Leiden PhD Scholarship 2027 in Netherlands | Fully Funded
Leiden University offers two fully funded PhD positions in descriptive linguistics for the Usku and Banda project in Indonesia, with a deadline of 25 October 2026.
Overview
The Leiden PhD Scholarship provides two fully funded PhD positions within the NWO-funded project 'Usku and Banda: Automated Documentation of Endangered Languages of Eastern Indonesia'. Hosted by the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) within the Faculty of Humanities, the appointments involve linguistic fieldwork in Indonesia, corpus and lexicon building, and evaluating AI tools for automated annotation.
Benefits
- Four-year employment contract following Dutch university terms.
- Monthly gross salary ranging from €3,204 in the first year to €4,051 in the fourth year.
- Substantial holiday and year-end allowances.
- Potential tax breaks for qualifying international candidates.
Eligibility
- Must hold a Master’s degree in linguistics completed prior to the start date.
- Demonstrated interest in descriptive linguistics, field linguistics, or language documentation.
- Excellent academic and research English communication skills.
- Willingness to acquire a working knowledge of Indonesian within the first six months.
- Strong cooperative mindset and interest in collaborative research.
- Preference is given to applicants from Indonesia in cases of equal suitability.
How to Apply
Candidates must submit their applications through the online application system before the deadline. Required documentation includes:
- A cover letter stating the chosen position and detailing motivation.
- A comprehensive academic CV.
- Official transcripts listing all Bachelor and Master-level coursework and grades.
- A writing sample, preferably an MA thesis alongside a relevant term paper or article.
- Contact details for two professional references, including the MA thesis supervisor.
Deadline
Applications must be submitted by 25 October 2026.