Educational research

PhD information

Information about doctorates and application procedures for PhD positions at ICLON

ICLON research staff is involved in a considerable number of PhD projects, mostly as supervisors of ICLON PhD students, but also as supervisors or co-supervisors of PhD students at other faculties or universities. The subjects may vary, but they are always related to Teaching and teacher learning, which is the theme of the ICLON research programme.

Applying for a PhD position (research proposal)

ICLON offers a limited number of funded PhD positions for research projects that fit within the ICLON research programme. New research projects are first advertised as funded positions for graduate students in local media and on the web. The website Academic Transfer holds current information about vacancies at Dutch universities. 

External PhD students might be accepted, provided that they obtained a research grant and submits a research proposal that fits the ICLON research programme. Furthermore, information about previous achievements and recommendations by well-known scholars will have to prove the outstanding competencies of the prospective PhD student. General applications without such information will not be considered.

Financial prerequisite

If you intend to pursue a doctorate at ICLON, you can either apply for a funded position by responding to an advertisement, or follow the admission procedure for a position based on self-obtained research grants. The formal decision on admission is made by one of the deans of the faculties of Leiden University.

Supervisor

Every full professor has the right to act as a PhD supervisor (promotor). The department’s associate and assistant professors may co-supervise a PhD project.  By the time you have planned to do a PhD at Leiden University, you should have contacted your prospective  supervisor.  For ICLON this can be

• prof.dr.ir. F.J.J.M. Janssen, professor of Science Education
• prof.dr. N.H. de Jong, professor Second language Acquisition and Pedagogy.
• prof.dr. R.M. van der Rijst, professor Educational Science, specific focus on research into higher education
• prof.dr. N. Saab, professor Educational Science

English language

If you are not a Dutch PhD student, you are advised to demonstrate your proficiency in English, by means of an IELTS test, a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or similar.

Education

Every PhD student at ICLON participates in the national research school ICO, which organises courses on subjects related to education and teaching, and to methodology and statistics. Other general or domain-specific courses can be followed at Leiden University, including the compulsory Leiden University PhD Introductory Meeting. All courses are part of the training and supervision plan that is drawn up at the start of the PhD project.

ICLON research group

All PhD students and researchers at ICLON participate in the ICLON Research Group, which organises monthly meetings on theoretical and methodological issues, drafts of articles and conference papers. The official language in these meetings is English.

Combining a job with a PhD

The Leiden University Dual PhD Centre provides support for PhD candidates who devote part of their working time to scientific research on a theme from their professional practice. The Centre helps these so-called dual PhD candidates to develop a research plan, provides training and  ties it in with the research of a prospective supervisor.

More information

• prof.dr. R.M. van der Rijst (director ICLON research programme)
• dr. B.H.J. Smit (secretary ICLON research programme)