Fewer PhD positions and more teaching duties for PhD candidates

They conduct research under supervision, teach, and after about four years submit a thesis as thick as a brick: TU Delft currently has 3,529 PhD students. Like other employees, they are affected by the restructuring plans (cutback plans, ed.) that the faculties have drawn up on behalf of the Executive Board. The plans, which require faculties to cut costs by 10 percent without forced redundancies, were adopted by the Executive Board in September. Faculties mainly want to save money by imposing a (partial) hiring freeze, reducing investments and maintenance, and encouraging staff to take their leave hours.

Some faculties specifically mention PhD students in their cost-cutting plans. Measures affecting young researchers vary from faculty to faculty and can be roughly divided into three categories.

• They will teach more
• They must complete their PhD program more quickly
• PhD positions will disappear due to natural attrition

Huge increase in a short period of time

The number of PhD positions in Delft has increased by 20 percent in six years: from 2,906 in September 2020 to 3,529 in October 2025. Due to cutbacks, some of these positions will now disappear through natural attrition. PhD students will be allowed to complete their research, but there will be no successors after they graduate.

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (ME) stands out the most. In order to save €7.7 million, 127 full-time equivalent (fte) PhD positions will be eliminated through natural attrition. These are all PhD positions funded from the first money stream . PhD positions funded from the first funding stream will also disappear through natural attrition in Aeronautical and Space Engineering (AE, 9 positions), Architecture and the Built Environment (12 positions). , and Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Informatics (EEMCS). The number of positions affected at EEMCS is unknown.

Growth in the number of PhD students per faculty

The loss of 127 positions sounds more dramatic than it is, says ME Dean Fred van Keulen. “This is the most sensible measure to get our finances in order without any bloodshed. After all, current PhD students can serve out their contracts and we don’t have to lay anyone off. At the same time, we are retaining funds for crucial things such as keeping our labs running and the technicians who work there.”

Bringing in projects

The number of PhD students at ME has increased significantly in recent years, especially those from the first funding stream. In the period 2020-2025, 125 PhD positions have been added, says Van Keulen. “For a while, ME was doing extremely well financially, which meant we had large reserves. We then decided to use that money to help young staff get started through so-called starter packages and cohesion grants, introduced to promote cooperation between departments. With both the money for young scientists and the cohesion grants , many PhD students were hired. In the restructuring plan, we are returning to the old policy, whereby PhD positions are only possible from the second and third money streams , i.e. from NWO grants or projects with the business community, for example.”

‘Everyone is doing their utmost to secure enough projects’

Those cash flows must first be secured. The dean acknowledges that there is uncertainty in this regard. “Everyone is doing their utmost to secure enough projects, but it’s not a done deal. Due to the geopolitical situation, companies have become more cautious. On the other hand, we are extremely well positioned to tackle all the recent challenges, such as defense, strategic autonomy, and the energy transition.”

Unlike ME, other faculties do have PhD positions left over from the first funding stream, such as TPM and CEG. The nine positions that will disappear at AE through natural attrition come from starter packages from the first funding stream: money that newly appointed scientists can use to set up their line of research, for example by hiring PhD students or paying for research facilities. At EEMCS, positions funded by starter packages, sector plans, and the AI Labs & Talent Program, a university-wide talent program, are being eliminated.

Faster PhD completion

Other faculties, such as Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG) and EEMCS, have opted to allow PhD students to complete their degrees more quickly. According to CEG’s austerity plan, this will save on employer contributions when students complete their research while receiving unemployment benefits. EEMCS, which has already been focusing on a higher PhD completion rate in recent years, hopes that this measure will primarily generate more money. For each thesis, the university receives a fixed amount from the government , part of which goes to the faculty itself. It is a ‘long-term process’, the faculty writes in its austerity plan. “In recent years, EEMCS has produced around 70 PhDs per year, and by 2024 this number had already risen to 111. This number is expected to grow further to 140.”

Fewer PhD students, more teaching duties

The so-called PhD completion rate is a long-standing issue at TU Delft. Delft PhD students take an average of between 4.8 and 5.3 years to complete their PhD program, while the standard duration is four years. How does CEG intend to reduce this? “By setting clear expectations in advance about the process and the expected outcome and providing clear guidance on the process, with the explicit involvement of section leaders,” the faculty said in an email.

Employing PhD students more often for bachelor’s and master’s programs is another cost-saving measure being considered by faculties. Both the ME and AE faculties want to hire fewer student assistants and distribute the teaching tasks that become available among all academic staff. This is despite the fact that the number of PhD positions is actually declining. Nevertheless, the faculties do not see this as a problem. “It’s mainly about a fairer distribution,” say both Van Keulen and the AE spokesperson. Van Keulen: “Some PhD students don’t teach at all, while others are already at their maximum.”

‘There are almost no vacancies left in the academic world’

No academic future

The faculties of Industrial Design Engineering and Applied Sciences do not mention PhD students in their austerity plans. The Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) has opted for smaller measures concerning this group. For example, the TPM Graduate School assigns more PhD students per course, which means fewer teaching hours are required.

According to Dean Van Keulen, the cutbacks will have a particularly disastrous effect on PhD students and postdocs who dream of an academic career in the Netherlands. “There are almost no vacancies left in the academic world. Everything is closed. Hopefully, the next cabinet will allocate more money to universities.”