Leiden University wishes to attract and retain talented researchers, both male and female. This is not something that happens by itself, which is why we prioritise the theme of diversity.

Human resources

Leiden physicist Anne Meeussen has been nominated for the title of New Scientist Science Talent. She will be up against 14 young scientists from other Dutch and Belgian universities. The polls are already open!

Research

Using 2D materials, physics student Romme van der Kemp developed a nanochip that is extremely small ánd scalable. This is needed to make all kinds of technologies better, faster and smaller. He has been nominated for the FWN Young Talent Award 2023 for his research.

As an academic, it’s not easy to communicate your research to society – and in a language people will understand. With its Outreach Grant Symposium, Young Academy Leiden (YAL) wants to support and inspire a new generation of ‘outreachers’.

Good lecturers are extremely important to our university. I therefore think it is crucial that we provide them with enough professional development opportunities. The Lecturer Development Taskforce has issued concrete recommendations on how to improve this. As the Board we welcome this advice.

Our commitment to top-level education and research means that internationalisation plays a key role at Leiden University. We work with diverse partners worldwide and do everything in our power to attract talented international staff members.

Honours education caters to the most talented and motivated students at Leiden University. Students receive honours education in addition to their regular bachelor’s or master’s programmes. Furthermore, honours education is available to pupils in the final two years of secondary school.

Ionica Smeets is planning to give the prize money that she won with the Iris Medal, a prize for excellent science communication, to student projects.

Several consortia in which Leiden University is involved have been awarded Dutch Research Agenda funding. Leiden is the coordinator of five of these consortia. These five consortia will receive grants worth a total of almost 24 million euros. They relate to interdisciplinary projects that will bring…

Some faculties offer talented researchers who have a PhD and wish to specialise further the opportunity of a research fellowship. This enables them to conduct high-level academic research within a research programme.

Career development

In 2014, Leiden University launched the Teachers’ Academy to reward top talents in education and stimulate educational innovation. Lecturers who are selected as Teaching Fellows join the Teachers' Academy and are awarded a grant for educational innovation projects. The Teachers’ Academy also organises…

Our ambition as a university is to be one of the best. To realise this, we need to hire people with expert knowledge and skills, and give them room to excel. They range from talented new researchers to renowned professors and from study coordinators to IT managers.

With the Postdoc Training Programme you have the chance to develop your organizational and personal skills. We have created different modules for postdocs, such as Basic Project Management, Giving and Receiving Feedback in an International Context and Basic Management and Leadership skills.

In the context of the Labour Participation Act, Leiden University employs persons with a disability. In this context, in 2016 we created an additional 16 FTEs for ‘labour participation employees’. For the next ten years, we hope to increase this by 6.3 fte per year.

training postdocs

Studium Generale organises lectures, debates, symposia and film screenings on diverse academic subjects. The General Studies programme is for students, staff and anyone else who may be interested.

Bachelor

The Performance & Development interview is changing to GROW: Conversations on Performance, Development and Well-being (Gesprekken over Resultaat, Ontwikkeling en Welzijn). The new GROW interviews offer an opportunity to speak openly with each other about your work, development and well-being.

The GROW toolkit provides you with all kinds of tools that make it easier to participate in the GROW interviews. In addition to useful documents for preparing the start interview and annual interview, it also contains a wide range of training courses and workshops that help you with participating in…

The university encourages its employees to use and develop their talents. We do this by supporting you in your career and in your personal and professional development. We try to ensure that you get the opportunity to realise your full potential. That is why the university offers a wide range of training…

Alongside the funds that the faculties receive from the Executive Board, they can obtain extra funds from other funding bodies for their teaching and research. These extra sources of income are termed the second and third income streams.

Three of the four Heineken Young Scientists Awards for 2022 have gone to researchers from Leiden: chronobiologist Laura Kervezee, physicist Jordi Tura i Brugués and health psychologist Liesbeth van Vliet.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has rewarded four projects in which Leiden researchers are bringing science and society closer together. What are these projects?

Canal Watch (De Grachtwacht), which has been cleaning canals since 2018, has received the Dutch Research Council (NWO) Communication Initiative Award.

Natalia Sobrino-Saeb has attended the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo. She was awarded this honour after winning the essay competition of the Nobel Ignitor Fellowship, a programme that seeks to inspire young changemakers around the world – for change can be made by all of us: “You never know…

training programme postdocs

After obtaining their PhD, most of our graduates find a new position outside the University, for instance in the private sector or a civil society organisation. As you will not necessarily continue your career within the academic world, it is important to start thinking in good time about what you would…

Leiden University wants to attract the best academics. What requirements does it set for new academic staff members? What requirements must you meet for a career in academia? Read more about our career policy for academic staff.

At Leiden University, we expect our researchers and lecturers to share our ambition to become one of the best. This is the crux of our HR policy. Read more about our policy below. Also, you will find more information about temporary staff, staff participation, leadership and how we ensure our integr…

University Leiden encourages its employees to use and develop their talents. We do this by supporting you in your career and in your personal and professional development. We try to ensure that you get the opportunity to realise your full potential.

Would you like to explore the next step in your career, or find out what your future options are? Do you have specific qualities that you’d like to develop further in your work? Or are you wondering whether you’re still in the right place or might like something different, but don’t know what or where…

PhD candidates at Leiden University must be admitted to one of its Graduate Schools. The admission procedure varies between Graduate Schools. See the general information about PhD admission. There are different forms of studying for a PhD. And you may choose to do a double doctorate at Leiden University.…

Leiden University strives to accommodate young talent, which is why it does its best to create an inspiring environment for PhD candidates. With the University Training Programme for PhDs, we offer a degree programme that is both complete and challenging.

Here you will find information about our HR policy. From salary scales to career guidance, and from confidential counsellors to various insurance (schemes) at an attractive discount.

In our new strategic plan (Innovating and Connecting – 2022-2027) we focus on stronger connections: between disciplines, with society and within our university community.

Arts and leisure, Arts and leisure

Festival

The Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP) is eager for new talent. Therefore, as a member of the core group, Miranda van Eck is committed to improving cooperation between the faculty and the business community. How do we make sure we know how to find each other better? And how do we show our students what…

In its Strategic Plan Leiden University sets its direction for the coming years. A new plan will be presented next year, and in the runup to this we are organising different forms of student and staff consultation within the scope of LDN FWD (‘Leiden Forward’). A series of meetings were recently held…

An important question being asked, both in the academic world and in society, concerns the impact of our research and education. By providing a well-supported answer, we not only create a strong position for our research, we also increase our chances of success in applying for research grants and retaining…

An important question being asked, both in the academic world and in society, concerns the impact of our research and education. By providing a well-supported answer, we not only create a strong position for our research, we also increase our chances of success in applying for research grants and retaining…

Master

This Thursday saw the launch of PLNT The Hague, an entrepreneurial hub where Campus The Hague students can learn all about entrepreneurship. They will have the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills, build a network and begin an innovative startup.

As many as seven first-year students from the Faculty of Science were honoured as young talents. In addition, the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW) also lauded three master's students and an astronomy project during a vibrant ceremony on 28 November. Professor of Science Communication…