Preparation

This process is executed before the official start of your Research Project and is excluded from the duration of the Research Project. 

Follow the checklist on this page to get started with your Research Project:

Step 1: Find a project and supervisor(s)

You have to find the topic and a project supervisor/first examiner who is affiliated with the Department of Information and Computing Sciences and will be the one who ensures that the quality of the Research Project and the final thesis are at the level required by UU.

When do I have to start looking?

Looking for a topic and supervisor can start as early as the end of period 4. You need to find a Research Project at the latest by the middle of period 1 or 2 of the second year. It is not advisable to start very early to have the opportunity to get to know all the professors and their respective research groups. Many courses often host presentations and guest lectures from different groups to let students get acquainted with their respective topics of interest.

Step 2: Define your Research Project

Once the project supervisor/first examiner and the student have agreed on the supervision and the topic, the Research Project process can be initiated. This involves a number of tasks:

  • Take the Research Introductory Courses: Introducing Natural Sciences (GSNS-INTRO), Dilemmas of the scientist workshop 1 (FI-MHPSDL1), and Dilemmas of the scientist workshop 2 (FI-MHPSDL2)
  • Select a second examiner after consulting with the project supervisor/first examiner. Each project must have a second examiner who safeguards the process and decides the final evaluation of the thesis together with the project supervisor/first examiner.
  • Decide (together) the project title, the problem to tackle, the aiming research goals, and compile a short textual description (about 200 words). This can later serve as the abstract of the thesis. Furthermore, clear arrangements need to be made and a common understanding of the planning, deadlines, extra work needed, holidays, supervision meetings, etc. Compile all this information into a file.

Extra step for projects outside UU or NL: arrange the (internship) contract

Read the instructions in the drop-down below.

Step 3: Submit your Research Project application form

  1. When you have found your subject and supervisors/examiners, you must submit an application form via Osiris Student. Select ‘My Cases’, ‘Start a new case’, 'Thesis and graduation' and then ‘GSNS Research Project (Thesis)’.
  2. Start date: In the form in Osiris Student, you set a start date for your project. You need to put an end date that is close to the date when you submit your application. If for example you start working with your supervisor at the beginning of November, but file your form a few months later, you will be asked to change your start date, and put the date of your application form.
  3. End date: In the form in Osiris Student, you set an end date for your project. The length of the Research Project in full-time weeks is 0.7 x the number of credits. Shift it to a later date if you work part-time during certain periods, for example because of courses, holidays, or work as a student assistant. A 7.5 EC course counts for 5 full-time weeks of work.

Other information you will need for the form are:

Important: to apply correctly, you must have discussed the project setup with your intended supervisors/examiners beforehand. We advise you to study the application form before you discuss it with your supervisors/examiners or fill it out together to make sure that it includes all the required information.

Ethics and Privacy check

A selection of students will be shown information about the Ethics and Privacy check. Please read this information carefully and check the box 'Ja/Yes' otherwise you can't complete the application.

Step 4: Wait for approval

After submitting the application form in Osiris Student, your form will be forwarded to the Student Desk, your project supervisor/first examiner, second examiner, daily supervisor (if applicable), the programme coordinator and finally, the Board of Examiners for checks and approvals. You may be asked for modifications, should they find any problems with the form. You will be notified of this via e-mail.

After approval, proceed to Part 1: Project proposal ⋙