Talent policies and services
The doctorate (PhD) degree is the highest academic degree awarded in the Netherlands. A PhD project entails three to four years of scientific research and study under supervision of at least one full professor, culminating in writing a thesis and passing a public defense.
At Amsterdam UMC, PhD candidates obtain a doctorate in the Faculty of Medicine of either the University of Amsterdam (UvA) or the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). In principle, the doctorate will be acquired at the university to which the supervisor is affiliated. The practical details of the PhD process in UvA and VU are slightly different.
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The PostDoc Portal contains an overview of crucial information for post-doctoral researchers at Amsterdam UMC throughout their career.
At postdoc level, Amsterdam UMC offers up to four Postdoc Career Bridging grants per year to young researchers.
The Amsterdam UMC Postdoc Network deploys activities to attract attention to the specific needs of postdocs, among others by organizing courses on scientific and transferable skills and networking events, thereby stimulating professional and career development.
For very talented senior postdocs or mid-career level researchers, an Amsterdam UMC Fellowship exists, consisting of one 5-year Fellowship per year to set up an own research group. From 2024-2026, there also will be one Amsterdam UMC D&I fellowship.
In 2022, an additional Diversity & Inclusion Talent Fellowship was granted in collaboration with the UvA to a researcher belonging to an underrepresented group in the Netherlands.
Fellowship laureates are embedded in the Tenure Track scheme of Amsterdam UMC that guides a limited group of very talented mid-career level researchers to a tenured position in five years.
The Tenure Track scheme of Amsterdam UMC is currently under review.
Talent services across career levels
Amsterdam UMC has several incentive arrangements to stimulate research excellence.
The incentive policy is designed to encourage researchers to focus on strategically important grants and to attract and retain mid-career talent, for example by awarding laureates of specific prestigious grants with supplemented budget or an additional PhD or postdoc position.