Getting Started

Follow this checklist to get started with your Research Project:

Step 1: Find a project and a supervisor

Students are required to find their project supervisor/first examiner by themselves, or they can ask their tutor for advice. Some potential supervisors advertise their available projects through the platform KonJoin https://uu.konjoin.nl/. The project supervisor/first examiner selects a second examiner.

Note: your project supervisor/first examiner should be an employee of the Mathematical Institute and UU.

Students following the double master honours programmes will be co-supervised by staff of both institutes.

Start date

You can start the research project when 45 EC of the mandatory courses or primary electives is completed or with approval by the programme director. Honours students following the double master Theoretical Physics and Mathematical Sciences have the same starting dates, hand-in deadlines, and other conditions as Theoretical Physics students.

Step 2: Define your Research Project

Together with your project supervisor/first examiner (and if applicable, your daily supervisor), you will define your Research Project, title, and research aims. You will also write a short project description. Together, the student and supervisors come to an agreement on the organisation of the supervision, planning of the project, holidays, etc.

The deadline should be in line with the number of EC's. For example, if you start with the Research Project in September and take two courses in the first semester at the same time, the deadline for the proposal should be at the end of the first semester and the deadline for the Research Project at the end of the academic year. Be aware that if you want to graduate before September 1, the deadline for the student desk to register your grade is August 15.

Step 3: Submit your Research Project application form

1. When you have found your subject and supervisors/examiners, you have to 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:

• Names of project supervisor/first examiner, second examiner and/or daily supervisor
• Your (internship) contract if you do a Research Project outside Utrecht University
• Planning of regular meetings with your supervisor(s)
• Workload per week
• Student absence
• Supervisor(s) absence
• Presentations to be held
• Group meetings to be attended
• Number of EC and if applicable; whether you are doing a regular or extended thesis

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

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.