PhD Grants

Are you a PhD student working on sustainable development and are you supervised by a Rudolf Agricola School fellow?

A Rudolf Agricola PhD grant enables PhD candidates to give their research output an extra push toward relevance and impact. Some examples are; carrying out fieldwork but you encounter a lack of funds or organizing a workshop or training with a key organization abroad or developing a flyer or video to enhance the persuasive power of your results. These are the types of activities that can be covered by a PhD grant. 

Type of grant

Three times a year PhD students supervised by Rudolf Agricola fellows can apply for a Rudolf Agricola PhD Grant. Deadlines are in January, April and September. The grant proposals will be evaluated by a jury consisting of members of the Scientific Council of the Rudolf Agricola School. The committee members will assess the applications based on predefined criteria (see below).

Worth of grant

Three times a year we award 3 to 12 grants with a size of €500, €1000, €1500 or €2000. The maximum funding available per round is €6000. So all in all the Rudolf Agricola School funds 9 - 36 PhD grants per year. 

The grants will be awarded during PhD Grant Ceremonies. When the selection committee has decided on the winners, the PhD candidates are asked and expecte) to prepare a pitch to present their research during the PhD Grant Ceremony. 

Application process

Conditions for grant eligibility:

1. The PhD candidate is doing a thesis related to sustainable development

2. The PhD candidate is doing doctoral research (including scholarship candidates, in Dutch: Bursaal) at the University of Groningen. Applicants are PhD candidates (employee, with scholarship or external etc.) with an UG promotor

3. At least one of the PhD candidates’ promotor/supervisors is fellow of the Rudolf Agricola School and is from the University of Groningen;

4. The PhD candidate has not yet obtained his/her doctoral degree at the time of the activity;

5. The grant funds will be spent on an activity that brings added value to the societal relevance or impact of the PhD candidate’s research;

6. When a grant application focuses on (local) travelling, the grant may be used to cover accommodation expenses and tickets for travelling. The budget does not cover expenses for food and beverages;

7. Before applying, the PhD candidate needs to receive approval by his/her supervisors.

8. A PhD candidate can only apply once a year.

Assessment criteria - requirements and applications:

• Proposals need to show explicit contributions and/or solutions towards sustainable development;

• Proposals need to give a good overview of the research/travel activities that need to be covered and to what goal the grant will be spend;

• Proposals need to show that applicants are highly motivated to enlarge the added value and impact of their research. 

• Proposals should not exceed €2000.

Procedure:

• Grant applications must be submitted using the application form below.

• All applicants will be notified about the outcome of their application shortly after the meeting of the selection committee. Starting next academic year (2023-2024) selection will take place 3 times a year; at the end of May (for the April submissions), end of October (for the September submissions) and end of February (for the January submissions).

• The selection of the Grant winners is at the discretion of the selection committee, appeals are not possible.

• The grant funds need to be issued before the end of the contract of the PhD student.

• Grant winners will automatically become PhD Fellows of the Rudolf Agricola School.

• Deadline for applications in 2023: 2 October 2023 at 23.59 hrs. (midnight).

• Grant winners will pitch their research during the PhD Grants Ceremony.

• Due to setting up the new school structure we can only organise 1 PhD grants round in 2023. The Grant Ceremony takes place on 30 November 2023.

Application form PhD Grants 2023