ORANJESTAD – Twenty-two researchers have entered the next phase of the PhD Scholarships 2025 program. The candidates were selected to develop their initial ideas into full applications for a PhD scholarship.
At the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, a commission of 23 Caribbean researchers evaluated the ideas of 72 candidates. Based on this assessment, the commission recommended that 22 candidates proceed to the following stage. The NWO board accepted this recommendation in late March 2026.
A minimum of three and a maximum of five commission members reviewed each submission, providing points and substantial feedback. The commission advised 22 candidates to continue, a number exceeding the stipulated amount due to the high quality of the preliminary applications received.
Candidates who were not selected were given the opportunity to respond to potential inaccuracies in their evaluations. The commission reviewed these responses and adjusted some evaluations; however, this did not result in a change to the final selection.
The selected candidates have now received all necessary information to write their full applications. The deadline to submit these applications to NWO is May 26, 2026, at 11:00 AM AST (5:00 PM CEST).
In the summer, the commission will read the completed applications and identify topics requiring further questions. Interviews with the 22 candidates will take place in the autumn. The recipients of the seven PhD scholarships are scheduled to be announced in November 2026.
