Why this page? (Or: why I sent you the URL to this page)
In response to your email, I kindly ask you to read the section below that applies to you. Please do not consider this response a rejection of you as a person, or an assessment of your qualities. Unfortunately, I generally cannot respond to further enquiries about matters already explicitly covered on this page.
1. You are looking for a Postdoc position
A postdoc is a paid position at a university for a fixed number of years. In the Netherlands, you apply for such a position by responding to an open vacancy on the university website, through an online application portal (it is not possible to process applicants through other routes).
If I am currently advertising a position, it will almost always require the following: a completed or nearly completed PhD in computer science or a related field with a network science component (also referred to as complex networks and social network analysis), at least three accepted papers with relevance to network science at internationally recognized venues (journals or formally published conference proceedings), excellent proficiency in English for fluent day-to-day communication, excellent independent academic writing skills without over-reliance on AI, the ability to program in Python and/or C++ and sometimes R, and willingness to work the majority of the working week on-site in a collaborative research group in the Netherlands.
If you meet these requirements, and there is currently an open position, you are welcome to read the advertisement and apply if it appeals to you. We typically receive applications from candidates who meet all the stated requirements. We therefore recommend applying only if you meet the requirements listed in the vacancy.. The vacancy also specifies the intended starting date; large deviations from this are generally not possible.
2. You are looking for a PhD position
In the Netherlands, a regular PhD position is a fully paid position as university employee for four years, under a national collective labour agreement. You apply for such a position by responding to an open vacancy on the university website, through an online application portal (it is not possible to process applicants through other routes).
If I am currently advertising a position, it will almost always require the following: a completed or nearly completed MSc thesis in computer science or a related field, preferably with a network science component (also referred to as complex networks and social network analysis), good proficiency in English for fluent day-to-day communication, good academic writing skills without over-reliance on AI, the ability to program in Python and/or C++, and willingness to work the majority of the working week on-site in a research group in the Netherlands.
If you meet these requirements, and there is currently an open position, you are welcome to read the advertisement and apply if it appeals to you. We typically receive applications from candidates who meet all the stated requirements. We therefore recommend applying only if you meet the requirements listed in the vacancy. The vacancy also specifies the intended starting date; large deviations from this are generally not possible.
3. You are looking for an unpaid, self-funded, or externally funded PhD position
I only explore this option with excellent candidates who can be physically present in the Netherlands and meet in person regularly throughout their PhD trajectory. The same academic requirements as described above for a paid PhD position apply. I do not supervise remote PhD projects.
4. You are looking for admission to a BSc or MSc programme, or for a supervisor before enrolling
Applying for programmes in the Netherlands goes through the university’s admissions office, starting at the university website. Only after you have been admitted to a programme and started your coursework do you normally arrange thesis supervision. I cannot arrange admission or promise thesis supervision before enrolment.
5. You are looking for a (summer) internship as a current BSc or MSc student, or you are looking for a volunteer research position
We typically devote much of their research and supervision capacity to employed researchers (PhD candidates, postdocs, etc.) and enrolled students (MSc theses, BSc theses, coursework, etc.). We therefore cannot take on external interns.
During the summer, many of us also take our holidays. If you are looking for an academic activity in the Netherlands during the summer, you may wish to explore summer schools, which typically have a more instructional character.
6. You are looking to do a self-funded research visit to Leiden
I sometimes explore this option with excellent candidates who already work in a topic related to network science, have a concrete research proposal that aligns with my interests (for example as a result of past contact with collaborators), and do not require visa sponsorship. General requests to gain research experience are unfortunately not sufficient.
7. You are looking for support for a scholarship, fellowship, visa or grant application
I occasionally consider hosting candidates applying for external funding, provided their research closely matches my interests and there is a clear opportunity for collaboration. I cannot provide generic invitation letters, statements for visa purposes, promises of supervision, or letters of support for unsolicited applications.