In this section, we outline the key aspects of the start of employment contracts for PhD candidates. It is important to note that, in the Netherlands, not all PhD candidates work on their thesis under the same conditions. Below, you can find detailed information about this according to the type of contract or agreement that applies. Do you not know (yet) which type of contract you have? Go to this page to find out!
University employed PhD candidate
The contract for employee-PhDs is a temporary employment contract for the expected duration of the promotion process . At the moment you start, your employment contract is set to a fixed term, with a maximum of two months trial period wherein the contract can be terminated by either party for no particular reason. Currently, the CLA allows shorter temporary contracts for PhD candidates, so you will commonly start with a contract of up to 18 months. The go/no-go evaluation will take place during this first contract. After a successful evaluation, the contract will be extended for the rest of the duration of the trajectory.
In principle, the duration of your employment is four years, based on a full working week (38 hours). By default, national labor law restricts the amount of uninterrupted successive temporary contracts an employee can have to three. Based on the CLA, this so-called chain provision (ketenbepaling) does not apply to employees in a position for educational purposes, including PhD contracts. This means that there are no restrictions on the amount of temporary contracts that PhD candidates can have, such as contract extensions. And, PhD contracts do not count for the future application of the chain provision. For instance, previous PhD contracts do not count as part of the chain for contracts as a postdoc or AP.
4 years, 3 years, ‘2+3’ years? Vanaf juli 2018 bepaalt de collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst dat de duur van contracten van werknemer-promovendi vier jaar is. Daarom hebben de meeste promovendi posities in Nederland een duur van vier jaar. In sommige gevallen wordt het PhD-traject echter behandeld als een ‘geconsolideerde’ versie van het onderzoeks-masterprogramma (2 jaar) en het daadwerkelijke PhD-traject (3 jaar). Omdat de universiteit de kandidaat aanstelt als werknemer-promovendus voor drie jaar in plaats van vier jaar, wordt dit ‘2+3’-model gezegd tijd en geld te besparen, zonder afbreuk te doen aan kwaliteit en diepgang. In Nederland zijn er al een aantal wetenschappelijke vakgebieden waar het PhD-traject deze geconsolideerde vorm heeft, zoals communicatiewetenschappen en economische wetenschappen. Hoewel de formulering van de arbeidsovereenkomst deze speelruimte biedt, moet worden benadrukt dat PNN sterk tegen het ‘2+3’-model is, zoals onder meer wordt uiteengezet in onze Employment Conditions Monitor. Er is geen duidelijk bewijs voor de voordelen van verkorting van het PhD-traject, anders dan kostenbesparingen voor universiteiten.
Wil je meer weten? Neem contact op met Emma de Brabander voor advies.
Emma de Brabander
Labour conditions - universities
PhD candidate employed at a UMC
The employment contract for employed PhD candidates is a temporary appointment for the expected duration of the PhD trajectory. At the moment you start, your contract is set for a fixed term.
However, contracts for PhD candidates at University Medical Centers (UMCs) may vary significantly depending on their background. Medical doctors are typically hired as MD-PhDs, often on a 3-year contract based on a full-time workweek of 36 hours. Other PhD candidates at UMCs are frequently appointed as ‘OIOs’ (onderzoeker-in-opleiding, researcher-in-training). Typically, the duration of employment for OIOs is four years, also based on a full-time workweek of 36 hours. Nevertheless, exceptions are possible. PhD candidates may also be hired as ‘researchers,’ initially receiving a contract of 1 or 2 years, for instance when allocated grants are insufficient to finance a complete PhD trajectory.
National labor law restricts the number of successive temporary employment contracts an employee may receive. This rule is known as the chain provision (‘ketenbepaling’). However, according to collective labor agreements (CLA), certain positions—including PhD candidates—are excluded from this chain provision. This means there is no limit on the number of consecutive temporary contracts. Therefore, under the CLA, there is always room for a contract extension.
Do you want to know more? Contact Martine van der Linde for advice.
Martine van der Linde
Labour conditions - hospitals
Non-employed PhD candidate
Non-employee PhD candidates, such as external, externally funded, and scholarship PhD candidates, are not subject to national or sectoral guidelines. Most arrangements are made on the institution or faculty level, and in individual agreements. These agreements typically include subjects such as the courses to be followed, access to grants and funding, scholarships, etc.
For this reason, PNN emphasizes the importance of making clear agreements between the PhD candidate and the institution at the start of the PhD trajectory. This agreement should include expectations about crucial aspects of the trajectory such as supervision, training, use of facilities (for example, office space and laboratories), university services, etc. This is usually included in what is known as a ‘Training and Supervision Plan’ (TSP).
Bench fees or tuition fees are another important point to consider at the start of the PhD trajectory as a non-employed PhD. Dutch institutions are allowed to charge these fees to cover the costs of supervision, enrolment, or access to laboratories or other facilities. PNN recommends making upfront arrangements about how much you pay (and what for) and if there is any form of compensation (for example, as top-up payments for scholarships that do not meet the minimum required by immigration authorities).
There are no rules about a difference in fees for external and scholarship PhDs. However, some universities tend to charge higher fees to scholarship PhD candidates usually covered by the grant provider), meaning they also might have access to more facilities. Unexpected changes or increases in fees may happen during your trajectory as a non-employed PhD, so it is important to set the terms of your affiliation with the institution as clearly as possible from the start.
Do you want to know more? Contact Teebah Abu-Zahra for advice.
Teebah Abu-Zahra
Labour conditions – external, international and scholarship PhD candidates
bibspromovendi@hetpnn.nl