PhD students
Netherlands is internationally known as a country with a good research climate; there is a lot of high-quality research being published. PhD candidates play an important role in this. They make up over a third of the academic personnel and in the Netherlands, they are usually employed as employees.
For some time, however, there have been voices calling for a change to this system. The UNL and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science view PhD candidates more as candidates than as employees. They therefore wanted to change the employment status and appoint PhD candidates as so-called "promotion students". If PhD candidates are appointed as candidates, however, they do not receive a salary but a grant. They do not accrue pension, have no vacation days, and no right to their own workplace. On the other hand, they would have more freedom in choosing a topic and cannot be obliged to teach, although refusing to teach can be difficult in practice. In short, the situation of PhD candidates will deteriorate, making it less attractive to pursue a PhD.
Therefore, the PhD Candidates Network of the Netherlands (PNN) has always opposed the introduction of the so-called "PhD student" and has expressed this in the media (see the press releases below for more information).
The Minister of Education, Culture and Science, despite a negative advice from the Council of State on the amendment of the Higher Education Act in January 2013, has indicated that she wants to start an experiment with PhD students at various universities. This bestluit experiment promotieonderwijs was submitted to the Parliament in 2015 and approved. The experiment started in 2016 at the University of Groningen (with 850 places) and Erasmus University Rotterdam (15 places). One of the conditions for introducing this experiment was that an interim evaluation would take place to prevent these PhD candidates from being disadvantaged if the experiment turned out to be less positive.
Right from the start, the experiment met with criticism, as described by Science Guide, the Jonge Akademie, labour unions and student organiszations such as ISO and LSVB. Shortly after the introduction of the experiment, objections from the PhD candidates arose, including at PNN. They felt as second-rate PhD candidates because they have to do the same work as "regular" PhD candidates but have worse working conditions and believe that the promised benefits of the experiment, such as more freedom, are not forthcoming.
In the spring of 2019, the research bureau CHEPS presented a midterm report PNN is of the opinion that this midterm evaluation does not provide the answers to the questions that need to be answered in this midterm evaluation. Please see our extensive response to this. Unfortunately, under pressure from the Parliament, Minister Van Engelshoven has nevertheless promised to continue the experiment. This means that universities can reapply from 2020 onwards. Although the minister initially indicated that she had confidence in the midterm evaluation report, it was announced in October that an independent investigation will be carried out to scrutinize this midterm evaluation.
PNN is closely involved in these developments. Through this page and our news releases, we try to keep you up-to-date. If you have any questions or experience any problems with your own appointment, you can always contact us via info@hetpnn.nl.
Relevant PNN press releases
Are you currently experiencing issues during your PhD that you need help with?
Most institutions have a number of contact points for help. This compass is designed to help you find the right support.
In the drop-down menu you can select the institution that you are doing your PhD at. Then the roadmap will show you available contact points. In most cases it makes sense to start by considering contact points in your immediate work environment first and then progress to higher levels (like institutional or national).
At the bottom of the page you can find some examples of problems you can run into and a list of descriptions of each contact point.
Your first contact points
Colleagues: Sometimes it can already help to talk with your colleagues about the issue you are experiencing. This will help you judge the severity of it and can provide you with allies in taking further action.
Daily supervisor*: Naturally, your daily supervisor is the first contact point for all issues. They can help you determine the next steps. Of course, you may not feel comfortable discussing everything with your supervisor, or maybe your daily supervisor is involved in the issue. In these cases have a look at the other available contact points.
Promotor or Co-Supervisor*: Especially, in cases of issues with your daily supervisor, consider reaching out to your promotor or another member on the supervision team and ask for a one-on-one meeting. Maybe they can (temporarily) step-up and help you resolve the issue.If you have a conflict with your supervisor(s), you can also have a look at the PNN PhD supervisor conflict roadmap.
*Note that your annual review talk with your supervisory team is a good opportunity to address issues or suggestions for improvement.
National contact points
Labor unions: Organizations representing the interests of academic staff, offering support on employment-related matters, rights, and fair treatment.
NWO Scientific Integrity Desk: A specialized desk addressing scientific integrity concerns in projects related to or funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Netherlands Board of Research Integrity (LOWI): An independent body handling complaints related to scientific integrity, providing a platform for fair investigation. If you feel like the local scientific integrity committee at your institution did not handle a case correctly, the LOWI can be the next contact point.
Making a police report: In cases involving a criminal offense, please consider contacting local law enforcement to report incidents and seek assistance.