The PhD Candidates Network of the Netherlands (PNN) is the national organisation for PhD candidates in the Netherlands. PNN was established in 1987 (known as Landelijk AIO Overleg or LAIOO until 2003) and was a founding member of Eurodoc in 2002. Their primary goal is to represent the interests and improve the working conditions of all PhD candidates doing research in the Netherlands, including external, international, and scholarship PhD candidates.
PNN works with a national network of PhD Councils from the Dutch universities, medical centres, and research institutions. PNN is governed by a board which meets regularly with each other and with these PhD Councils to discuss and determine policy on all issues related to doing a PhD. Their main focus is defending the PhD as paid employment, improving the working conditions of all types of PhD candidates including social safety, advocating for higher quality PhD trajectories, helping PhD candidates transition to the labour market, and representing PhD candidates in national working groups and other initiatives in higher education and science (e.g. Open Science, Rewards & Recognition, National action plan D&I in higher education and science, National steering group social safety in higher education and science).
PNN represents approximately 40,000 PhD candidates and regularly meets with and advises the main stakeholders in education and research in the Netherlands, such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW), the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and several labour unions and political parties. They also frequently engage with major Dutch radio, television, and newspaper outlets. They further aim to bring out reports and position papers on PhD-related topics each year, such as internationalisation, working conditions, delays in PhD trajectories, quality of supervision, and rewards & recognition.
Contact information
info [at] hetpnn.nl