the following criteria are applied:

• The programme has to fit within the mission of the School.
• There should already be collaboration between the researchers.
• The researchers should have developed common activities (such as the editing of a book), showing that the collaboration has added academic value.
• The quality of the programme leaders should be undisputed.
• The programme should contain sufficient critical mass in order to be able to develop itself in a sustainable manner.
• The programme should be socially and academically relevant.
• Proposals for a new programme can be formulated when researchers from at least two of the participating faculties have an interest in the programme.
• A request to develop a (new) research programme can be addressed to the board at any moment.
• This request consists of a short description of the programme with a common mission and vision.
• The programme description can be limited to several main points describing the envisaged research.
• The mission can be formulated in a dynamic and flexible manner, as a result of which the research within the programme can also follow current developments and changes.

Appointment of programme leaders

• Each faculty appoints one programme leader for each programme.
• The programme leaders together also appoint one coordinating programme leader.
• A programme leader can also come from a non-participating faculty, provided this is approved by the board.
• Nomination as programme leader (by being appointed by the participating faculties) is in principle for a period of 3 years, with the possibility of prolonging the appointment.
• When particular faculties do not participate in a specific programme, that faculty does not have to appoint a programme leader for that specific programme.