PhD Grants

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

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 organising a workshop or training with a key organisation 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 grants. 7 grants will be available: 4 grants with the amount of €500 each, 2 grants €1000 each and 1 grant of €2000. 

The grants will be awarded during PhD Grant Ceremonies. When the selection committee has decided on the winners, the PhD candidates are asked (and expected) 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 their doctoral degree at the time of the activity;

5. The grant funds will be spent on an activity on sustainable development 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. Tickets for travelling are refunded only when the trip is necessary for carrying out the project and if it is done in a sustainable way. The budget does not cover expenses for food and beverages;

7. Before applying, the PhD candidate needs to receive approval by their 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 activities that need to be covered and to what goal the grant will be spend;

• Proposals will be evaluated on the following aspects: (1) its contribution on sustainable development challenges (2) the engagement with societal stakeholders (3) the added value of the grant for the PhD candidate’s research line (4) how the grant benefits the PhD candidate’s personal development, (5) the project feasibility

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

• Proposals should not exceed €2000. In the form, you will be asked which type of grant you want to apply for: €500, €1000, €2000.

Procedure:Grant applications must be submitted using the application form below.

• The selection of the grants winners will take place 3 times per academic year; at the end of February (for the January submissions), at the end of May (for the April submissions) and at the end of October (for the September 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 spent before the end of the contract of the PhD student.

• Grant applicants will automatically become part of the PhD Community of the Rudolf Agricola School.

• Deadline for the second round in 2024: 29th April 2024 at midnight.

All grant applicants will pitch their research during the PhD Grants Ceremony. The ceremony for the second round in 2024 wil be in June.

Application form PhD Grants 2024