Alexandre Suerman Stipend
Alexandre Suerman Stipend
Supporting MD/PhD research talent
This UMC Utrecht's research talent program for medical doctors focuses on recruiting and preserving scientific top talents for the UMC Utrecht. Yearly, the board of directors grants four stipendia to medical students in the last year of their Master's, covering three years of salary for an MD/PhD project. In addition, the stipendium covers a mentoring program with masterclasses focusing on personal and scientific growth and development.
Alexandre Suerman Stipend
The Alexandre Suerman stipend is primarily granted to students who during their masters already actively participated in scientific research. Preferably, the research during the PhD is a continuation of the research performed during the master phase. Students are selected based on their curriculum vitae, output from earlier research, quality and originality of their research proposal and an interview. Each year, there are about thirty applications. In recent years, four applications were granted per year.
The 2017 cohort receiving their congratulations from the dean, Prof. dr. Frank Miedema
Why Alexandre Suerman?
What does it bring the participant?
"The Alexandre Suerman stipend has really been a kick-start to my scientific career, which I am still very grateful for."
In 2018, the Alexandre Stipend already has over 60 participants, including 43 alumni. This stipend was only the start of their scientific careers. Many alumni pursue a career as both medical specialist and scientific researcher. To these people, new (big) national and international grants have been awarded in order to continue their PhD research and to start their own research groups.
Masterclasses
Training research skills
Recipients of the Alexandre Suerman Stipend are invited to join a two-day Masterclass twice a year, in April and in October. Usually, the masterclasses consist of two workshops on varying topics, for example networking, grant-writing, presenting or sleep quality. During the evening, a guest is invited to tell about his/her life and career. This might or might not be a researcher or physican.
Time for relaxing
To break the day, there is always a sports activity, for example wheelchair-basketball. In between the activities, there is also plenty of time for socializing with the other participants.
Other activities
Intervision
During intervision meetings, participants share the problems they face during their research projects. Against the instincts of these solution-oriented researchers, the goal of these meetings is not to solve each others problems, but rather to discuss how we handle them.
Progress meeting
Each year, the participants have a meeting with prof. Paul Coffer, who is the current chair of the Suerman committee. During these meetings, the progress of the projects is discussed and possible hurdles are identified.
Contact
Students and future participants
In case you are interested in applying for a Alexandre Suerman Stipend, visit the Alexandre Suerman page on the site of Utrecht University via this link. Last year medicine students at the University Medical Center Utrecht are eligible, provided they have sufficient experience in research.
Program leader
In case you have a question about the Alexandre Suerman program or its participants, please contact Lisan van Os.