Selection and appointment of personnel

Extending a temporary employment agreement (postdoc)

There are statutory limitations concerning the duration of a temporary employment contract and the number of agreements (extensions) that can be successively concluded. These statutory limitations were changed with effect from 1 January 2016. 
For employees from the job family Research in the salary scales 10 and 11, such as postdocs, an employment contract for a limited period of time can be entered into for which the total duration, including two extensions, is no more than four years. For other personnel categories different rules apply. Where such cases occur, please request detailed information from the P&O Department of NWO-I. 
 For further information about this please contact the P&O Department NWO-I: Lydia van der Vlist +31 30 600 12 45.

Selection of personnel

You or your representative assess the responses to the advertisement placed. You should follow the procedure stated below:

• you confirm receipt of the job application letter;
• you invite the selected applicants;
• you reimburse the travel costs of applicants;
• you write promptly to reject applicants and return or destroy their personal data;
• the local university personnel officer can help you with this.

Before you make agreements with the potential candidate we advise you to, first of all, examine the information under Appointment and supervision of PhDs and postdocs.

If you have found a suitable candidate, then you should follow the procedure described below.

Give the potential candidate a copy of the document 'Information for new NWO employees'. This document can be downloaded below.

You send a fully completed and signed Information form and a copy of the diplomas/degree to the P&O Department NWO-I. You should also verify the identity of the candidate by means of a valid proof of identity (valid passport/municipal identity card). You should send a signed copy of this together with the application form. See also the Dutch Compulsory Identification Act.

Next you should inform the relevant personnel service of the university about the proposed appointment.
For a PhD position, you must send a training and supervision plan in triplicate. Without this plan, NWO-I cannot confirm the appointment. This plan can be adjusted during the employment period. You can use the form  'Task description and training and supervision plan PhDs 
For a postdoc position, the duration of appointment may be no more than three years. For foreign employees who come from a non-EU country (to which the 'knowledge migrant procedure' is not/will be applied) the period is two years and eleven months. See "Appointment conditions for postdocs"

After approval from the P&O Department NWO-I you will receive all of the appointment papers. You should send these to the candidate.

A subsequent extension of the appointment is not automatic. Please see the information under Extension of temporary employment agreements.

P&O NWO-I:
• draws up the employment contract in duplicate, with the covering letter;
• registers the new employee as a participant in the pension fund Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP;
• requests a work permit/provisional residence permit (MVV) for foreigners from outside of the EU. You will provide the necessary details for this;

The introduction of the new employee is your responsibility. As part of the introduction, you should also provide information about which safety rules (health and safety) apply at your university.

If you appoint a foreign employee, then you will need to deal with various regulations. Information about this can be found in the document 'The appointment of foreign personnel'.

Appointment of personnel

If you have found a suitable candidate, then you should follow the procedure described below.

• Give the potential candidate a copy of the document 'Information new employees NWO-I'. Both a Dutch and English version of this are available. You can download the documents on this webpage.  Pay attention! This brochure is specifically ment for NWO-I employees who work in the BUW. 
• You send a complete and signed information form and a copy of the diplomas/degree certificates to the P&O Department NWO-I. You should also verify the identity of the candidate by means of a valid proof of identity (valid passport/municipal identity card). You should send a signed copy of this together with the application form. See the Dutch Compulsory Identification Act.
• Next you should inform the relevant personnel service of the university about the proposed appointment.
• For a PhD (researcher in training - Dutch acronym oio) position you must send a training and supervision plan in triplicate. Without this training and supervision plan, NWO-I cannot confirm the appointment. This plan can be adjusted during the employment period. You can download the form Job description and training and supervision plan researchers in training.
• For a postdoc position the duration of appointment may be no more than three years. For foreign employees who come from a non-EU country (to which the 'knowledge migrant procedure' is not or will not be applied) the period is two years and 11 months. See Appointment conditions for postdocs.
• After approval from the P&O Department NWO-I you will receive all of the appointment papers. You should send these to the candidate.

A subsequent extension of the appointment is not automatic. See above the information under Extending a temporary employment agreement (postdoc).

The P&O Department NWO-I:

• draws up the employment contract in duplicate with the covering letter;
• registers the new employee as a participant in the pension fund Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP;
• requests a work permit/provisional residence permit (Dutch acronym MVV) for foreigners from outside of the EU. You will provide the necessary details of this.

The introduction of the new employee is your responsibility. As part of the introduction, you should also provide information about which safety rules (health and safety) apply at your university.

If you appoint a foreign employee, then you will need to deal with various regulations. Information about this can be found in the document "The appointment of foreign personnel", you can find the download below.

Employment at another employer

The staffing capacity is realised through appointment with an NWO-I employment contract. Only in exceptional cases can you charge persons employed by other employees to the NWO-I staffing capacity. To do this you need the prior written approval of NWO-I. The invoicing of these personnel costs concerns solely the direct employees and employers costs (plus Dutch VAT) up to a maximum amount to be agreed upon. You cannot declare any overhead costs. 
NWO-I will stipulate the exact agreements in the declaration agreement, which the head of P&O (on behalf of NWO-I) and the director of the faculty (or another authorised person) will sign.

Amendments to legislation concerning temporary employment contracts

There are statutory limitations concerning the duration of a temporary employment contract and the number of agreements (extensions) that can be successively concluded. These statutory limitations were changed with effect from 1 January 2016.

For employees from the job family Research and the salary scales 10 and 11, such as postdocs, an employment contract for a limited period of time can be entered into for which the total duration, including two extensions, is no more than four years. For other personnel categories different rules apply. Where such cases occur, please request detailed information from the P&O Department of NWO-I.

For further information about this please contact the P&O Department NWO-I: Lydia van der Vlist, +31 30 600 1245.

Extending an employment contract

A temporary employment contract ends automatically. About four months before the end date, the employee concerned will receive a message from NWO-I at his or her contract will be administratively settled.

If you are considering extending the temporary contract, then you must first of all contact the P&O Department NWO-I. You may not make any commitments or agreements yourself. You should request the extension at least three months before the end date.
NWO-I will only extend the employment contract of a researcher in training under certain conditions. For this please see  IR-8.
In the case of an extension to a temporary employment contract for a foreign employee, this person might also have to extend his or her visa/work permit.