Leiden University: Extra PhD places for talented students

Ten talented students from Leiden University are invited to submit a proposal for doctoral research to NWO. NWO's Toptalent programme is intended to promote the development of talented researchers. The 42 places will be competed for by students from all the Dutch universities. Young and creative In September 2005 the notice Onderzoekstalent op waarde geschat (a report assessing the value of research talent) was published by the Ministry of Education. This document includes ideas from the Ministry to make studying for a PhD more attractive. One of these ideas has been further developed by the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and will now be implemented by NWO: the Toptalent programme, which is aimed at giving young, creative and talented researchers the opportunity to write a dissertation on a research proposal of their choice. Successful candidates can start their promotional track immediately after they have completed their studies. The Ministry has committed to make 16 million euro available for the period 2007-2010. There will be two subsidy rounds. The first 42 awards - amounting to some €7.6 million - will take place in 2007, and the second round is planned for 2008. Each university can put forward a number of candidates, in proportion to its official student population. For Leiden University this means ten candidates. Read more: Eurogates.Forum