3. Finding a supervisor

​PhD research is very individual and finding a suitable supervisor is important. When project funding comes from a research grant, it is usually the supervisor who advertises the position and selects candidates. When candidates seek to acquire a scholarship to fund their project or have already obtained funding themselves, it is up to them to find a suitable supervisor and research group.

A prospective supervisor needs to be endowed with the ius promovendi. (S)he is appointed full professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering or is an associate professor at the Faculty but endowed with the ius promovendi.

On our website you can find information about all research institutes, research groups and professors at FSE

​How to contact a supervisor

It is important to prepare well before contacting a supervisor. To enhance your chances, please take into account the following tips before sending your email:

• Make sure your email has a clear subject line.
• Describe in the email what kind of research you would like to do and why you believe the supervisor that you contact would be suitable for supervising this research.
• Describe in the email how you plan to fund your project. If you have acquired funding or seek to obtain a scholarship from your own country, it is advisable to mention this in the subject line.
• Attach a CV to the email mentioning demonstrated oral and written communication skills (i.e. talks and publications), appropriate experience with research methods of the field in question.
• Cc the PhD coordinator of the institute. Please click here for contact information of all the PhD coordinators.

Please realise that our supervisors receive many emails. It may therefore take a while before they respond.

The GSSE does not accept 'open' applications from candidates who have not yet received explicit support from a prospective supervisor.