Fitness is more than physical health alone. An equally important aspect is mental fitness. Mental fitness refers to fitness of the mind. Situations may arise at work that may lead to you feeling less strong. What you can do about them?

Leiden University strives to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all its employees. On this page, you'll find information about what to do in case of illness, pregnancy, functional limitations, and mental well-being, as well as the support available to you.

PhD defence

If you need any help with your research or if you encounter problems during your PhD track, Leiden University provides several different types of support for PhD candidates. There are also groups, networks and communities in which you can meet other PhD candidates.

As a PhD candidate, you were primarily hired to do research, although you will probably also have to do some teaching. The partial University Teaching Qualification (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs, BKO) certificate provides recognition that a PhD candidate has gained knowledge and experience as a teacher.…

In this section you will find a listing of national teaching awards, fellowships and grants.

Here you will find guidelines for using devices such as laptops, tablets, and telephones. Whether you are working with a device purchased for you by ISSC or with a device you have purchased privately, it is important that you save your files securely and handle confidential data with care.

Communication, Working effectively, Transferable skills

Leadership, Personal development, Management

Leiden University guides PhD candidates step by step from the start to the defence. You will find more information here about admission, the PhD track, and completion, as well as answers to questions such as: what conditions must I meet? What requirements must my dissertation meet? And what is involved…

Research, Didactics, Career development

Career development, Communication, Transferable skills

Transferable skills

Leiden researchers work together with other researchers from across the world. The University has developed a regional policy focused on three specific regions with which we maintain intensive contact through a number of faculties: China, Indonesia and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The layout of a dissertation must meet certain requirements. Special rules also apply if the dissertation was written with others or if a commercial edition will be published.

Research, Communication, Transferable skills

In case of short-term or long-term illness, we will together do our best to ensure you can return to work shortly. You will be guided through this process by your immediate supervisor, the P&O department and the occupational health physician. In some cases, however, reintegration in your own or another…

Research

The University believes it is important that you are happy in your work. This is why we gauge your opinion with the personnel monitor. We use the results to make improvements that enhance job satisfaction.

You can find here questions and answers about the new mobility policy and what this means for the commuting allowance, the home-working allowance, the contribution to internet use, domestic business travel and the kilometre allowance via the Individual Choices Model.

You can suggest topics that need to be addressed in these FAQs. Please contact us at our usual email addresses and phone number(s).

Your income is structured in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO). In addition to elements such as your salary, holiday allowance and end-of-year bonus, it also includes incidental bonuses for exceptional performance or exceptional working conditions. Allowances…

The Individual Choices Model offers a number of options for buying or saving additional leave days, or exchanging leave days for extra income.

As an employee at Leiden University you need a LU-Card. You can request your LU-Card after receiving your contract or guest letter. Early application is not possible. Are you a temporary employment worker e.g. via Jobmotion? In that case, ask your supervisor about the status of your registration with…

Research, Transferable skills

Career development, Transferable skills

Your funding needs might change as you advance through your career. Below we detail the opportunities available for every career stage.

Good teaching is a skill in itself. In order to guarantee the quality of education in the Netherlands, the University Teaching Qualification (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs, BKO) is now compulsory for all lecturers, university lecturers (UD), senior university lecturers (UHD) and professors. What does…

Good teaching is a skill in itself. In order to guarantee the quality of education in the Netherlands, the University Teaching Qualification (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs, BKO) is now compulsory for all lecturers, university lecturers (UD), senior university lecturers (UHD) and professors. What does…

We all occasionally receive an email from an unknown sender, with content we weren’t expecting or that raises our suspicions in some other way. This is usually a fake email, also known as a phishing email. In fact, there are various types of phishing: it can also be done over the phone.

If your partner is pregnant, you are entitled to various forms of leave, including birth leave. You can also take leave during the period surrounding your child’s birth, so as to be sure that you are there when your child is born.

Communication, Outreach, Transferable skills

Starting five years before your AOW (General Old Age Pensions Act) retirement age, you are allowed to submit a request to reduce your working hours per week by one or two days. You forfeit a portion of your salary, but you retain your original pension accrual. This arrangement is known as the Vitality…

Communication, Research, Transferable skills

Research, Working effectively, Transferable skills

Communication, Outreach, Transferable skills

Research

Research, Transferable skills

Personal development

PhD defence

Are you looking for a coach? If so, you’re welcome to contact one of the university’s internal or external coaches; you can do this directly yourself, after choosing a coach who seems suitable.

As an experiment, student Alicia Cai relied solely on AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude for supervision while writing her thesis. What lessons were learned?

The Associate Professor at the Institute of Tax Law and Economics is one of two PhD deans at Leiden Law School and started in this position on 1 October 2023.