The Research Institute of Child Development and Education (RICDE) and the Graduate School of Child Development and Education (GSCDE) closely collaborate to train (research) master students and PhD candidates to become competent and self-reliant researchers who can substantially contribute to the research programmes, and subsequently make a successful career in research inside or outside academia.

PhD candidates are supervised by at least two experienced researchers, a full professor who acts as promotor and one daily supervisor often an assistant or associate professor who can also act as co-promotor. PhD candidates are embedded in the programme group where their research is conducted and fully participate in the research activities and lab meetings of the supervisors’ research lines.

PhD monitoring

All PhD candidates are asked to complete a report that contains information about their research project (description), a publication plan and table of content of their thesis, and an education programme form. This form is updated every year. If the information gives reason for concerns about the progress of the project, the research director contacts the candidate and supervisors to resolve stagnation or problems. PhD candidates are also encouraged to contact the research director themselves, should they experience any problems or stagnation. 

Training and supervision plan

At the start of a PhD project, PhD candidates hand in a description of the project and planning (PhD monitoring form), and draw up a training plan, which specifies (a) the general skills the PhD candidate needs to further develop; (b) the national research school of which the PhD candidate will become a member; (c) courses, conferences or workshops that he or she will attend; (d) the size of the PhD training programme (in EC). The education and supervision plan must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee and the national research school.

Monitoring of progress of the PhD candidate

In the first year of the PhD project, the first formal evaluation takes place after 9 months and before 12 months. At the same time the PhD candidate updates the progress report (PhD monitoring form), and the promotor writes a letter about the continuation of the project, in which he or she addresses the following criteria: quality of the written work to date, independence, knowledge and skills, academic attitude, and English proficiency. The decision to continue or end the project will be taken within the first 12 months on the basis of these criteria.

In subsequent years PhD candidates and supervisors are required to have annual performance interviews and also fill out progress reports, which are discussed in meetings in which the PhD candidate and the supervisors are present. The content of the annual performance interviews is confidential and archived by Human Resources. 

Every year the PhD candidates are approached by the secretary of RICDE to update the PhD monitoring form that reports on the progress and further planning of the project. The report is appraised by the director of RICDE and archived. If necessary the director can contact the PhD candidate and or the supervisor to discuss and solve possible problems with the project. The form is updated every year.

Guidance of PhD candidates to the job market

PhD candidates with academic perspectives are encouraged to build a network in academia. Because in academics, a BKO (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs - University Teaching Qualification) is compulsory for teaching in higher education (as lecturers), all PhD candidates are also encouraged to start building up a teaching portfolio already during their PhD project. 

For candidates who will probably not stay in the university we encourage contacts with research or professional organizations within the Netherlands. They are invited to teach courses that are relevant for the career they envision (e.g. clinically-oriented courses).

Confidential adviser

The counsellor in our department especially assigned to PhD candidates is Drs Mariëlle de Reuver.