For Academictransfer: Selecting A Phd Plan Too Supervisor

This post is role of the serial for AcademicTransfer: posts written for the Dutch academic career network AcademicTransfer, your go-to resources for all enquiry positions inward the Netherlands.

These posts are sponsored past times AcademicTransfer, as well as tailored to those of you lot interested inward pursuing a enquiry seat inward the Netherlands.

If these posts enhance your involvement inward working every bit a researcher inward the Netherlands, fifty-fifty amend - as well as experience gratuitous to burn downward away whatever questions you lot powerfulness receive got on this topic!

In our most recent post, we've looked at the produce goodness of your academic skills for finding work after the PhD. Today, nosotros convey a pace dorsum inward time, as well as await at the real commencement of your PhD adventure: finding a PhD programme as well as supervisor.

The typical approach of finding a PhD program, is simply past times applying to a expose of institutions, as well as seeing where you lot acquire accepted, amongst funding.

While getting into a programme amongst funding is, inward my opinion, 1 of the most of import aspects of finding a PhD position, at that spot are a expose of other aspects to convey into describe of piece of work organisation human relationship every bit well. As a side note: almost all PhD positions inward Kingdom of the Netherlands come upward amongst secured funding. In The Netherlands, a PhD educatee is considered an full-time employee of the university, amongst an OK salary, as well as social security. You won't got inward debt over your PhD inward The Netherlands, as well as you lot powerfulness fifty-fifty live able to relieve some proficient coin if you lot alive frugally. Besides the top-quality programs, this secure positions of PhD students could live 1 to a greater extent than argue to look for a PhD inward The Netherlands.

Before zooming inward to the aspects you lot should consider when selecting a programme as well as supervisor, I'd similar to percentage the 2 elements that made me pick my programme as well as supervisor. The initiative of all cistron that determined my choice, was interest. I wanted to produce enquiry on either buckling of concrete columns, or shear or torsion problems inward reinforced concrete members. With that enquiry involvement inward mind, I started to browse the pages of concrete enquiry groups inward diverse universities. I had given upward on the thought of doing a PhD inward the USA because of the crisis as well as the hard funding province of affairs (that was Fall 2008, as well as the confusion was complete). As such, my search was narrowed downward to European universities. The minute chemical ingredient that guided my search, was the reputation of the universities as well as their professors. I checked out the go of enquiry groups of universities that I consider highly inward Belgium, The Netherlands, Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany as well as Sweden. Delft showed that they would start a large projection on the remaining life capacity of concrete bridges, amongst shear every bit a hateful topic, as well as that struck a chord immediately. Moreover, I was attracted past times the reputation of the professor leading the enquiry group. I sent an e-mail, as well as so afterward sent my resume, as well as the residual is history.

Maybe I was extremely lucky to abide by a topic that actually gibe my enquiry interest. Maybe the fact that I had a clearly defined enquiry involvement helped me abide by my position, which turned out to live a real positive experience.

Now that you lot know my story, let's await at a expose of aspects to consider when selecting a PhD programme as well as supervisor:

1. Your enquiry interest

If you're going to pass iii to iv years of your life focused on 1 unmarried topic, it'd amend live a topic of your interest. Don't settle for a topic you lot are non interested inward at all, simply because you lot are getting funding. Don't settle for a topic that doesn't enhance your enthusiasm simply for getting a adventure of putting "Dr." inward front end of your name.

2. Compatibility amongst supervisor

Before enrolling inward a program, convey a trip to your prospective establishment to utter to your hereafter supervisor inward person. See if you lot percentage perspectives on your years every bit a doctoral candidate, run into if you lot are on the same wavelength. While anything tin laissez passer the axe tumble out along the road, such a give-and-take tin laissez passer the axe laissez passer you lot an thought of how compatible your working agency is amongst that of your supervisor.

3. Lab facilities

If you lot receive got an involvement inward experimental work, run into what would live available to you lot when you'd bring together a given enquiry group. Likewise, if you're to a greater extent than into numerical/analytical work, run into what is available.

4. Learning opportunities

Every PhD is a learning journey. Inquire most the requirements amongst regard to technical courses, courses inward which you lot develop your soft skills, as well as more. Some PhD programs receive got a larger course of teaching load, some PhD programs are to a greater extent than research-oriented. Define what your learning needs are, as well as if these are inward describe amongst the opportunities at a given institution.

5. Post-PhD work opportunities

Doing enquiry for iii to iv years is lots of fun, but there's the truth of life after that too. Inform most the career paths of graduates from the programme you lot are interested in. See if your prospective establishment has proficient ties to the industry, which powerfulness laissez passer you lot to a greater extent than chances at finding work after your PhD.

6. Location

If you lot are moving abroad for your PhD, consider the province as well as metropolis you lot are moving to. Is it slow to abide by housing in that region? How high is the toll of living? What is the offense charge per unit of measurement (aka is it OK to walk approximately amongst your laptop inward your backpack?)?

7. Funding/Employment conditions

How is your enquiry going to live paid? Will you lot live treated every bit a educatee on a scholarship, or a full-fledged employee of the establishment amongst chore safety during a given amount of fourth dimension as well as social security? Does your funding comprehend all years your PhD programme is supposed to last?

8. Support for unusual students

If you lot are coming from abroad, enquire if the academy is providing you lot amongst assistance for getting your visa, go permit, housing as well as all practical aspects of moving abroad. I tin laissez passer the axe speak from experience that having to figure out all bureaucratic rules every bit a foreigner tin laissez passer the axe live a long as well as confusing process...

9. Travel funding

What is the conference/field enquiry locomote policy of your prospective enquiry group? Are you lot entitled to 1 international conference per year, or produce you lot acquire to acquire wherever you lot experience like, every bit long every bit you lot write as well as introduce a paper? Is at that spot funding to acquire as well as watch unusual labs? To participate inward technical committees?

10. Research group

Last but non least, how is the atmosphere inward the enquiry group? Are people hanging out together for java breaks as well as lunch? Or produce you lot experience that the cohesion inward the grouping is rather small? Do you lot experience "at home" amongst those people, or produce you lot intend you'd live left alone?

These 10 aspects highlight dissimilar parts of your PhD research. From feeling good inward your environment, to having the tools as well as resources to behaviour out your research, at that spot are a expose of topics to intend of when you lot brand your determination amongst regard to selecting a PhD program. Above all, trust your gut feeling: if you lot watch a enquiry group, as well as your inner Big Nerd starts to acquire itchy fingers as well as shouts "Yes, yes, yes, this looks cool!", as well as so acquire for it!