Letter of Acceptance

The Graduate School of Medical Sciences (GSMS) will support your application to an external scholarship based on the submission of the following documentation by your supervisor to the GSMS:

• PhD Scholarship Letter of Acceptance request form (see template section below)
• English-language CV candidate
• Proof of English proficiency (minimum score tests: TOEFL iBT 92 (minimum skill score 20) or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum band score of 6.0 on each individual part); TOEFL iBT Home Edition tests are acceptable. In the case you are not able to provide a valid proof of English proficiency before the deadline for obtaining a Letter of Acceptance the GSMS may decide to issue a conditional Letter of Acceptance provided that you have the support of your supervisor. But please note that this proof of English proficiency will have to be provided at a later stage in order to finalize your admission and for you to be able to start the PhD program.
• PhD supervisor statement (see template section below)
• Knowledge security (see paragraph below 'Knowledge Security')
• PhD proposal (see template at the bottom of this page): optional at this stage but note that admission will only become final upon award of the scholarship and the submission of a research proposal and that it is obligatory to use the relevant template available below. We recommend that the supervisor submits this proposal as soon as possible, but at the latest four weeks after notification of scholarship award.

Use the request form and supervisor statement templates available for download below. Send your documentation to the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Mathilde Pekelaer, cc Joyce Fongers.

Knowledge Security

As of October 2023, all PhD supervisors of prospective externally funded PhD students will also need to carry out a "knowledge security self-assessment". The Dutch government, in relation to geopolitical developments, requires that universities implement measures to ensure due diligence in relation to knowledge security. Note that:

• The self-assessment carried out by you as the supervisor is obligatory
• The self-assessment is primarily a confidential process that is intended to raise awareness of knowledge security issues and the responsibility of supervising staff in this matter. 
• However, in case the outcome of the self-assessment is such, that the supervisor is obliged to consult the University of Groningen’s “Advisory Team Knowledge Security", they are subsequently obliged to inform the GSMS about the outcome of the consultation process.
• Failure to comply with the requirements of this process may result in refusal on the part of the GSMS to issue a Letter of Acceptance in support of the scholarship application of the student, and/or, in extreme cases, subsequent rejection of the PhD candidate for admission to the PhD program of the GSMS. The Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences has mandated the Director of the Graduate School of Medical Sciences to do so.

More information, including the self-assessment form, is available on the UG intranet. 

After scholarship award

The Teaching & Examination Regulations require that, as of the academic year 2022-2023, all PhD scholarship applicants submit the following documentation to the GSMS to secure admission:

• PhD research proposal as discussed and agreed upon between supervisor(s) and candidate (template)
• Copy of diploma of highest degree

Use the PhD research proposal template available for download below and submit this at the latest four weeks after receiving the scholarship award notification:

• Select the template "Full PhD in Groningen" if you intend to receive your degree only from the University of Groningen and spend 36 to 48 months with us
• Select the template "Sandwich PhD" if your trajectory is carried out under co-supervision of a researcher at a Partner institution. In case of the latter, you will generally spend between 6 and 24 months in Groningen.

The GSMS will only initiate procedures for students to start their PhD in Groningen upon reception of the full application package, including the research proposal.