Employed PhD candidates

Employed PhD candidates in most cases have a ‘personal’ budget for the full period of their appointment. This budget will be used for travel, conference costs and other research relates costs. If the employed PhD candidate does not have such a personal budget, he or she can usually claim compensation for research-related travel (up to a certain amount) at the institute.

PhD candidates on NWO/ERC and other project grants

Travel-related costs of PhD candidates on NWO/ERC and other project grants are reimbursed from a bench fee for this purpose. The Faculty’s policy is that for these PhD candidates all costs should be reimbursed from their projects. Only in exceptional circumstances will the institute reimburse any costs. These PhD candidates should have written approval from their supervisor that they can go to a conference and that the costs will be reimbursed from the project.

Contract and external PhD candidates

Whether contract PhD candidates are entitled to reimbursement of travel costs varies greatly. You should, therefore, check this with your supervisor and the institute’s management at the start of your research. In general, external PhD candidates are not entitled to the reimbursement of travel costs.

LUF International Study Fund

PhD candidates can apply for a LUF grant (Stichting Leids Universitair Fonds) once during their PhD period. The institutes strongly advise PhD candidates to make use of this opportunity. See the LUF website for application procedures and deadlines (keep in mind that the LUF does not consider applications that do not meet the conditions for applications and deadlines are strict). As your institute has to be willing to cover one-third of the costs and provide for a letter stating their support, please inform your institute well in time before submitting your proposal to LUF.

For more information about reimbursement (with or without a LUF Grant), please contact your institute management.