PhD Opportunities at Maastricht University (UM), Netherlands: Salary, Funding & How to Apply (2026)

Programme Overview

Detail	Info
University	Maastricht University (UM), Maastricht, Netherlands
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Duration	4 years (standard)
Language	English
Tuition fees	Free for employed PhD candidates
Salary (internal/paid positions)	€3,059 – €3,881/month gross + 8% holiday allowance + 8.3% year-end bonus
Open to	International candidates (knowledge worker visa available)
Vacancies	Rolling — posted throughout the year
Vacancy portal	Academic Transfer + UM Vacancies

Faculties & Research Areas

UM offers PhD programmes across 6 faculties and 70+ research institutes:

Faculty	Key Research Areas
Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences (FHML)	Cancer research, biomedicine, public health, regenerative medicine
Faculty of Law	International law, criminology, law & economics, EU law
School of Business & Economics (SBE)	Operations research, economics, finance, management, econometrics
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASoS)	Cultural studies, history, political science, communication, European studies
Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience (FPN)	Neuroeconomics, clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience
Faculty of Science & Engineering (FSE)	Data science, engineering, materials science

PhD Routes — Four Options

1. Internal PhD Candidate (Paid — most sought after)

You are employed by UM under a fixed-term contract. This is the standard Dutch PhD model.

• Salary: €3,059 – €3,881/month gross (scale P, Dutch CAO-NU)

• + 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus

• 29 vacation days + 4 additional public holidays + up to 12 extra days through compensation hours

• Health insurance, ABP pension scheme, flexible working hours, and hybrid working

• No tuition fees

• Research is on a specific topic tied to the vacancy

• Minimum 80% of time on research; up to 20% on teaching

Positions are highly competitive. You must be eligible for employment in the Netherlands or obtain a knowledge worker visa.

2. Contract PhD Candidate (Scholarship-funded)

You are not employed by UM but your PhD is financed by an external scholarship (e.g. China Scholarship Council, Fulbright, NWO, or national scholarship from your home country).

• No UM salary — funding comes from your scholarship

• No tuition fees charged by most faculties (confirm with your target faculty)

• Must have a scholarship that ideally covers both tuition and living expenses

• UM will act as visa/residence permit sponsor if your scholarship meets the IND income requirement

Salary & Benefits at a Glance

Benefit	Detail
Monthly salary	€3,059 – €3,881 gross (employed positions)
Holiday allowance	+8% annually
Year-end bonus	+8.3% annually
Vacation days	29 days + 4 public holidays + up to 12 extra
Pension	ABP pension scheme
Hybrid working	Yes — home office allowance included
Commuting allowance	Yes
Relocation support	Available for eligible international hires
Tuition fees	None for employed candidates

Eligibility Requirements

• Master's degree (or near completion) in a relevant field

• Excellent academic record

• English proficiency — fluency required (oral and written); specific scores may be required per vacancy

• For paid positions: eligible for employment in the Netherlands or able to obtain a knowledge worker visa

• For external positions: sufficient financial means and time; strong research proposal required

How to Find and Apply for a PhD Position

For Paid (Internal) Positions:

All Maastricht University's paid PhD positions are communicated through Academic Transfer.

1. Visit academictransfer.com and search "Maastricht University PhD"

2. Also check vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl directly

3. Apply as you would for a job — each vacancy has its own deadline and application requirements

4. Typically required: motivation letter, CV, transcripts, and 2 reference letters

Check listings in both English and Dutch on Academic Transfer — some English-language positions are listed in the Dutch section.

For External / Scholarship Positions:

1. Identify a professor at your target faculty whose research matches your interests

2. Send a concise email with your CV and a research proposal

3. If a supervisor agrees, register at the relevant Graduate School

4. Confirm tuition fee and funding requirements with the faculty

For the Faculty of Law (Call for Proposals model):

Some faculties, like Law, run a two-phase competitive call:

• Phase 1: Submit a pre-proposal by the advertised deadline

• Phase 2: Shortlisted candidates submit a full proposal and attend an interview

• A promotor (supervisor) commitment letter must be secured before submitting

Key External Funding Sources

If you do not secure a paid UM position, these external scholarships can support a Contract PhD at UM:

• NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) — nwo.nl

• China Scholarship Council (CSC) — for Chinese nationals

• Fulbright Center — for US citizens — fulbright.nl

• NUFFIC Grant Finder — searchable database of Netherlands scholarships — nuffic.nl

• NUFFIC Southeast Asia Programme — for Southeast Asian candidates

• Your home country's national scholarship body

Current Deadlines (May 2026)

Route	Position / Programme	Deadline
Paid position	PhD in Operations Research — School of Business & Economics	15 May 2026
PhD for Professionals	European Studies — Brussels Campus	30 May 2026
Paid position	PhD in Cancer Research — FHML	30 April 2026 (closed)
Faculty of Law Call	2026 Call for Proposals (2 positions)	23 Jan / 27 March 2026 (closed)
External / Scholarship	All faculties	No fixed deadline — contact supervisor directly

New paid positions are posted continuously throughout the year. Sign up for job alerts on academictransfer.com and vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl to be notified as soon as new vacancies go live.

Practical Information

• Location: Maastricht, Netherlands — a historic, walkable city on the Belgian border; well connected by train to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Cologne

• Visa: Non-EU/EEA employed PhD candidates apply for a knowledge worker visa — UM acts as sponsor for eligible candidates

• Problem-Based Learning: UM's unique PBL teaching method means you work in small groups tackling real research problems — an active, collaborative environment