PhD support

Graduate School Office

The Graduate School Office is responsible for you if your first supervisor is part of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. The Coordinator of the Graduate School Office carries out the admission and registration procedures, and supports you from the beginning of your PhD traject until completion.

If you have any questions, please contact the Coordinator of the Graduate School Office.

PhD coordinators per institute

CADS	Annemarie Samuels
CWTS	Inge van der Weijden
Education and Child Studies	Doreen Arnoldus
Political Science	Karolina Pomorska
Psychology	Thaddeus Bergé

Mental health

If you feel stressed or at risk of a burn-out, please contact the University doctor. More information about what you can do in the case of difficulties and how to contact the University doctor can be found on the mental fitness website.

PhD confidential counsellor

Doing a PhD comes with many challenges. To support PhD candidates, the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has appointed an independent confidential counsellor who is available to all PhD candidates within the faculty.

When can you contact the confidential counsellor?

PhD candidates can contact the confidential counsellor whenever they would like to speak with someone other than their supervisor. The counsellor offers a safe space to discuss worries, doubts, or questions—no matter how small they may seem.

PhD candidates are encouraged to reach out if they encounter any situation during their PhD trajectory that feels difficult, unsafe, or unfair. The confidential counsellor can provide support when candidates feel uncomfortable, uncertain, or unsure how to handle a situation.

What is the approach of the confidential counsellor?

The confidential counsellor helps PhD candidates clarify what is happening, explore available options and possible next steps, and identify what they need in order to move forward.

Why contact the confidential counsellor?

The confidential counsellor is easily accessible and low-threshold, meaning that no issue is too small to discuss. Conversations are handled confidentially. Speaking with the confidential counsellor can help PhD candidates gain insight into their situation, broaden their perspective, and take proactive steps forward. Contacting the counsellor early can prevent concerns from escalating and reduce the burden of dealing with them alone.

What does confidentiality mean?

Given the sensitive nature of these consultations, the counsellor is obliged to act with the utmost discretion. Confidentiality means that the identity of PhD candidates and the details of their concerns will not be shared with anyone. No action will be taken without the PhD candidate’s explicit request and full consent.

Contact

You can make an appointment by sending an e-mail to Verena Ly.

PhD psychologist

A substantial part of PhD candidates have an increased risk for mental health problems, stress complaints or burnout. Leiden University has appointed a psychologist especially for PhD candidates: Agnes van Rossum. The PhD psychologist offers psychological support for all PhD’s at Leiden University, no matter what kind of contract. So for employed PhD’s (a paid PhD position), contract PhD’s (subsidised by a grant) or external PhD’s (supported by own funds). The support of the PhD psychologist is free for all PhD’s and is strictly confidential.

What kind of problems?

The help is meant for PhD candidates who struggle with psychological issues caused by the promotion process or that have a direct effect on it. You can think of:

physical stress, (work) pressure, exhaustion, disbalance in work and private life, burnout
demotivation, concentration problems, procrastination
anxiety, fear of failure, future uncertainties, perfectionism, assertiveness, imposter syndrome
mood issues, low self-esteem, negative self-image
mismatch in needs and supervision, problematic work environment
social isolation, loneliness, adjustment problems, culture shock, corona crisis.

The aim is to increase the well-being of PhD candidates so that they can design and complete their PhD trajectory in a healthy way. On the one hand by offering individual help to solve problems and to prevent worse, on the other also taking a preventive approach with information and education.

Who is the PhD psychologist?

Agnes van Rossum has worked for many years as a scientist in the position of technician, PhD candidate (doctorated in 2006) and post-doc. In 2010 she decided to quit science and started studying clinical and health psychology at Utrecht University and started her own practice. In the role of PhD psychologist, she brings her two worlds together. She is well aware of the unique position of the PhD candidate. This allows her to provide adequate help that meets the specific needs of the PhD candidate.

Agnes: “I would like to make the threshold to be as low as possible, so that PhD candidates come as early to ask for help when needed.”

Contact

E-mail: phdpsychologist@sea.leidenuniv.nl
Phone: +31 6-38 55 70 46  Secretariat: +31 71-527 2727
Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.

Ombuds Officer

The Staff Ombuds Officer gives independent advice to the University on how the staff’s work environment can be made safer. The Ombuds Officer is , therefore, a crucial aspect of social safety in our organisation.