Research Project step-by-step

This page provides all the information you need throughout your Research Project. Each step explains how to find a project, apply, and understand the assessment process. In total, there are five steps to follow;
 

• Step 1. Finding a project

• Step 2. Application + Step 2.1: Additional step for external projects

• Step 3. Interim Assessment

• Step 4. Final Assessment

• Step 5. Upload and archive thesis (compulsory), publishing is optional

Step 1. Finding a project

You should look for a project that fits within the scope of the research focus of the Master’s programme. Get in touch with potential research groups, examiners, and/or supervisors to discuss possibilities. 

Major Research Project

The Major Research Project must be carried out at Utrecht University (UU) or UMC Utrecht (UMCU), including the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Máxima Center. Epidemiology (Postgraduate) research projects can be partly conducted outside the UU/UMCU, but only in collaboration with the UU/UMCU. 

Profile Project or Mini Project

The Profile Project and Mini Project can be conducted internally or externally. 

We recommend using the SEED tool throughout your project. The start of the project is an ideal time for an expectations meeting.

Step 2. Application

Preparing your application

Ensure you meet with both your examiner and supervisor (they may be the same person) to discuss the project and check if you could work well together. This discussion should cover the topics you need to fill in the application form in Osiris Case:
 

• Agreements on the project's content (title, aims, and short research proposal)
• Start and end dates* (including any time off for holidays, courses, etc.)
• Activities you will be involved in within the research group
• Assessment criteria, using the provided rubrics (discuss the relevance of each component)

* The standard duration of each type of project can be found in the table below (1.5  EC = 1 week). When applying, you must indicate the weeks you will spend on courses, holidays, or other planned activities. The system will then calculate your project end date automatically. You are entitled to the public holidays listed as non-teaching days in the GSLS academic calendar; these do not affect your project deadline and therefore do not need to be indicated when applying. The summer holidays and Christmas break are exceptions to this rule. We strongly advise you to discuss your holiday plans with your supervisor at the start of the project and to plan them well in advance. This will help you maintain a healthy work-life balance and ensure smooth scheduling of your experiments.

Application procedure and approval 

Your Research Project will be evaluated by your examiner, supervisor host institute (in case of external projects), the programme coordinator, and the Board of Examiners (BoE). Submit your application via Osiris Case, accessible via Osiris Student, at least 20 working days before the project starts. Once approved, you will receive a confirmation email and then you can start your Research Project.

If you apply for a Research Project for your Profile, you also need permission from your profile coordinator.

Do you have more questions? Please go to the FAQ and student manual for more details. For feedback or issues with Osiris, email the Research Project Coordinators of Beta or the BMS programmes, including your case number or project type.

Research Projects at UMC Utrecht

To work on a UMC Utrecht research project, you need a UMC Utrecht internship account, a UMC Utrecht card, and you must complete a compulsory e-module. More details on each component are listed below.
 

Questions? Email: STIP@umcutrecht.nl

Step 2.1 Additional step for external projects (internship contract)

Step 3. Interim Assessment

A compulsory Interim Assessment must occur 2-3 months into your project. You and your examiner should use the rubric for research skills to evaluate progress and get/request feedback.

• For UU/UMCU projects: The meeting is with your examiner and preferably your daily supervisor as well.
• For projects outside UU/UMCU: The meeting involves you, your host institute supervisor, and your examiner

This assessment differs from regular work discussions, and more feedback sessions are encouraged. You can also have the second SEED tool meeting during this period to enhance communication and feedback.

To complete this assessment, upload a PDF signed by the examiner/host institute in Osiris Case. Of note; If the project application was started before September 1st, 2025 the order of the interim assessment process is different. 

Step 4. Final Assessment

The Final Assessment consists of three key elements: research skills (60%), the written report (30%), and the final presentation (10%). To pass, each element must score at least 5.5. If your overall grade is above 4.0, including an NVD (niet voldaan = non passing grade), you will have one chance to re-sit any failed component. You and your examiner should agree on re-examination deadlines and requirements, and document these in writing.

Plagiarism check 

Your examiner will check your written report for plagiarism by uploading the final Word version to the Turnitin plagiarism software. They need to access the plagiarism report to determine of plagiarism is suspected or not and upload the Turnitin report in the final assessment form in Osiris Case. 

If there are publication restrictions, the examiner should upload the report under embargo. Detailed information about the plagiarism software (and confidentiality) is available on the GSLS Teachers' Guide . 

For source code plagiarism, you can use tools like MOSS, Marble, or JPlag. The examiner must review all written versions, and the use of contract cheating sites is considered plagiarism by the Board of Examiners.

Rubrics

Your examiner must provide a rationale for the final grades and upload this justification to Osiris Case during the final assessment. We strongly encourage your examiner to use the following rubrics:

Assessment form and procedure

Your examiner must complete the Final Assessment form in Osiris Case within 10 working days after your deadline. The following components should be included:

• A complete Final Assessment form
• Summary report of plagiarism check
• Motivation of the grades (rubrics)
• Statement of the use of AI

The second reviewer or host institute supervisor will be notified once the form is completed and must approve the final assessment. After receiving approval, you will get an email with instructions to upload your final report to Osiris Case. Once uploaded, your grade will be registered in Osiris Student.

Step 5. Upload and archive thesis

1. Once your examiner has approved your assessment, you will be asked to upload a copy of your final thesis in Osiris. Please note that the title of your report is copied exactly to your international diploma supplement, so ensure proper use of capitals in the title.
2. The Administration Officers will register your grade.
3. Once your grade is registered, a separate (Osiris) case will be started automatically. In this case you:

↬ Archive your thesis (compulsory)

Your programme is required to archive your thesis for a period of 7 years for i.a. accreditation purposes. During this period your thesis will be confidentially stored within the Osiris environment. You will be asked to re-upload your thesis.

↬ Publish your thesis (optional but encouraged)

You can choose to publish your thesis in the thesis repository of the University library but you should discuss this with your examiner, and also the company in situations where an external research project/internship took place. Your collective decision should be recorded both by your examiner during the assessment of your thesis as by you in the Osiris Case Thesis archiving & publication.

When publishing, you have the option to: 

1. Publish your thesis in full or upload a publication version
   A publication version should be considered if for instance, your thesis contains privacy-sensitive data. This can be within your result section but also within your acknowledgements. 
    
2. Publish your thesis right away or establish an embargo period 
   By placing your thesis under embargo, the publication within the repository is delayed until a date of your choosing. This can be useful if you are for instance in the process of submitting a paper or you want to continue the work and do not want to publish the data yet.

Conversion table international grades

Marks will be rounded as follows: if the second decimal is 5 or higher, the first decimal will be rounded up; if the second decimal is 4 or lower, the first decimal will be rounded down. This rounding does not apply to grades between 5.45 and 5.50, which will round to 5.4, and grades between 3.95 and 4.00, which will round to 3.9. In Osiris, final grades between 5.0 and 5.4 will round down to 5.0, while grades from 5.5 to 5.9 will round up to 6.0. Other grades will not be rounded in Osiris.