Profiles of our dual career PhD fellows
Programme information
The programme is offered at our institute in Maastricht, leading to a doctoral degree awarded by Maastricht University upon successfully defending the dissertation. Please note that Maastricht University will not employ participants.
The institute currently hosts about 50 dual career PhD candidates, who are an integral part of the UNU-MERIT community. The programme provides advanced training in the knowledge and skills relevant to the UNU-MERIT research agenda. The programme is particularly interested in attracting professionals who conduct research in their job and have a strong research orientation and/or background.
The first year of the programme (September 2024 – June 2025)
The first year requires participants to undertake part-time research and interact with staff members and potential supervisors during the year to develop their PhD research proposal in detail and identify a supervisor for the PhD trajectory.
To support the fellows in achieving these objectives, the first year programme foresees two obligatory two-week workshops in Maastricht (four weeks in total, two weeks in September and two weeks in March), as well as two one-day workshops online, in November and June. During the Maastricht workshops, you attend the annual UNU-MERIT Internal Conference organised in September and the PhD research week in March. During these events that mark important moments in the PhD-trajectory, the entire research community is present, including also the full-time track PhD fellows and senior staff members. You can engage in networking to identify scholars with matching interests. You attend peer presentations, trainings and lectures to raise your research skills and support you in the research proposal development.
The workshops require a temporary (two-week) but full-time investment. It is not recommended to combine workshop activities with work duties. Times of the workshops are set and cannot be changed based on participant preferences. The content of the course modules and the workshop programme will be communicated at the start of the programme.
We expect fellows to prepare a detailed PhD proposal during year one, which is presented during the workshops in Maastricht and online and discussed with you and the staff at UNU-MERIT. This proposal will be submitted to a review committee that evaluates the proposal against criteria of academic quality, fit with the institute’s research focus, the presence of a solid supervisory team and feasibility of the study. Based on the proposal evaluation, the continuation in the programme is decided.
After the first year (September 2025 onwards)
In the subsequent years, you mainly work on your dissertation at your pace and in collaboration with your supervisors, meeting online on a regular basis and exchanging ideas and work through predefined modes of interaction, online, by email or in person. You attend two full-time workshops of one week each in Maastricht every year. During this week you actively participate in the internal conference at UNU-MERIT in September and you participate in the PhD presentations in March. You spend time working with the supervisor(s) and you attend seminars, skills training, master classes and PhD defences of higher-year fellows. Progress is monitored and evaluated twice a year after each workshop.
Graduation time depends on the time fellows can actually spend on their research and on their research expertise before joining the programme. Our fastest graduate completed the degree within 3 years and our slowest graduate took 8,5 years. Average graduation time is 5 years (including the first year).
In addition to the compulsory modules designed for the dual career track, you are welcome to attend and participate, depending on your time and logistical constraints, in the PhD courses of the full-time PhD track and the seminar series with weekly seminar speakers. You can also be a visiting PhD fellow for a somewhat longer period in agreement with your supervisor, e.g. to finalise a chapter or prepare the defence.
Programme flexibility
The dual career PhD programme allows for maximal flexibility, without jeopardising academic rigour and standards. To allow individual participants to combine their coursework with their professional life or with their research ambitions and needs, the PhD Programme Director can make adjustments to the programme which may include rearrangement or replacement of programme elements. This flexibility does not include the option to move face-to-face workshops, nor to participate in workshops online. It does however include the option to be waived certain courses based on existing knowledge as well as fast completion of the first year based on a fully developed and approved proposal at any point in the first year.
From the second year onward, programme milestones and processes are agreed on by participants and the supervisory team on an individual basis – with as the only requirement participation in the 2 workshops in Maastricht each year. [Top]
Selection criteria (dual career track)
Admission requirements for our dual career PhD programme:
- A Master’s degree from a relevant academic field, including economics, political science, social sciences, business administration, computational social sciences, with a strong academic background in one of the core disciplines of the institute.
- Documented theoretical and practical understanding of one or more of the topics of interest specified in the introduction.
- Education requires spoken and written fluency in the English language, to be demonstrated through an approved test (see the application process section) for applicants from non-English-speaking countries.
- Approval and support from the candidate’s current employer to participate in the PhD programme is needed.
Desired qualifications:
- Knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Knowledge of the design, development and/or use of data, modelling and simulation methods and their application on a topic of interest
- Proficiency in academic writing
- Access to a complementary professional network or unique data is an asset
- Candidates who conduct research in their job are encouraged to apply
- Candidates from the Global South are encouraged to apply
Application process (dual career track)
Applicants for our dual career PhD programme must complete this online application form to apply for the programme.
In addition, applicants must submit the following:
- Application letter (1 page) concerning your motivation for undertaking a PhD
- Research proposal (2-3 pages) where you present the idea for the PhD project you would like to carry out, including theoretical and methodological approach. The proposal’s focus must be linked to the above core disciplines of UNU-MERIT, but the emphasis within this is up to the candidate to suggest.
- A complete CV with information on education and previous research experience
- A copy of your passport (PDF or JPEG)
- Electronic copies of certified certificates and grades, and an explanation of the grading system. Upon selection, hard copies by postal mail will be requested.
- Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must document English skills by an approved test. Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). We require a minimum level of 600 PBT / 240 CBT / 100 IBT for the TOEFL, 7.0 for the IELTS, B for CAE and C1 for CPE. Maastricht University’s TOEFL code is 7102. Native speakers of English and students who received their Bachelor’s or Master’s education in English are exempted.
- A letter of support (in English only) from your current employer and an indication of ways that they will support you during your PhD
- One letter of recommendation (in English only) by a current or former professor or employer
For questions related to application documents or the application process, or questions you would like to have clarified before applying to the programme, we kindly refer you to our FAQ section.
Application deadline: 15 February 2024 at midnight CET.
All applications will be reviewed within two months, and a shortlist of candidates will be made based on the above selection criteria. All applicants will be notified of the outcome, and whether you are on the shortlist, by the end of April 2024.
Profiles of our Dual Career Phd fellows
We welcome researchers with a master’s degree who have strong academic records, professional and/or volunteer experience, affiliation with academic research and a special interest in the core disciplines of UNU-MERIT.
Participants in the dual career PhD programme have external work responsibilities, leaving them with less time for PhD research. Our participants – who may be policy analysts, researchers and academic consultants from the public and private sectors, international organisations and research institutes – have jobs that allow them to spend a minimum amount of time on research activities that eventually lead to a PhD degree. Ideally, the employer of the participant supports the researcher actively by allocating time and facilitating research work (e.g. by providing data, support, related assignments, etc).
Since the application requirements not only include educational degrees but also relevant work experience and endorsement of the employer, the average profile of a dual career PhD fellow is rather different from the average profile of a full-time PhD fellow – they are typically early to mid-career professionals.
Learn more about some of our current dual career PhD fellows:
Adam Adou
Mohamed Ag Alhousseini
Alejandro Alvarez-Vanegas
José Gilberto Boari
Elena Camilletti
Daisy Demirag
Hannah Gerits
Abdelraham Hussein
Lars Johannes
Julian Kortendieck
Rodrigo Lopez Barreda
Giovanna Mazzeo Ortolani
Ilsa Meidina
Márcia da Mota Darós
Espedito Nastro
Ari Perdana
Cristina Perricone
Dobrina Poirier
Olga Rataj
Karol Rodriguez
Abdinassir Sagar
Alexis Salazar
Karin Schmidt Martinez
Pietro Tornese
Joyce Treptow
Chloé Van Damme
Edwina Zoghbi
Graduates
Emanuela Sirtori (2022) “LED there be light: The evolution in LED technology and dynamics of entry into the LED lighting market”
Erich de la Fuente (2022) “Limiting Media Freedom in Democratic States: How Governments Use Instruments to Curtail News Media Freedom”
Promotors: Michael Cichon, Mindel van de Laar and Eduardo Gamarra
Maria Espinosa Romero (2021) “The Shadow of State Hierarchy”
Promotors: Juan Calors Seijo, Julieta Marotta and Michal Natorski
Eliana Rubiano (2021) “Essays on Conflict-Induced Displacement and Gender in Colombia”
Promotors: Melissa Siegel, Ortrun Merkle and Lisa Andersson
Purity Njagi (2021) “Financial risk, vulnerability and equity of access to health care services in Kenya”
Promotors: Wim Groot and Jelena Arseneijvic
Rafael Lemaitre Carabias (2021) “Public Sector Innovation in the United Arab Emirates – How innovation occurs and what outcomes it delivers”
Promotors: Jo Ritzen and Anthony Arundel
Gloria Lucia Bernal Nisperuza (2021) “Preferences and Performance of High School Students in Response to Scholarships, Information, and Co-education”
Promotors: Kristof de Witte and Mindel van de Laar
Atsuko Okuda (2021) “Towards e-compliance: Exploring the role of compliance and e-governance initiatives in the case of Bhutan”
Promotors: Baharul Islam, Antonio Cordella and Mindel van de Laar
Gillian McFarland (2021) “Doing Policy in Further Education: An exploration of the enactment of the GCSE Resit Policy in Further Education Colleges in England”
Promotors: Louis Volante and Mark Bevir
Ornsaran Pomme Manuamorn (2021) “Governance of International Adaptation Finance for Local Climate Change Adaptation: An Analysis of Adaptation Fund Projects”
Promotor: Shyama Ramani
Fernanda Assuncao Soares (2019) “The Influence of Within School and Across Schools’ Collaborative Practices on Student Learning and Teaching Outcomes in West Africa”
Promotors: Kristoff de Witte and Mindel van de Laar
Camilo Nicaron Carrillo Purin(2019)“Teachers’ in-service training and student achievement: The effect of in-service training of Peruvian teachers on student achievement”
Promotors: Wim Groot and Henriette Maarse van den Brink
Michal Kazimierczak (2019) “Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Patents, Trade Marks, Entry and Entrants’ Growth in European Manufacturing Industries”
Promotors: Rene Belderbos and Micheline Goedhuys
Richard De Groot (2019)“Cash Transfers, Child Nutrition and Intra-Household Dynamics: Unpacking the Causal Mechanisms”
Promotors: Franziska Gassmann, Michael Cichon and NyashaTirivayi
Nicolas Echarti (2019) “Employment Effects of Vocational Rehabilitation in Germany, A quantitative analysis”
Promotors: CathalO’donoghue and Esther Schüring
Sheille Solomon (2019) “Neighborhoods Matter: Crime, Collective Efficacy and Foreclosures in Miami”
Promotors: Hans Nelen and Cathal O’Donoghue
Ana Christina Calderon (2019) “Institutional isomorphism and Policy transfer in Public management reforms,Three stories about public procurement agencification in Latin America”
Promotors: Mark Bevir and Gian Luigi Albano
Catie Lott (2019) “Broadening Measures of Women’s Access to Formal Political Decision-Making”
Promotors: Mark Bevir and Petra Meier
Mutinta Nseluke Hambayi (2018) “A Tall Order: Improving Child Linear Growth. Diets, transitions and maternal education”
Promotors: Wim Groot and NyashaTirivayi
Vinci Vincenzo (2018) “The Relevance of Institutions and People’s Preferences for Social Protection”
Promotors: Pierre Mohnen, Franziska Gassmann
Clothilde Mahe (2018) “Essays on Migration and Occupational Choice”
Promotors: WimNaude and Melissa Siegel
Silke Heuser (2018) “The Effectiveness of Environmental Policies on Reducing Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon”
Promotors: CathalO’Donoghue, Jan Börner and Ronald Skeldon
Khaled Rajab (2018) ”Strategic Planning under Fragility The Role of Leadership in the Strategic Planning of Municipalities in Palestine”
Promotors: Eddy Szirmai and Paul Rabe
Tareq Abu-el-Haj (2018) “Food Security Policy Impact Analysis: The Econometrics of Cash and Food Assistance Cost Effectiveness”
Promotors: CathalO’Donoghue and Franziska Gassmann
Code of Conduct
For researchers and for the recruitment of researchers
The code of conduct for the recruitment of researchers consists of a set of general principles and requirements that should be followed by employers and/or funders when appointing or recruiting researchers. These principles and requirements should ensure observance of values such as transparency of the recruitment process and equal treatment of all applicants, in particular with regard to the development of an attractive, open and sustainable European labour market for researchers, and are complementary to those outlined in the European Charter for Researchers.
Institutions and employers adhering to the Code of Conduct will openly demonstrate their commitment to act in a responsible and respectable way and to provide fair framework conditions to researchers, with a clear intention to contribute to the advancement of the European Research Area.
Code of conduct for researchers
UNU-MERIT adheres to the European Charter for Researchers as well as the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Scientific Practice. Staff, researchers and PhD fellows are expected to behave in line with codes of conduct for researchers. The code contains principles that all scientific practitioners allied with a university should observe individually, among each other and towards society. The principles can be read as general notions of good scientific practice.
Visiting Maastricht
Arriving here
Our closest airports are Amsterdam Schiphol, Brussels Zaventem, Brussels South Charleroi and Düsseldorf; all of these have train connections to Maastricht’s main train station. If you don’t need to fly, there are also many train, bus and car-sharing services that reach Maastricht from across Europe. In any case, our suggestion is to use Rome2Rio or Google Maps to find the best route for you. The following websites may also be useful in planning your travels here: Trainline, Flixbus, BlaBlaCar, Skyscanner.
Accomodation
For short stays, we recommend checking a hotel/hostel comparison website, e.g. Booking.com or Hostelworld, or looking at Airbnb.
Bastion Hotel – located opposite our building – offers a discounted price of €84 per room per night (city tax: € 4,75 per person per night not included). You will need to mention the code “GPAC2-MGSoG rate” in your booking request, and the bill will be paid by you. Always check whether regular booking via their website or a hotel booking website offers a cheaper rate.
Other accommodation options / information available:
Mymaastricht
Portal with all information regarding living in Maastricht, tailored for international students and PhDs, including housing information.
Maastricht Housing
These rooms are usually rented on a minimum 3 months basis. They can be booked for short-term stays but this requires that students register on their website, book online and then contact guesthouse to adjust the date for the shorter period.
Pararius
Portal which gathers the offers for apartments from different housing agencies.
Housing Anywhere
Students that go on exchange and want to sub-rent their room post their information on HousingAnywhere.com. This generally means that this type of accommodation is only available temporarily. Interested students can react to the offers for free. It is on a student-to-student basis. Make sure to ask in advance if the room is still available, ask for photos, NEVER pay in advance for a room, and always ask if the one who is sub-renting out the room has the legal rights to do so.
Facebook groups
Finally, there are several Facebook groups where students/expats in Maastricht offer short-term sublets or rooms for rent, such as this one. Again, be cautious and follow our guidelines above to avoid potentially being scammed.
More Information
Contact
PhD Programme Director: Dr. Micheline Goedhuys
PhD Programme Coordinator (dual career track): Soha Youssef
Phone: (+31 43) 388 4449
Email: phdprogramme@merit.unu.edu
Address:
Boschstraat 24
6211 AX Maastricht
The Netherlands
Tel:+ 31 (0)43 388 4400