Completing a PhD takes a great deal of time and effort \u2013 and, of course, this cannot be done without the necessary financial resources. Printing the final thesis is certainly not cheap either. Where does this money come from, and how much of it is available to you as a PhD student? These questions are answered in this article.<\/p>\n
In the Netherlands, there are three sources that provide funding for scientific research. Firstly, there is an annual sum that the government makes available to universities. Universities are free to spend this money as they see fit. It is spent on both teaching and research. After all, there is a reciprocal relationship here: research supports teaching by transferring and making innovations available. Conversely, teaching supports the conduct of research.<\/p>\n
This government funding is allocated by a university. Many universities set a specific focus for the research carried out. If the research you are conducting falls within this field, more funding will be available for a PhD. In total, the government makes approximately 2 billion available for research and PhDs across all universities.<\/p>\n
A second funding stream is also linked to the government. This funding stream consists of a further 2 billion; this sum is managed by various bodies such as the KNAW and the NWO. These bodies manage these funds and use them to support research. Peer review and a panel of experts are often used to determine which research (and therefore which PhD programmes) will receive funding.<\/p>\n
Finally, there are many companies that support PhD research. Breakthroughs in technology are sometimes achieved whilst undertaking a PhD. This technology may then be used in the business world. This is why companies collaborate with researchers and sometimes set up a research foundation in partnership with universities. It should be noted, however, that a company\u2019s interests do not always align with those of the research.<\/p>\n