The institute currently hosts about 40 full-time 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.
Programme Information
The first year of the programme (September 2024 – June 2025):
During the first year, PhD fellows are introduced to the PhD trajectory with a course programme of required and elective courses, taught by leading scholars of UNU-MERIT and our partner universities. These courses are taught in English and spread across two semesters, starting in September. The first semester consists of a programme of compulsory thematic courses, introducing the fellows to the core research areas of the Institute. During the second semester PhD fellows also follow elective methods courses, which permit them to develop the skills necessary to excel in the research area of their interest.
Throughout the first year, PhD fellows are supported in the further development of their PhD research proposal by interacting with staff members and potential supervisors. Upon successful defence of the proposal, a PhD agreement is developed with the supervisors and the PhD director, setting out the personal development and research plan and additional training needs for the following years.
After the first year (September 2025 onwards)
The first year is followed by three years of dissertation research and broader professional skill development. PhD fellows are encouraged to participate in seminars and other research activities organised at UNU-MERIT and to present their work in international high-level conferences. As part of their trajectories, PhD fellows can contribute to the Institute with activities related to their PhD, such as tutoring in the Masters’ programmes at the Institute, project-based research or other activities such as providing assistance to conferences and workshops, seminar organisation etc., depending on their longer-term career interests, within or outside academia.
Selection Criteria
Admission requirements for our full-time PhD track:
- A Master’s degree from a relevant academic field, including economics, political science, social sciences, business administration, and computational social sciences, with a strong academic background in one of the core disciplines of the institute. Fellows who complete their Master’s degree in spring 2024 may also apply.
- Documented theoretical and practical understanding of one or more of the topics of interest specified in the introduction.
- The position requires spoken and written fluency in English, to be demonstrated through an approved test (see section application process) for applicants from non-English-speaking countries.
Desired Qualifications:
- Knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Knowledge of the design, development or use of data, modelling and simulation methods and their application in a topic of interest
- Proficiency in academic writing
Personal Characteristics:
We are searching for candidates who:
- Enjoy working independently as well as cooperating in interdisciplinary teams
- Enjoy being part of a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural community
- Are willing to interact with societal stakeholders in shaping their research
- Are able to communicate information and results with clarity and ease, both orally and in writing
- Are in the earlier stage of their career. An indicative age limit of 32 years is softly applied.
We particularly encourage candidates from the Global South to apply.
Application Process
Applicants for our full-time PhD programme must complete the online application form. In addition, applications must submit the following:
- Application letter (1-2 pages) concerning your motivation for undertaking a PhD as well as your reflections on your suitability and ambitions for the position
- 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 or 7.0 for the IELTS (native speakers of English and students who received their Bachelor’s or Master’s education in English are exempt). Maastricht University’s TOEFL code is 7102.
- One letter of recommendation (in English only) by a current or former professor or employer.
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. If you are on the shortlist, you may be invited for an interview with UNU-MERIT staff and the PhD director in April 2024. The final decision on all shortlisted candidates will be communicated by the end of May 2024.
Tuition and Fellowships
To enrol in the PhD programme for the 2024-2025 academic year, the following tuition fees apply:
- First year: €9000 *
- Subsequent years: €7000 *
The tuition fee includes all programme-related costs. This excludes books, specific research costs, travel costs, accommodation, and visa or residence permit costs.
*No rights may be derived from the fees published here.
UNU-MERIT PhD Fellowships
We award up to 10 PhD fellowships and waive tuition for selected candidates. This applies to the full-time track. The fellowship awarded consists of a monthly net fee of €1650 provided by UNU-MERIT for a period of four years, conditional on satisfactory progress assessed at the end of the first year. In addition, as a fellow you will receive a research budget to cover costs related to your research, such as equipment or travel.
Due to the limited availability of fellowships, we also encourage motivated candidates to apply for other scholarships. For more information you can visit the scholarships pages of the university website. You can also check for grants and scholarships at www.studyinholland.nl
The basic cost of living is around €1300 per month. If you wish to join the PhD programme without a fellowship, we will ask you to indicate to us how you will fund the first 36 months of enrolment in the programme, as part of the acceptance requirement. You will not need to include this proof in your application; we will contact you in case we need this information.
Students from the USA
Students from the USA are now entitled to use the USA direct loan system when they apply to Maastricht University education programmes. This concerns Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students. For more information, please visit this link.
CareerProspects
Our programme gives fellows the skills to function as professionals in many challenging environments. Our PhD fellows typically go on to work as:
• Academics
• Government staff
• Political analysts
• Policy specialists
Many of our alumni follow an academic career: roughly 65 percent of our alumni work in academia. Roughly 15 percent find jobs in international non-governmental organisations including the European Union, United Nations and World Bank. Others work in research institutes such as the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
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 and its School of Governance adhere 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.
Life in Maastricht
Maastricht is considered one of the most beautiful and safest cities in the Netherlands. It is also compact, lively and very international, which makes it a fantastic environment for students.
Residence Permit
PhD fellows who are not nationals of EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland, and stay longer than 90 days in the Netherlands are required before they come to the Netherlands to obtain a residence permit. This group of fellows often also need authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) to enter the Netherlands. Please note that not everyone who needs the residence permit also needs MVV. Nationals of one of the following countries do not apply for MVV: Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, the United States, Vatican City, and South Korea.
Should the residence permit be required, the Knowledge Centre for International Staff of Maastricht University will submit a request for authorisation to the Ministry of Justice and Security as soon as possible upon acceptance to the programme. Note that the residence permit will be only issued if the correct procedure was followed in the home country..
All PhD fellows coming from abroad and staying for more than 90 days in the Netherlands are required to report upon arrival to the municipality of Maastricht (‘aliens department’) in order to obtain a residence permit and for registration. The Knowledge Centre for International Staff will help you with these issues once you are registered at Maastricht University.
Insurance
According to the Dutch law, all foreign PhD fellows must have health and liability insurance. PhD fellows may make their own arrangements (coverage by your home insurance) or opt to take insurance offered via Maastricht University. This insurance covers, among other things, medical and dental expenses and liability.
If you have private healthcare insurance in your home country, you might want to find out whether your policy also covers your medical bills in the Netherlands. If not, you will need to take out Dutch insurance.
Average living costs
The following is a realistic estimate of PhD fellow monthly expenditures (in euros).
Average living costs
The following is a realistic estimate of PhD fellow monthly expenditures (in euro).
| Housing (student room) | 600 |
| Meals | 500 |
| Insurance | 53.7 |
| Facilities (copy cards, office expenditures) | 60 |
| Text books | 40 |
| Total | 1254 |
More Information
Contact
PhD Programme Director: Dr. Micheline Goedhuys
PhD Programme Vice-Director: Dr. Pui-Hang Wong
PhD Programme Coordinator (full-time track): Julia Walczyk
Phone: (+31 43) 388 4449
Email: phdprogramme@merit.unu.edu
Address:
Boschstraat 24
6211 AX Maastricht
The Netherlands