FAQs PhD track

It is mandatory to register in MyPhD at the start of your PhD track. This holds for all types of PhD candidates, including external PhDs. Your PhD track should at least be 3 years and you should be registered in MyPhD at least 3 years before your graduation date.

Please contact your MyPhD faculty contact.

No, you do not have to register the courses that you have followed in MyPhD. MyPhD contains a section to register courses, which might cause confusion. The courses you enter there are not checked by anyone. You can enter them for your own registration if you like (or if your supervisors would like that; they can see them). However, we advise to save your course list and certificates digitally yourself, so you can send them to your PhD programme coordinatior when applying for the Training Certificate.

Only PhD candidates that have registered in MyPhD after May 1st 2022 have to upload their TSA in MyPhD. PhD candidates that have registered before that, have completed their TSA on paper with signatures. You can keep your signed TSA as hard copy or digital copy. You don’t have to upload your TSA in MyPhD.

No, you don't have to upload your TSA again. You only have to upload the first version in MyPhD. You can store your updated TSA in a place that is convenient for you.

• UU-employees receive a Solis-id automatically. For non-employees at the UU faculties, a Solis-id is arranged as part of the hospitality agreement. For more information, please ask your department secretary: more information.
• UMC Utrecht-employees: Request a Solis-id at UMC Utrecht solisbeheer.
• PMC-employees: Request a Solis-id at UMC Utrecht solisbeheer. In the application form, select ‘Onderzoeker met dienstverband PMC (geen dienstverband UMC Utrecht of Universiteit Utrecht)’.
• Hubrecht Institute employees: Request a Solis-id at UMC Utrecht solisbeheer. In the application form, select ‘Onderzoeker met dienstverband Hubrecht Instituut (geen dienstverband UMC Utrecht of Universiteit Utrecht)’.
• Other: Request a Solis-id at UMC Utrecht solisbeheer. In the application form, choose what is applicable to you. In case none of the options is applicable, select ‘Onderzoeker met dienstverband Hubrecht Instituut (geen dienstverband UMC Utrecht of Universiteit Utrecht)’, even when you are not employed there, and explain your situation (remarks field).

Please note following when requesting a Solis-id at UMC Utrecht solisbeheer: 
It can take up to 3 weeks before your request is processed. Please fill out the form as accurate and complete as possible to prevent delays. Please contact solisbeheer@umcutrecht.nl if you haven't received your credentials for login after ten working days. In case you have questions regarding the application procedure and/or form, contact OWCServicedeskICT@umcutrecht.nl or call 088-7553418.

Yes, it is compulsory for all types of PhD candidates to complete a TSA. PhD candidates that have registered in MyPhD after May 1st 2022, have to upload their TSA in MyPhD. PhD candidates that have registered before that, can keep their signed TSA as hard copy or digital copy. Read more about the TSA.

You can discuss this with your PhD programme coordinator.

Yes, you can follow any activity that is relevant for you. However, the GSLS does not have a budget to pay for these activities. Please ask your supervisor or research group for budget possibilities.

Unfortunately the GSLS does not provide budget for summer schools. Please contact your PhD programme to check if they provide budget.

Yes, you can include the course. You can calculate the number of ECs based on the hours spend on te course. 1EC = 28 hours. Please save the course programme with your certificate as proof for the number of hours spend.

You can pick courses that are of interest to you. Please discuss with your supervisors which training is relevant for you. You can follow courses organized outside UU/UMC Utrecht. However, the GSLS does not have a budget to pay for these activities. Please ask your supervisor or research group for budget possibilities. 

It is possible to follow individual courses offered by the GSLS PhD programmes. However, only when space permits. Please contact the PhD programme for more information.

For a common PhD track of 4 years full time, you need to collect 20 ECs. Sometimes a PhD track is 3 years full time; in that case you need to collect 15 EC. In exceptional cases a PhD is shorter or part time; for those tracks you can calculate it based on 5 EC per full time year. A specific percentage of ECs need to be collected within different categories of educational activities. Please visit the TSA page for more information.

If you have started your PhD journey after September 1st, 2020, training in education (only if you have any education tasks, including supervising students) and research integrity are a compulsory part of your doctoral education. This holds for all PhD candidates at Utrecht University and is based on the advice of PhD candidates themselves, indicating that they wish to be better educated on these subjects. Both types of training should be included in your individual training plan of the TSA. Read more about compulsory training. 

You can contact the PhD programme coordinators of the programmes you are interested in. They can advise if the program fits your research project. You can find their contact details on the PhD programme pages. Also discuss with your (co-)supervisors which PhD programme fits you best.

Yes you can combine PhD programmes. Please discuss with the PhD programme coordinators which part of their programme you will follow. Nevertheless, you need to select one main programme that you will register in MyPhD. 
Please note that this doen't hold for the PhD programme Epidemiology, as you have to follow their full postgraduate master, meaning you can't participate in part of their programme.

Yes, it is compulsory to have 1 or 2 mentors for all types of PhD candidates, including external. Please register your mentors in MyPhD (input field Mentor). Read more about mentors.

If you need an official letter of enrolment as PhD candidate at Utrecht University, please send a request to phd@uu.nl. If you need a letter that you are currently a PhD candidate part of the GSLS, for example for conference attendance, please send a request to gs.lifesciences@uu.nl.

If you need a verification of your PhD diploma at Utrecht University, please send a request to phd@uu.nl.

You can find more information about how to obtain a PhD position at the University’s website. It includes information about admission, vacancies and employment. In the Netherlands, a PhD candidate is not a student but a university employee in most cases. Hence, you will not register to the programme directly, but you will have to apply to an open vacancy for a PhD candidate. Only when everything is arranged for your PhD track and you have start your PhD, you will register for one of our PhD programmes.

No, unfortunately Utrecht University does not offer grants for external PhD candidates.