PhD Graduate School of Archaeology

Financial Support and Resources

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.

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 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 dissertation

The Faculty of Archaeology offers a financial contribution of up to €1000,- to PhD candidates graduating from the Faculty of Archaeology for the production and printing costs of the dissertation, provided that the dissertation is published Open Access. Contact the Graduate School of Archaeology for reimbursement.

The PhD candidate can also receive an allowance of €500,- for making the dissertation available in the repository of Leiden University Library.

This regulation applies to all PhD candidates (paid and voluntary) who obtain their doctorate at Leiden University under the supervision of a professor of the Faculty of Archaeology. A condition for 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 for the PhD ceremony. Contact the Graduate School of Archaeology for reimbursement.