# Bench fee for doctoral students

**Source**: https://www.ugent.be/en/research/doctoralresearch/benchfee.htm
**Parent**: https://www.ugent.be/phd/en

Since academic year 2017-2018 PhD students are required to contribute to the costs of their research activities on top of settling the tuition fee.

This annual lump-sum contribution or 'bench fee' is used by the supervisor to pay for expenses as a result of conducting high-quality research (use of laboratory, study material, research equipment, participation to seminars, conferences,…)

As this is an official governance rule it is part of **the codex** where [all details](https://codex.ugent.be?regid=REG000090&lang=en) can be found. That document is in Dutch and for internal use only.\

UGent can make arrangements with certain PhD scholarship financers to set other benchfee amounts, in the frame of overall agreements. Such agreements are in place for example with the Higher Education Commission (HEC, Pakistan); the China Scholarship Council (CSC, China); Senecyt Ecaudor, Colfuturo Colombia, …. [More information](https://ugentbe.sharepoint.com/:u:/r/sites/intranet-onderzoek/SitePages/en/Voorwaarden-bench-fee.aspx?csf=1&web=1&e=dGefpL) on this (internal) page.\

As a PhD student with external funding, you can contact your promotor to know more details.

*Read this webpage [In Dutch](https://www.ugent.be/nl/onderzoek/doctoreren/administratie/benchfee.htm).*

## Annual benchfee amounts per faculty and doctoral degree

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Faculty** | **Doctoral degree** | **Annual Bench fee amount (in euros)** |
| Arts and Philosophy | All | 4,480 |
| Law and Criminology | All | 4,480 |
| Sciences | Doctor of Science: Biochemistry and Biotechnology Doctor of Science: Biochemistry Doctor of Science: Biotechnology Doctor of Science: Biology Doctor of Science: Chemistry Doctor of Science: Physics and Geology Doctor of Science: Geology Doctor of Science: Marine Sciences Doctor of Science: Physics Doctor of Science: Geography Doctor of Science: Geomatics and Surveying Doctor of Science: Astronomy Doctor of Science Doctor of Science: Bioinformatics Doctor of Computer Science Doctor of Statistical Data Analysis Doctor of Science: Mathematics | 17,920 17,920 17,920 13,440 13,440 13,440 13,440 13,440 8,960 8,960 8,960 8,960 8,960 4,480 4,480 4,480 4,480 |
| Medicine and Health Sciences | All | 13,440 |
| Engineering and Architecture | All | 8,960 |
| Economics and Business Administration | All | 4,480 |
| Veterinary Medicine | All | 13,440 |
| Psychology and Educational Sciences | All | 4,480 |
| Bioscience Engineering | All | 13,440 |
| Pharmaceutical Sciences | All | 13,440 |
| Political and Social Sciences | All | 4,480 |

## Contact

[benchfee@ugent.be](mailto:benchfee@ugent.be)