PhD Degree Netherlands
ISS PhD Fellowships in Development Studies, Netherlands
International Institute of Social Studies
15 June 2016Details
The Netherlands list is dominated by Master's funding: 23 of 29 scholarships are Master's awards, spread across 23 host institutions, with universities rather than government programmes setting most of the terms. The Dutch government appears four times through Nuffic and the Orange Knowledge, NFP and MENA schemes, but campus awards from Leiden, Amsterdam, Delft, Twente, Maastricht and Groningen carry the list. Only 6 of the 29 have a deadline still ahead.
| Deadline | Scholarship | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec 2026 | Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS) for Master's Study in the Netherlands | Masters Degree |
| 1 Dec 2026 | Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships at TU Delft for International Master's Students | Masters Degree |
| 31 Jan 2027 | Radboud Scholarship Programme at Radboud University for International Master's Students | Masters Degree |
| 1 Feb 2027 | VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme (VUFP) for International Master's Students | Masters Degree |
| 1 Feb 2027 | Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarships for International Students | Masters Degree |
| 1 Apr 2027 | University of Twente Scholarships (UTS) for Master's Study in the Netherlands | Masters Degree |
International Institute of Social Studies
European Union
EU CORDIS
Most awards here are partial and tied to admission at a named institution. Leiden University Excellence Scholarships pay between € 10,000 and € 19,000 of the tuition fee and are explicitly not full scholarships. VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme covers tuition only, extended into year two at 100% of first-year credits. Radboud Scholarship Programme cuts tuition to €2,771 and adds visa, residence permit and insurance. University of Twente Scholarships range from € 3,000 to € 22,000. Amsterdam Merit Scholarships vary by faculty from €2,000 to €25,000.
A smaller group funds subsistence. Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarships cover €20,150 for 13 months or €38,750 for 25 months in living expenses, plus €700 insurance, visa, tuition and pre-academic training. Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships give €25,000 for one year covering tuition and living costs. IHE Delft SIDS Scholarships fund tuition, insurance, international travel and EURO 1,220 per month, but only for nationals of the listed small island states. Eric Bleumink Scholarships add travel, subsistence, books and health insurance for a named country list.
The Dutch government route is narrow. NL Scholarship is €5,000, paid once, in the first year, and not full tuition. The Orange Knowledge Programme and Netherlands Fellowship Program require you to be a national of, and working in, a listed country, and to be nominated by your employer; they top up a salary you keep receiving. The MENA Scholarship Programme is for professionals aged 45 or under from ten listed countries, also with employer nomination.
29 scholarships are listed, hosted by 23 distinct institutions. 23 are Master's awards, 4 are short courses, 3 are Bachelor's, 3 are PhD, 1 is postdoc and 1 is open to any level.
Only 6 of the 29 have a deadline still ahead. Among them are Leiden (1 December 2026), TU Delft (1 Dec 2026), VU Amsterdam (1 February 2027), Maastricht (1 February 2027), Radboud (31 January 2027) and Twente (1 April 2027).
Several require it. Twente states that you need an academic admission letter first, and IHE Delft requires academic admission to the MSc programme. VU Amsterdam requires conditional or unconditional admission to a September 2027 Master's.
Most listed awards are partial. Leiden says its award is not a full scholarship, NL Scholarship is €5,000 paid once, and VU Amsterdam covers tuition with no living allowance. Maastricht and IHE Delft are the exceptions that include living costs.
Check each award's own page before you plan: 23 of the 29 listed deadlines have already passed and need confirming with the host.