PhDs in the Humanities

The National Committee on the Future of the Humanities (Cohen committee) made a total of nine recommendations in its Sustainable Humanities report. One of the proposals in the National Plan on the Future of the Humanities is to give young research talent more opportunities so as to counteract the trend of an aging scientific staff. One of the outcomes that emerged from these recommendations is the joint initiative of the Humanities Temporary Task Force and the NWO Division for the Humanities to increase the number of PhD positions within humanities faculties. This call for PhD positions is the result of this initiative.

The aim of the new PhD programme is to attract young research talent in the humanities. The structure enhancement plans of universities/faculties for education and organisation form the necessary framework for this. Two types of PhD position can be applied for, namely standard PhD positions and PhD positions for lecturers.

Universities can also decide to grant access to the programme to students who have not completed a two-year master's research degree but who have acquired a comparable level. Five annual national funding rounds are opened.

Who can apply

Proposals can only be submitted for PhD students who are selected by deans of the faculties involved in the Sustainable Humanities initiative, namely: Utrecht University, University of Amsterdam, University of Groningen, Erasmus University Rotterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Leiden University, Radboud University Nijmegen, Maastricht University, Tilburg University and Open University.

The professor supervisor of the PhD acts as the main applicant of the proposal.

What can be applied for

A grant can be requested for a standard PhD research post (4 years, 1 fte) or for a PhD position for a lecturer (5 years, 0.5 fte). The grants to be awarded for personnel costs are in line with the agreements made between NWO and the universities about this in the NWO-VSNU Agreement 2001 (renewed in 2004 and 2008).

When a PhD position and a position as lecturer is combined, the costs for the lecturer position are carried by the university. The grants will be awarded by NWO; the university shall assume responsibility for any additional costs, the general and technical services required and the supervision.

When can be applied

• Closing date for submitting proposals, selected by the universities, was 1 March 2012

Extra Information

The internal selection of the candidates and the submission of a shortlist of candidates to NWO is the responsibility of the deans of the faculties concerned. They will ensure an open and transparent procedure.

Criteria

During the evaluation procedure the faculty shall determine if a PhD proposal fits within
the faculty's plans, as submitted to the Humanities Temporary Task Force. Suitability is
in this sense a condition for submission.

For futher information on the selection criteria, see the call for proposals.

 

Procedure

The main points of the evaluation procedure are:

• the proposals shall be checkedfor eligibility (administratively by an employee of the Humanities office, and on the merits of their content by the evaluation committee);
• all PhD candidates will be invited for on interview
• the committee shall evaluate and rank the proposals on the basis of the available documentation (proposal and interview with the PhD) according to the evaluation criteria set for this grant instrument;

the chairs of the Temporary Task Force and the Humanities Divisional Board shall jointly
take a decision about the proposals to be awarded.

 

Committees

The evaluation committee comprises of members from a range of disciplines within the humanities. The Code of Conduct on Conflicts of Interest and the obligation of confidentiality apply both to NWO evaluation procedures and the committee members.

Budget

18.975.000 euro

Financiers

Regieorgaan Geesteswetenschappen, NWO Division for the Humanities

Contacts

• Mr P.C. (Coen) Wilders
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 08 33, e-mail: c.wilders@nwo.nl