Academia - PdEng/EngD

The aim of the Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS) Sandwich PhD Programme is capacity building: a way for the university to reach out to like-minded scientific institutes to build international scientific networks, to facilitate exchange and to reinforce the knowledge basis of these institutes.

Content of the programme

A sandwich PhD candidate spends the first part (around nine months) of the PhD project at Wageningen University. During this time the research proposal is expanded and a tailor-made education and training programme is started up. Where possible and applicable, research is also started.

The next thirty months are spent conducting research in the home country of the candidate under the supervision of a local supervisor who is also the copromotor. Sandwich PhD candidates have regular (online) contact with their supervisors at Wageningen University. Sandwich PhD candidates often return to Wageningen for short visits, and a Wageningen University supervisor will, during critical times of the research, visit the PhD candidate’s home institute.

After the research in the home country is finished, the candidate returns to Wageningen University to finish the PhD thesis, which takes approximately nine months. The local supervisor will act as copromotor at the graduation ceremony.

Information for candidates

The call for the WGS sandwich PhD programme opens once per year, usually in spring. The calls are published on this website. The WU sandwich scholarship is a personal grant. Applications are submitted by the intended promotor of a PhD project. Proposed PhD candidates should:

• be suitable for achieving the aim of capacity building

• have a convincing Curriculum Vitae for a PhD position at WU

• have a strong motivation and an original and innovative research idea

• fulfil the entry requirements of the WU PhD programme (recognised master diploma, English proficiency) and be a national from one of the selected countries for this programme

• be employed at the home institute during the entire PhD trajectory.

To apply for a WGS sandwich PhD position, you will have to find a promotor from Wageningen University who will endorse your innovative research idea (list of chair groups and contact information can be found here) and would like to be your promotor. A promotor can submit one WGS sandwich PhD proposal per round. In addition, you will need to provide proof of commitment from your home institute.

Your intended promotor has to submit the application form plus all the required annexes (in one compiled file).

It is a plus if you remain employed at your home institute after completion of your PhD programme. If no clear link between you and your home institute exists, your application will not be taken into consideration.

Selection criteria

• Collaboration WU and home institution
  Including quality and infrastructure of supervising groups, institutional support and quality of the relationship between home institute and WU.

• Quality of the candidate
  Including motivation, CV and link with the home institute.

• Quality of the proposal
  Including originality, clarity, feasibility, and strategic contribution to the WU graduate school and chair group(s).

Grant

The grant of the WGS sandwich PhD programme covers living allowance for a total of 18 months in Wageningen, (partial) travel costs of candidate and WU/local supervisors, visa application costs and use of facilities.

Wageningen University will ensure supervision, education and training. The education budget and the costs for printing the thesis are not included in the budget. The chair group at which candidates conduct their research are expected to pay these costs.

Click here for more information and application form. 

AcademicTransfer offers career advice in short 5 to 8-minute bi-weekly podcasts. Listen to the first episode "5 do's and 5 don'ts when applying for a job". Managing director Jeroen Sparla will discuss how to prepare for a perfect job application in The Netherlands as a researcher. 

An international consortium led by Olaf van Vliet has been awarded an Horizon Europe grant of 3.4 million euros. The project investigates how global challenges such as migration, digitalisation, and the green transition have transformed the labour market and the consequences of these changes for social security and political preferences.

Our labour market is subject to change. In some sectors, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have led to fewer jobs and a decrease in the demand for labour. At the same time, the green transition has created new jobs, including in the sustainability sector. For instance, there is growing demand for heath pump technicians. ‘Work changes and this creates mobility in the labour market,’ explains Principal Investigator and Professor Olaf van Vliet, ‘but the labour market is not always there yet and that is when we see a rise in labour shortages in certain sectors.’ In this context, labour migration is often mentioned as a possible solution, though it remains a politically sensitive issue.

Focus on three main questions

Co-applicant Eduard Suari-Andreu: ‘In this multidisciplinary research project, named TransEuroWorks, we will focus on three main questions. How do migration, digitalisation, and the green transition, such as the phasing out of fossil energy sources, impact the labour market in Europe? How can the EU and its member states become more resilient and responsive to these changes? And what are the implications for European citizens’ well-being  and social protection?’

In other words: how do we create an inclusive, proactive welfare state that is prepared for the labour market of the future—a welfare state in which the negative effects are cushioned by social protection and in which the advantages are equally distributed?

Interdisciplinary research

Alongside various European universities and think tanks (see box), several societal organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) will also be collaborating in the project. The team in Leiden, an initiative resulting from the Social Citizenship and Migration programme, will mainly focus on the effects of the increasing labour mobility and its interaction with social protection policies. In addition to Olaf van Vliet and Eduard Suari Andreu, the research group includes Daniel Alves Fernandes, Zeynep Balcioglu Tasma, Anna-Lena Nadler, and Briitta van Staalduinen. The research group is also part of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre on the Governance of Migration and Diversity. The TU Delft is also participating in TransEuroWorks by conducting research on the labour market effects of the green transition. According to Van Vliet, the participation of both Leiden University and the TU Delft helps to strengthen the bonds between the two universities within the framework of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus alliance.

Find more news and events about the programma here: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/social-citizenship-and-migration

Text: Margriet van der Zee

Do you know what you would like to do after your PhD or postdoc?

During earlier Q&A sessions we interviewed researchers outside academia. To help you exploring your career options in academia as well, this time we interview two researchers who continued their career in academia. During this live Question & Answer session you have the chance to ask questions and get a better understanding of your possibilities.

During this 45-minutes Q&A (9 March, 17:00) we cover:

• what it is like to work as a researcher in academia

• what kind of research our guests do

• advice on how to get a position in academia

Registration is free. We have a maximum of 100 participants. Looking forward to meeting you!

Do you know what you would like to do after your PhD or postdoc?

To help you exploring your career options outside academia, we interview three researchers in different sectors during this live Question & Answer session. This is your chance to ask questions and get a better understanding of your possibilities in industry, government and universities of applied sciences.

During this 45-minutes Q&A (7 December, 17:00) we cover:

• what it is like to work as a researcher outside academia

• what kind of research our guests do

• advice on how to get a position outside academia

Registration is free. We have a maximum of 150 participants. Looking forward to meeting you!

Do you know what you would like to do after your PhD or postdoc?

To help you exploring your career options outside academia, we interview three researchers in different sectors during this live Question & Answer session. This is your chance to ask questions and get a better understanding of your possibilities in industry, government and universities of applied sciences.

During this 45-minutes Q&A (19 October, 17:00) we cover:

• what it is like to work as a researcher/consultant outside academia

• what kind of research our guests do

• advice on how to get a position outside academia

Registration is free. We have a maximum of 145 participants. Looking forward to meeting you!

A Beginner's Guide to Dutch Academia discusses Dutch attitudes to work, employment contracts and the structure of academia in the Netherlands, with its universities and research organisations.

Read the Guide

Research funding

The guide also surveys the various funding options for research projects. For example, it describes how funding awards depend not only on the researcher’s skills but also on whether the research addresses relevant socio-economic problems or facilitates valorisation by third parties.

Terms and conditions of employment

The extent to which foreign researchers can negotiate a salary is limited because academic pay is subject to a collective agreement. On the other hand, maternity and parental leave is longer than in many other countries. Researchers also have considerable freedom to set their own hours.

Equality

One interesting detail is that Dutch instructors and students tend to treat one another as relative equals. Instructors guide students on a shared journey of scholarly discovery rather than simply convey knowledge to them. Relationships between academics are also relatively informal. The guide concludes with a list of informative websites, reports and manuals. It also provides a list of abbreviations and acronyms that Dutch academics will also find useful.

Read the Guide

More info: The Young Academy

Special option for PhD's during our recruitment day

Join our international virtual event on October 1st!

Candidates aiming for a PhD position, who can bring their own funding or are willing to apply for it at their national scholarship providers, increase their chances of being selected for an interview significantly. The Dutch university that selected you, can help you fill in the right documents.

The funding must cover 4 full years for your cost of living (about €1300/month). The universities will wave tuition fees in return (you do not have to pay for doing your PhD). Examples of organisations (but not limited to) for obtaining such funding are:

• China: CSC 

• Indonesia: Overview of Ministry of Education: KEMDIKBUD

• Indonesia: MoRa scholarships: KEMENA

• Colombia: Minciencias https://minciencias.gov.co/ and Colfuturo

• Mexico: Conacyt https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/

• Brazil: CAPES and Fapesp Word document

• Additional countries and a  detailed overview can be found on the information page of the University of Groningen  

The joint Executive Boards of the 4 TUs decided as of 1 september 2022 to change from the degree Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) to the degree Engineering Doctorate (EngD) for graduates from the Technological Design or PDEng programs.

Why do we switch the degree?

We change our degree because the Universities of Applied Science in the Netherlands are starting with Professional Doctorate (PD) trajectories. Therefore, we want to avoid confusion between those trajectories and our programs at academic level. The aim is to get the degree EngD at a later stage into Dutch law.

EngD resemble our programs

EngD is used as a degree already in the United Kingdom (UK) for programs that resemble our programs. The national associations for both programs AEngD and 4TU.SAI have been affiliated members since 2012. In the past we agreed that EngD and PDEng were on the same level.

New diplomas & statement

This means that as of 1 September 2022 new diplomas will be available for graduates after that date at the 4TUs. And of course, for graduates before that date a statement will be available explaining the switch.

Are you a researcher, master, PhD, postdoc, or (assistant/associate) professor? And would you like to proceed with your career in research or higher education in the Netherlands? Join the Netherlands Recruitment Day on October 1st 2022, and get invited for a 20-minute interview with a Dutch professor or recruiter.

Requirements

To join our recruitment day and be invited for an interview, you will need to have :

• An up-to-date English CV and a short personal research statement.

• A master's degree (or soon obtaining) if you want to start a PhD. If you have a bachelor’s degree you can not participate and can not apply for an interview. 

• A good level of English, a TOEFL/IELTS certificate (or soon obtained). To communicate with your colleagues you need to have a good level of English. Most Dutch universities require a TOEFL score of 80 and higher or IELTS of 6.5 and higher. All your research can be done in English. It depends on the organisation if you need some Dutch skills too.

Register for free: the Netherlands Recruitment Day on October 1st 2022