Getting started
This process is executed before the official start of your Research Project and is excluded from the duration of the Research Project.
Follow this checklist to get started with your Research Project:
Step 1: Find a project
You have to take the initiative and contact one or more coordinators at the research groups. The coordinators know which projects are available and can bring you into contact with the corresponding researcher.
More information on the actual research topics can be found on the website of the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science or the Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry.
Supervising and support
You will be supervised by a staff member (your project supervisor/first examiner) and you will also have a daily supervisor – in many cases a PhD candidate or a post-doc who is involved in the project. A second examiner needs to be appointed as well, this usually happens with help from your supervisor(s). Both student and supervisor(s) need to be in agreement about the Research Project and supervision.
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. Additionally, you make clear arrangements with your supervisor(s) concerning: planning, holidays, supervision meetings and so forth.
Step 3: Submit your Research Project application form
- 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)’.
- 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.
- 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.
Extra step for projects outside UU or NL: arrange the (internship) contract
Read the instructions in the drop-down below.