Graduation
Please check the Graduate School website for PhD defense regulations and the graduation ceremony. Or contact the Graduate School of Science: (071) 527 6855 or gsoffice@science.leidenuniv.nl

Graduation bonus
The Observatory contributes a graduation bonus on the following conditions:

• Euro 500 to those who finish the PhD project within 4 years. This is counted as the moment of submission to the printer.
  
• Euro 250 (instead of Euro 500) to those who finish the PhD project in the 5th year.

Subsidy for thesis printing and distribution of thesis
Leiden Observatory can provide a subsidy of maximum 900 Euro towards the costs of the printing of a PhD thesis, on the following conditions:

• The author presents an Observatory colloquium before the PhD defense. This informs everyone about the results of the thesis project, and has the added advantage that the graduate student can practice fielding questions in advance of the real ceremony. Contact Andrew Sellek who is organizing the PhD colloquium.
• The author offers copies of the thesis to local staff and 2 copies for the secretariat. Additionally a number of PhD theses are distributed to senior staff astronomers in other departments in The Netherlands. The author is expected to organize the mailing. Address labels and envelopes can be obtained from the secretariat: secretaries@strw.leidenuniv.nl
• The electronic version of the PhD thesis (.pdf or .ps) is made available for the Observatory archive. Mail the digital copy to Computerworkers@strw.leidenuniv.nl.
• If the dissertation is defended in 2025, PhD candidates receive a financial compensation of €500,- from the UBL (Library) for the printing costs of the dissertation. This compensation is paid by the UBL after receiving two printed copies of the dissertation, a digital copy of the dissertation and the signed license for the non-exclusive publication of the dissertation in digital form (Appendix B). The compensation regulation expires on 1 January 2026 due to the imposed budget cuts in higher education. All individuals who sign the license agreement this year are still entitled to the compensation, even if they will not complete their doctorates until 2026.

The author should apply for subsidy towards the thesis costs with the University Library (500 Euro) and if possible other funds before requesting a subsidy of the Observatory. The subsidy cannot exceed the total amount of printing costs minus other contributions (UB).

Expense claim
Expense claim can be submitted either in SAP Self Service (only possible before the end of your contract) or through a PNIL statement of expenses form for 'staff not employed'.

Enter the SAP number that you normally use for travel. Contact Robin Hölscher imassist@strw.leidenuniv.nl if you do not know or are not sure about the SAP number. Please attach a 'subsidy statement form', which you get from Robin Hölscher imassist@strw.leidenuniv.nl.

Please also attach a copy of the invoice of the thesis printing and provide information about contributions from other sources.

NB: The subsidy for the thesis printing can only be awarded to people that fill in an expense claim form no later than one month after the graduation ceremony.