AMS has PhD candidate members from all participating partners. (Amstserdam UMC, both locations, ACTA and VU University. The PhD candidates' research projects contribute and represent a considerable part of the institute's research output.

PhD committee

There is an an active AMS PhD committee, with members from both locations of Amsterdam UMC and VU University. The committee organizes educational and social events for AMS PhD candidates at least twice a year. One of the members of the PhD committee is also a PhD candidate representative in the Management Team (MT) of the institute. In addition, each of the five AMS research programmes has PhD board members that are active members of the research programmes boards. 

Click for a list of the current PhD committee members, or visit the research programs pages to see the PhD members of the research program boards.

You can get in touch with the committee via mail on AMS PhD committee.

AMS activites for PhD candidates

  • Newly started PhD candidates are introduced to the institute and fellow PhD candidates;
  • Twice-yearly AMS PhD meetings with poster presentations; competitions and excellent networking opportunities;
  • Poster competition during the AMS Annual Meeting;
  • The 'AMS Outstanding paper award', awarded at the AMS Annual Meeting;
  • PhD and MA student talent grants to visit a research lab of choice;
  • When finishing up as a PhD, AMS offers €250 as a contribution toward the printing costs, if the candidate complies with the criteria.

Scientific meetings

In addition to the twice-yearly meetings especially for PhD candidates, all AMS researchers are welcome to join the various scientific meetings and seminars. Note that all AMS PhD candidates are expected to take part in the activities organized by the institute.

  • AMS Annual Meeting;
  • AMS Research program meetings;
  • Science Transmission Meetings (monthly), organized by and for PhD candidates, with relevant topics especially for peers;
  • Exiting and inspiring FGB/FGB Colloquia (monthly);
  • VUmc SED (Science Exchange Day) (annually);
  • Other seminars, lectures, and events of interest announced on the website and via the newsletters.
Person aiming for a PhD

PhD training and education

Amsterdam Movement Sciences has PhD candidate members from various department within the participating partners Amsterdam UMC, locations AMC and VUmc, ACTA, as well as the VU faculties FGB and Science. The PhD candidates graduate at the faculty where they are registered as PhD candidates. The formal procedures and requirements differ slightly according to the rules of the various partners.

All AMS PhD candidates are expected to take part in the activities organized by AMS research institute.

AMC PhD candidates

AMC PhD candidates have to register with the AMS doctoral school at the start of their PhD track. The AMC doctoral school offers information about registration, training courses, and supervision for PhD candidates at location AMC. As part of the registration process, all Amterdam UMC PhD candidates have to complete the Amsterdam UMC PhD plan (see below) and after completion, submit it via mail to the Doctoral school and AMS. Building a portfolio is compulsory within the AMC PhD track, and a range of 20 – 30 ECTS is highly recommended. The UvA Doctorate regulations describe the requirements to complete your PhD research and obtain the UvA doctor degree.

VUmc PhD candidates

VUmc PhD candidates who will defend their theses at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam must register their PhD track via the Amsterdam UMC doctoral school. Please visit the Doctoral school website to start the registration.

As part of the registration process for the UMC doctoral school and the Hora Finta (HF) PhD registration system, Vumc PhD candidates should download and complete the AMS training plan (see below).

The candidates have to detail the required (minimum) 30 ECTS of the training and work plan (see below). Completed forms should be uploaded as part of the Hora Finita registration procedure. The submitted training plan should comply with the requirements set out in the AMS implementation plan (see below).

In addition to the courses at the doctoral chool, VUmc PHD candidates can also take relevant master courses at VU university, e.g. courses that are part of the curriculum of the Research MA-track: Human Movement Sciences: Sport, Exercise and Health, or other relevant master tracks. We urge PhD candidates to make use of this opportunity to expand their expertise on the Human Movement System.

The training plan will be approved by AMS as part of the HF registration. For more information about the training requirements, consult the implementation plan (above). More information for UMC PhD candidates can be found on the doctoral school website.

AMS VUmc PhD candidates are free to take the courses they prefer, as long as the compulsory topics are covered, it is discussed in advance with the supervisors and approved in the HF Training Plan. The training plan may, if necessary, be changed during the trajectory. If in doubt, contact AMS.

The Vrije Universiteit's doctorate regulations describe the requirements needed to complete your PhD research and obtain the VU doctor/PhD degree at VU Amsterdam.

VU FGB and Faculty of Science PhD candidates

FGB PhD candidates fall under the training requirements of the FGB graduate school. More information about this can be found on the FGB graduate school’s homepage.

PhD candidates at the Faculty of Science have to comply with the training requirements set by the Faculty of Science.

The requirements set by Amsterdam Movement Sciences research institute are covered in the FGB and the faculty of Science regulations, but PhD candidates should note that events organized by the AMS research institute are compulsory to AMS PhD candidates.

The doctorate regulations of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam describe the requirements needed to complete your PhD research and obtain a PhD at VU Amsterdam.

ECTS for AMS and VUmc meetings

VU and VUmc PhD candidates can use the table below to check how many ECTS they get from various AMS and VUmc activities.

The annual AMS research meeting, PhD day, and VUmc SED (Science Exchange Day) give the following credits per meeting:      

    Activity: Participation AMS Research meeting, PhD day and/or VUmc Science Exchange Day # of ECTS
    Participation with abstract, poster, as speaker and visitor (=Plus programme) 1.5 (maximum)
    Participation with abstract, poster and as visitor (=Whole programme) 1.1
    Participation with abstract, poster and as speaker 1.3
    Participation as visitor only (workshops, posters, and oral presentations) 0.2
    Participation with abstract and poster 0.9

    AMS training on the job activities

    The 'Training on the Job' topic within AMS has a range of 6 - 10 ECTS and AMS PhD candidates can do certain activities to get these credits. The activites that qualifty are eg. participation in committees, organising scientific meetings, participation in colloquia or research meetings at the department or within AMS, teaching assistance and supervising MA-students, or lectures given to a professional or layman audience (the list is not exhaustive). Some of thes activities are detailed further below.

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