A research career at LUMC

At LUMC, you have access to advanced research facilities, a global network, and the expertise of colleagues from a wide range of disciplines. We provide everything you need to conduct high-quality research and continue developing as a researcher.  

Collaboration is essential. Within our ten research themes, researchers from different disciplines work together to address complex scientific and societal challenges. This creates opportunities for new ideas and accelerates the translation of scientific insights into clinical practice.  

As a PhD candidate at LUMC, you conduct research that is closely connected to clinical practice. You work in an environment where research, patient care and education are tightly integrated. This allows you to investigate new treatments and healthcare innovations while seeing their impact on patients firsthand. At the same time, many research questions originate directly from challenges encountered in everyday clinical care.  

You also benefit from collaboration with researchers, healthcare professionals and innovative companies at the Leiden Bio Science Park. Through personalized supervision, training opportunities and a valuable professional network, you build a solid foundation for a career in academia, healthcare or industry.  

A PhD at LUMC is about more than publishing scientific papers. We believe it is important for PhD candidates to develop into well-rounded researchers who contribute not only to new knowledge, but also to collaboration, knowledge sharing and engagement with society. The PhD Thesis Framework provides clear guidance for this approach. In addition to research quality, it recognizes contributions to open science, societal impact and other valuable achievements during and beyond the PhD trajectory.  

Knowledge, curiosity and discovery have been at the heart of Leiden for centuries. Since 1575, the city has been home to the oldest university in the Netherlands. Its renowned library, botanical garden, observatory and academic hospital attracted influential figures such as Herman Boerhaave and Willem Einthoven. Leiden and its university have played a role in the lives and work of no fewer than sixteen Nobel Prize winners.  

Today, science continues to be woven into the fabric of the city. Together, LUMC, Leiden University, the Leiden Bio Science Park and thirteen museums form one of the Netherlands’ leading knowledge hubs. Collaboration comes naturally within the country’s largest life sciences cluster, where startups, international companies, researchers and students work side by side on the healthcare of tomorrow. Ideas move quickly when researchers, students and companies are all based in the same area. 

In Leiden, science is not confined to laboratories and lecture halls. You encounter it throughout the city, from museums to the famous scientific formulas displayed on building walls. Scientific events bring researchers and residents together and make new knowledge accessible to a broad audience. It is no coincidence that Leiden was named European City of Science in 2022.  

In Leiden, we value curiosity, collaboration comes naturally, and new discoveries are part of everyday life. You can experience this at LUMC, at the Leiden Bio Science Park and throughout the city itself.  

Moving to and working in the Netherlands often comes with practical questions. The Visa Service Desk (VSD) supports international LUMC employees with their relocation and start in the Netherlands. For employees from outside the European Union, the VSD arranges the necessary residence and work permits, depending on the country of origin and the intended length of stay.  

The VSD also provides advice and support on practical matters such as insurance, pensions and other topics related to living and working in the Netherlands. This support helps international employees make a smooth transition to living in the Netherlands and working at LUMC.