The useful question to put to an advertisement is: who pays, in what capacity are you taken on, and which rights attach? Why parts of continental Europe hire doctoral candidates rather than “admit” them is set out in A PhD in Europe is a job, not a course of study. This piece maps the money instruments and how to read an ad.
Six instruments behind «fully funded»
| Instrument | Candidate status | What it usually includes | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment contract | University employee | Salary, tax, pension, paid leave | Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark |
| Studentship | Student | Tuition + living stipend | United Kingdom |
| Foundation scholarship | Scholarship holder | Monthly payment; usually no employment rights | Germany, international foundations |
| Research assistant contract | Employee, often part-time | Pay-scale salary; some duties outside your own research | Germany |
| Place in a project network (MSCA and peers) | Researcher hired under project rules | Living allowance + mobility allowance; sometimes family allowances | Projects across Europe |
| Self-funded / own scholarship | Student or external candidate | The university may pay nothing; the candidate or an external grant carries the cost | Anywhere no paid position exists |
The difference is not accounting. An employment contract brings leave, sick pay, pension contributions and often a residence basis as a worker. A scholarship of the same size may bring none of that. A UKRI studentship is a third case: you remain a student, but leave entitlements are written into the grant rules. Compare figures only after the instrument is named.
How to read an advertisement
Before answering a vacancy or applying for a studentship, lock answers to six points — from the ad text or a written note from the provider:
- 01Contract or scholarship?
Leave, insurance, pension and often the visa / residence route follow from this.
- 02Is tuition covered
, and at which rate — home or international. Under UKRI an international candidate may still owe the difference.
- 03How long the funding runs
, and what happens if the research overruns: extension, pause in pay, duty to find a new source.
- 04Teaching and other duties
whether they are in the package and what share of time they take.
- 05Mobility or nationality conditions
common in MSCA and some national funds.
- 06Who the employer or payer is
university, institute, project consortium, external foundation.
If the ad only says «fully funded» without one of these points, close the gap with the provider before accepting an offer.
Where salary is the default, not a perk
In the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark a paid doctorate is usually employment: the post appears after the project is funded, and the candidate is paid under national rules. That is a question of employment identity, not only of the headline figure — full hire logic and why master’s timing matters: A PhD in Europe is a job, not a course of study.
For reading an ad, one rule is enough: if it names an employment contract and points to a collective agreement or pay scale, you are comparing an employee package, not a “graduate stipend” in the British sense. A separate channel is an external fellowship or grant: Study in NL treats it as a recognised route, but you must still find a supervisor and host institution.
Germany: no tuition is not living money
DAAD states that public universities in Germany charge no doctoral tuition for at least the first six semesters, though a semester contribution remains. No tuition is not funding for life. DAAD separately gives a living-cost benchmark (Studentenwerk estimate — around €800 a month; check the live DAAD page on the day you apply).
From there two instruments usually appear in ads:
- a research assistant contract — pay-scale salary, often part-time; some duties may sit outside your dissertation;
- a scholarship — a payment without an employment relationship; leave, insurance and pension usually do not arrive by default.
Both may be labelled “funding”. Employment-style rights come with the first (and with mixed schemes only if they are written down).
United Kingdom: a studentship is a competition, not a status
In the British system the doctoral candidate remains a student and tuition exists. A studentship covers the fee and adds a living stipend. It is a separate competition: supervisor interest or an offer of a place does not automatically mean the money is secured.
UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) sets minima for studentships funded through its training grants. On the Support for UKRI-funded students page (last updated 5 October 2026): from 1 October 2026 the minimum stipend is £21,805 a year (£23,805 with London weighting); the minimum fee contribution for 2026/27 is £5,238. These are floors, not ceilings: the provider may pay more within the grant budget.
Two clauses matter for international candidates:
- 1. UKRI contributes only up to the home fee rate; you may have to pay the international difference — the university states how much.
- 2. You cannot apply to UKRI directly: you apply to the organisation offering the studentship.
UKRI entitlements are written separately from employment law: at least 30 days’ annual leave including bank holidays, medical leave of up to 28 weeks in a rolling 12-month period, family leave; the stipend continues during leave. The provider cannot ask you to do work outside the studentship in return for the stipend.
MSCA project networks: the money arrives with the project
Under MSCA Doctoral Networks, consortia create the posts; each beneficiary must recruit at least one doctoral candidate. Support usually combines a living allowance, a mobility allowance and, where applicable, family, long-term leave and special-needs allowances. Vacancies appear on EURAXESS; you apply to the institution.
A mobility rule sets eligibility: in general you must not have resided or carried out your main activity in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 immediately before recruitment. Nationality itself is not the test. Industrial Doctorates add a further condition — at least half the time outside academia.
Self-funding and “your own” scholarship
If the post is unpaid, you carry tuition (where it exists), living costs and insurance yourself or through an external grant. An external scholarship does not turn the arrangement into an employment contract: rights and tax follow the funder’s rules and the status the university grants. Before relying on that route, check whether the group hosts external fellows and who sponsors the visa / residence.
How admission itself works across systems (programme / supervisor-led / vacancy) is in How to Apply for a PhD Abroad in 2027. Fit and the first email are in How to Find a PhD Supervisor — and How to Write the First Email.
Frequently asked questions
Is a PhD in Europe free?
Fees and living support are separate. Sweden charges no doctoral tuition. German public universities charge none for at least six semesters, though a semester contribution remains. In the UK tuition exists and a studentship covers it. No fee does not mean there is anything to live on.
How does a salary differ from a scholarship at a similar figure?
A salary runs through an employment contract: tax, pension, leave and sick pay under national rules. A scholarship is a payment to a holder; employment rights usually do not follow. A UKRI studentship is a hybrid on leave rules while you remain a student.
Can I apply with my own scholarship?
Yes — in several countries it is a recognised route (including the Netherlands on Study in NL’s account). You still need a supervisor and a host; read rights in the funder’s rules, not in the word “funded” on a group page.
How much does a UKRI studentship pay in 2026/27?
Minima from 1 October 2026: £21,805 a year, or £23,805 with London weighting; minimum fee contribution £5,238. Figures are from the UKRI page; check the provider’s live table before you apply.
Do doctoral candidates get paid leave and sick leave?
Under an employment contract — yes, by national rules. Scholarship holders usually do not. UKRI-funded studentships write leave into the grant conditions even though they are not employment contracts.
What is the MSCA mobility rule?
A recent-residence limit: in general no more than 12 months of the previous 36 in the recruiting organisation’s country before recruitment. Nationality is not the deciding criterion.
What to do next
EDMONT maps advertisements and countries to the real money model: contract, studentship, scholarship, MSCA project or self-funding. Submit an application with your research area and the countries you are considering. After the application you can arrange a consultation; you receive a reading of the instruments open to you and a question list for the position provider. No funding or admission guarantees. Contact follows the agreed stages of support.
Related service: PhD admissions
Verified against primary official sources: universities, government bodies and official operators. UKRI figures confirmed on Support for UKRI-funded students (last updated 5 October 2026). Other country cues are from the Study in NL / Study in Sweden / DAAD / MSCA / EURAXESS source class; check the live position page before you apply.