As a PhD candidate, you are strongly advised to discuss your budget for travel and other research-related costs with your supervisor and the institute management at the start of your research in order to be able to plan your work well and to avoid unpleasant surprises. Please note that all travel must be approved by your supervisor and institute management prior to the booking.

Employed PhD candidates

In most cases, employed PhD candidates have a ‘personal’ budget for the entire appointment period. This budget will be used for travel, conferences, and other research-related costs. If the employed PhD candidate has no personal budget, they 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.

Scholarship and external PhD candidates

Whether scholarship 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 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.

Contribution for printing the PhD thesis

The Graduate School contributes a maximum of €1000 for the costs of printing and formatting a PhD thesis, on the basis of reimbursement after the PhD candidate provides the receipt and one printed copy of the thesis. All additional costs are to be covered by the PhD candidate. Beyond the University regulations (Leiden University PhD Regulations), the Faculty does not impose any requirements on the layout of the thesis or the choice of printer.

This regulation applies to all PhD candidates enrolled in the Faculty of Archaeology Graduate School, who obtain their doctorate from Leiden University, and whose supervisor is a staff member of the FdA, regardless of the PhD type. A condition for the award of the allowance is that the person in question has not previously received an allowance for the same expenses from another source.

Allowance for PhD ceremony

The Faculty of Archaeology will refund certain costs related to the PhD ceremony. Contact the Graduate School of Archaeology for more details about the reimbursement.