Admission requirements
Preferably students are enrolled in, or have successfully finished the Orientation course of their specialization.
Before starting the research project, the agreement form must be completed and approved in ProjectMAP — the online administration tool used by IBL for handling agreements, evaluations, and assessments.
Description
Research projects are an important part of the Biology Master programmes at Leiden University. During a Research Project, students will learn to independently design, plan, and conduct scientific research. All aspects of scientific research, from reading relevant literature and formulating a research question up to reporting and presenting of the results will be addressed. Throughout their Research Project, the student is an integral part of the host research group, engaging actively in the collective research endeavours of the group, which include collaborative work discussions, and attending lectures organised within the host institute, such as the Spotlight seminars
Duration
Students should spent at least 60 EC on (a) Research Project(s), and the total may not exceed 90 EC. Students are allowed to do two research projects.
At least one project must be within the research specialization for at least 36 EC.
A second project may be within or outside the chosen specialization, for at least 30 EC.
Where
Students can conduct their Research Project(s) at one of the institutes involved in the Leiden University Biology programme, such as the IBL, CML, Hortus Botanicus, or Naturalis. Depending on availability, Research Projects are also allowed at:
Life science-related research groups within other institutes of the Faculty of Science
LUMC (Leiden University Medical Center)
NIOO (Netherlands Institute of Ecology)
Other academic institutions (including those outside Leiden University)
Companies, government agencies, or other organizations engaged in scientific biological research
Structure
During the first phase, the student will familiarize themselves with the research topic by reading scientific literature related to the project and conducting initial experiments under the guidance of the direct supervisor. At the end of this period, the student will present their research plan during a general departmental work discussion.
In the following phase, the student will carry out experiments according to the research plan, stay informed about developments in the field through ongoing literature review, and participate in regular work discussions.
At the end of the project, the student will give a public oral presentation to the relevant research group, followed by a discussion, and submit a written MSc report.
For all rules & regulations regarding Research Projects, read the MSc Research Project Booklet in the MSc Biology Brightspace course.
Orientation Steps
Visit relevant websites to learn more about the research institutes and staff members involved in the MSc Biology program
Attend the Internship Market on 2 October 2025 to explore Research Project opportunities.
Reach out to teachers of courses that interest you to discuss possible internship options.
Read the MSc Research Project Booklet (available in the MSc Biology Brightspace course).
Course objectives
At the end of the course, the student is able to:
1. Apply and analyse insight gained into the selected research field
2. Design and execute experiments independently within a particular research field.
3. Identify and reproduce scientific developments and conduct literature research in the field.
4. Devise and setup new methods, experiments and techniques.
5. Clearly describe the problem definition, hypothesis, methodology, data acquisition and analysis, interpretation, and discussion in the format of a research article suitable for a journal relevant to the research topic.
6. Present research results for a scientific audience.
Timetable
Research projects can be started at any time, however, keep in mind to contact staff or an external supervisor in time to find a project of interest. Also see the yearly schedule in the e-prospectus.
In principle, the Research Project takes place full-time and in accordance with the regulations as formulated in the Master Research Project Booklet and in the E-Prospectus (see additional enrollment regulations).
Mode of instruction
During the research project, the student is a member of a research group and participates in the common scientific activities of the research group (such as work discussions) and lectures in the host institute (for instance IBL spotlight seminars). Theoretical and practical instructions will be provided by the daily supervisor. Consultation and feedback during the project is provided by the daily supervisor (weekly) and responsible supervisor (once a month).
Assessment method
The final mark for the MSc-research project is calculated as follows:
Oral presentations 10%
Written proposal 10%
Practical work 40%
MSc report 40%
The Research Project is assessed by the first examiner/ responsible supervisor. The report is also assessed by the second examiner. The student needs to complete an evaluation of the supervision in order to receive a grade.
The final grade is the weighted average of the sub scores.
Reading list
Check out the:
Research topics app for a network of supervisors;
Research themes & groupsat the IBL and Hortus Botanicus
Research groups and internships on the Naturalis website
Research themes & groups at the CML
Websites of of related academic institutes, such as the LUMC, NIOO-KNAW, NKI, etc.
Familiarize yourself with the content of the MSc Research Project Booklet.
Registration
Prior to the start the research project agreement form must be filled out and approved in ProjectMAP:
-Go to https://science-stage.universiteitleiden.nl/ and log in with your ULCN account.
-Go to ‘Aanvragen’ and click on the tab MSc research project (make sure to select CML if your project is supervised by a CML staff member).
Contact
Contact via: bio-internshipscoordinator@biology.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
The final draft of the report needs to be submitted in 2 places:
For a plagiarism check via the MSc Biology Brightspace course
In ProjectMAP.