Netherlands Institute of Governance (NIG) is a joint research school in which 13 universities in the Netherlands and Flanders collaborate offering a post graduate program for PhD candidates and a vibrant research network with research colloquia, an annual conference and more.

The NIG-member universities are Delft, Leiden, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Twente, Utrecht, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Wageningen, Antwerp, KU Leuven, and Ghent are associated members. NIG connects scholars in public administration and political science.

1. PhD-candidates from NIG-member universities who want to complete the full NIG-curriculum of 30 ECTS. If you sign up for the program for a one-off fee (1700,-) you have free access to all NIG-courses and all NIG conferences throughout your PhD-career. The NIG-curriculum allows for elective courses elsewhere, making it possible to combine the NIG-program with courses at your local graduate school and also, for instance, international summer or winter schools in research methods, such as those offered by the ECPR.
2. PhD-candidates from NIG-member universities who “just” want to participate in a bigger number of NIG-courses yet not the full curriculum. If you plan to participate in three or more courses and would aim to participate in NIG’s popular annual conferences, it is cost-efficient to sign up for the full program at the one-off fee of 1700,- euro’s.
3. PhD-candidates who want to follow just one or two NIG-courses or are affiliated to non-member universities. You can simply sign up for specific courses and pay the required fee for that course.

However: NIG offers more than courses only …

• The program is flexible. You can enroll in specific courses in different years of your PhD. You can add electives outside of the NIG-curriculum to your individual curriculum. You can choose to participate in only a selection of courses.
• The program is non-exclusive. The NIG-curriculum offers elective courses (more will be developed over the coming years). If you aim to participate in other courses (at the local graduate school, a methods summer school or otherwise), these can be accepted as electives in your individual NIG-curriculum.
• The program is field-specific. The NIG builds on the joint forces and knowledge of 13 public administration or political science departments. The curriculum builds on the best and the brightest in our field. All courses are developed for and given by academics in our disciplines.
• The program is cost-efficient. If you choose to enroll in the NIG program, your institution will pay a modest one-off fee. This will give you access to: (i) all NIG-courses during your PhD-trajectory; (ii) free participation in the annual work conference; (iii) the right to participate in one of the (currently) six research colloquia.

• The program helps you to develop your PhD project by offering a set of courses on key issues (core themes, integrity, design, etc.). 
• The program helps you to develop as an academic in general.
• The program immerses you in the broader academic community. By joining NIG, you become part of the academic network in public administration and political science in the Netherlands and Flanders.
• The program offers an internationally accredited post-doctoral degree. If you complete the full program (30 EC, incl. 14 ECTS in electives) you will have an EAPAA post-doctoral degree.

Click here to read the memo on external electives.