PhD Programmes

The Graduate School of Medical Sciences (GSMS) offers opportunities and support to prospective PhD candidates. Support ranges from locating potential supervisors and research groups to tailor-made advice in line with the funding structures you have access to. For assistance or questions regarding the different PhD oportunities, please refer to the webpages or contact persons listed below.

Note that the University of Groningen PhD regulations apply to all PhD trajectories at the University of Groningen (UG) including those at the UMCG. For all UMCG/GSMS PhD trajectories, the primary supervisor (1st promotor) must be affiliated with the Faculty of Medical Sciences/UMCG. In addition, the general GSMS admission requirements and any other regulations must be fulfilled.

1. Employed PhD candidates

Individual researchers or research groups may offer employed PhD positions if they have acquired personal or project grants, for example, from the EU, the Dutch National Research Foundation (NWO/ZonMW), industry, charities, or another source. Applying to such a position resembles applying to a regular job.

Information on these types of positions typically does not reside with the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, but may be found on the UMCG website. Alternatively, you may contact the PhD supervisor of your choice directly to inquire about opportunities.

The only exception is the UMCG (D)MD/PhD programme, which is governed by the GSMS and offers employed PhD positions to selected students who are actively enrolled in the Medicine or Dentistry Master's degree programmes of the University of Groningen. In this programme, (D)MD/PhD candidates spend an additional two years on research alongside their Master's training.

For more information, please consult the intranet (D)MD/PhD webpage or contact Dr. Sophia Bruggeman at gsms@umcg.nl.

2. Scholarship funded PhD candidates

Many of our international PhD candidates come with scholarship or fellowship- type of funding from for instance their own government. This gives them the liberty to design their own PhD project in communication with the PhD supervisors. The Graduate School will support applications for external funding if UMCG researchers have agreed to supervise the prospective PhD candidate, and the general admission requirements and any other regulations of the GSMS have been fulfilled.

For selected scholarship-funded PhD candidates, PhD opportunities are offered as part of the Abel Tasman Talent Programme (ATTP). Within ATTP, there are funded Sandwich PhD Scholarships available in collaboration with UG's Strategic Partners. These candidates usually pursue the first two years of their PhD training at their home university, followed by two years spent at UG/UMCG where their thesis is completed. Candidates will be supervised by at least two supervisors, one at each institution. The UMCG PhD supervisor must follow the instructions available here to apply for ATTP Sandwich PhD funding. ATTP Sandwich PhD structures are very flexible and may lead to a double or joint doctoral degree, but in any case, a single doctoral degree with a PhD thesis is defended at the University of Groningen.

For more information on scholarship funded PhD opportunities, contact Joyce Fongers or Mathilde Pekelaer at gsms@umcg.nl. For the China Scholarship Council programme, contact Mathilde Pekelaer or Sophia Bruggeman. Finally, consult this page to find out more about the ins and outs of Sandwich PhD funding.

3. Externally funded PhD candidates.

This category aims at external professionals who want to pursue a PhD degree as part of their regular job. Typically, their PhD research focuses on a problem or question arising from their daily professional practice. They are paid for their research by their own employer.

The UMCG highly values such PhD collaborations, as professionals bring unique regional or (inter)national expertise to the university. The GSMS is currently building a dedicated support programme for externally-funded PhD candidates, since they are typically located outside the UMCG and have other professional duties in addition to their PhD research. This programme includes PhD education tailored to professionals and support structures for finding the required research support.

For more information, contact Corinna Glasner or Sophia Bruggeman at gsms@umcg.nl

4. External PhD candidates.

External PhD candidates are doctoral researchers who complete their PhD research independently, without a university employment contract or dedicated PhD funding as described under 1-3. Often, they combine their research with another job. Despite the different funding structure, they are subject to the same scientific standards and degree requirements as other PhD candidates. Please note that the UG immigration service desk (ISD) no longer supports visa applications from external PhD candidates, which should therefore be directly arranged by the PhD candidate.

For more information, contact Mathilde Pekelaer or Sophia Bruggeman at gsms@umcg.nl.