Finance: Funding

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Fellowships and Grants

Financial Assistance for the Realisation of a TSP

 Grants for dissertations

Fellowships and Grants

The PhD candidate who comes to Wageningen may obtain funds from various sources. These funds must cover the cost of a period of four years in Wageningen, or of a 'Sandwich Construction' (partially in Wageningen and partially in the country of origin). Wageningen University cannot offer any help in finding such fellowships.
European Commission Programmes
Click here for more information on these programmes.

The new European Researcher's Mobility Portal
The EU website provides an overview of the training, mobility and career development opportunities covered under the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) for R&D. These opportunities are open to researchers of all ages and levels of experience regardless of nationality, and are one of the most visible means of developing and enhancing human resources in the European Research Area (ERA).

KNAW

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW):

Miscellaneous
Below are some websites with useful information on funding possibilities:

Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP)
The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) are demand-oriented fellowship programmes designed to foster institutional development. The NFP are funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the budget for development cooperation. The overall aim of the NFP is to help alleviate qualitative and quantitative shortages of skilled manpower and to do so within the framework of sustainable capacity-building directed towards reducing poverty in developing countries.

More specifically, the NFP are focused on meeting the need for further training and capacity-building in developing countries. To maximize the fellowships' impact on capacity-building, NFP-funded training must be linked to the institutional development of organizations. A wide range of organizations are eligible - governmental, private and non-governmental. They can include educational institutions, planning agencies, ministries, community-based organizations, and private enterprises, for example.

The NFP target group consists of mid-career professionals who are already in employment and who are nationals of one of 56 selected countries. While fellowships are awarded to individuals, the need for training must occur within the context of the local organization for which an applicant works. The training must help the organization to develop. This means that applicants must be nominated by their employers. In fact, an application without the support of an employer will not be considered.

For more information: NFP fellowship
NWO-WOTRO fellowships
A limited number of fellowships are confined to candidates from developing countries by WOTRO;
see their website: http://www.nwo.nl
Private Grants
The Central Student Administration has some information on private grants, in most cases intended for a specific group. The office is located in the Wageningen University Administration Centre, Costerweg 50, opening hours: 08.30 - 14.00 

FIN, the Association of Grant Providers in the Netherlands, publishes a Fondsenboek (Grants Book). The publisher is Walburg Pers. This book contains an extensive overview of private grants which are frequently intended for special target groups with special objectives, and which are subject to specific conditions. The book (in Dutch) is available at bookstores and at the Central Student Desk. Het Fondsenboek is also available on CD-ROM.
Wageningen University Sandwich Fellowships
These fellowships are confined to a limited number of candidates from developing countries and Eastern Europe , covering a maximum of eighteen months;
  • The PhD student starts with a stay of six to eight months in Wageningen to work out a full project plan, study literature and take introductory courses. 
  • The actual research takes place in the student's own country under local supervision, for about three years. Regular contact with the supervisor in Wageningen goes by email. In between, the student often brings a short visit to Wageningen and the supervisor may visit the student's institute. 
  • When all data are collected, the PhD student returns to Wageningen to finish the PhD thesis in approximately six months. The local supervisor comes to Wageningen to act as co-promoter in the graduation ceremony.

Only the supervising professor can start the application procedure for Wageningen University fellowships. Priority is given to MSc graduates from Wageningen University and to candidates working within projects in which Wageningen University is involved. Note that this fellowship finances only 18 months of the PhD programme. Additional funding therefore is a prerequisite.

For detailed information also see the 'Staff Only' section of this website (limited access: intranet).

Financial Assistance for the Realisation of a TSP

Education Budget
The education budget consists of € 2500 and is a budget for the entire length of the PhD programme. A PhD student is entitled to this budget when the following criteria are met:

  • The PhD candidate is formally admitted to the PhD programme.
  • The PhD candidate is a temporary employee of Wageningen University, or started with a PhD programme after 1-1-2002 (see the overview of PhD student categories eligible for the education budget)
  • The PhD candidate has paid the university fee (as far as this is applicable to the PhD category)
  • The PhD candidate has an approved Training and Supervision Plan (TSP)

The budget is allocated by one of the Wageningen University departments (not a Graduate School). The involved Graduate School informs the PhD student, the supervisor, the concerned department and the Central Student Administration regarding the approval of the TSP; the department can allocate the education budget accordingly.

The education budget is to financially support the realisation of the TSP. This means that the budget is to be used for:

  • Courses
  • Congresses

Note that the education budget is limited and PhD students and chair groups are advised to search for additional funding, especially for travel and lodging costs. Possible sources are described below.

In case a budget is not fully used the amount is not transferred to the PhD or chair group but will be used for compensation of minor overdrawn education budgets. The involved personnel consultant is responsible for proper use of the budget, i.e. realisation of the TSP.

Stichting LEB Fonds (Stichting Landbouw Export Bureau 1916/1918)
Stichting LEB Fonds provides funding for research in agriculture and the environment. This funding consists of one-time, yearly disbursements for PhD students who are employed in the Netherlands or are working abroad on behalf of a Dutch organisation, young Dutch researchers (up to 35 years old) without staff positions and non-Dutch researchers from developing countries with limited financial support. The LEB Fonds co-finances participation in scientific gatherings (congresses, symposia, workshops) and in specialised training abroad, study trips by groups of PhD students, the organising of scientific meetings or courses in the Netherlands and in special occasions the publication of theses.

The LEB Fonds relys entirely on the profits of her assets, in order to provide funding.

The chairman of the LEB Fonds: prof.dr.ir. J. Tramper
Contact person: Thea Agba-Kuijpers
wuf@wur.nl
tel 0317 - 4 84 054
fax 0317 - 4 84 449
http://www.wu.nl/fondsen

The Researcher's Mobility Programme
The website below contains a search engine for fellowships, grants and research job opportunities within Europe.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/era

NWO
The NWO foundations and offices provide grants for research and training. For information and grant applications, contact the foundation group administration for the relevant discipline. An overview of all foundations listed according to discipline administration can be found in the NWO subsidy Guide.
NWO
P.O. Box 93138
2509 AC The Hague
nwo@nwo.nl
tel 070-3440640
fax 070-3850971
http://www.nwo.nl 
KNAW
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW):

Grants for dissertations

The costs of making the four photocopies of the dissertation that are required for the doctoral committee are reimbursed by the concerned department of Wageningen University (This applies to all PhD students defending the thesis at WU).

Furthermore a grant is available to reimburse the printing costs of the 50 copies of the dissertation which must be provided to Wageningen University. This grant is intended for all PhD students funded by Wageningen University or a third party. The maximum of this grant is 1250 Euro (2004)
NWO funded PhD students have their own arrangements. They can obtain a supplement from Wageningen University through the mediation of the Graphic Service Centre Van Gils B.V. For so-called DLO-AIO’s, an arrangement can be made at the specific DLO Institute where they are posted.

Travelling and Postings Abroad
Wageningen University staff can make use of the regulations regarding financial compensation for (inter)national travel. As of 1 September 2003, new regulations have been implemented and are available on the central HRM website via intranet (in Dutch). Note that financial compensation for travelling and postings abroad will be paid from the project budget.

There are three categories identified in the new regulations for international travel:

  • Short stay abroad;
  • Long stay abroad: longer than 60 days abroad for work related activities;
  • Mission: work abroad, related to rural development projects in specified countries (see HRM website for a list of countries / regions concerned). A mission is defined for a period between 7 days and 6 months.

The regulations for a long expedition abroad are not included in the new regulations. These apply if it is clear that an employee will be abroad for a consecutive period exceeding 6 months. The old DGIS regulations still apply for this type of postings abroad.

For more detailed information, check the HRM website on intranet or contact the HRM advisor of your department.

Emergency Fund for International PhD Students
In cases of extreme emergency, it is possible for international students to obtain financial support to return to their home country. It is also possible, in exceptional cases only, for sandwich students to obtain funding to extend their final period at WAU by up to 3 months.
  
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