Calculation of PhD age

You can receive a rejection if you do not meet the PhD age requirements. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention to these before starting your application.

For some funding instruments, there are fixed limits, upper or lower, for the applicant’s PhD age. Such limitations will always be clearly marked under the description of the funding instrument, if applicable.

How is the PhD age calculated?

The PhD age is calculated as the period of time between acquiring the PhD and the expiration date of the relevant funding instrument’s application deadline. It is the most recent date, which appears on the PhD diploma, that is applicable.

If you have both a PhD degree and equivalent qualifications, the PhD age is calculated on the basis of the PhD degree. If you hold multiple PhD degrees, the calculation of your PhD age is based on your first PhD degree. DFF can request documentation of the applicant’s PhD age.

In the calculation of the PhD age, specific types of documentable leave, which have been held after obtaining the PhD degree and in accordance with the relevant existing laws, must be deducted. For instruments with fixed PhD age criteria, leave of absence must be specified with exact dates in the application form. Any embedded, named postdocs must indicate the duration of leave in months. E-grant will automatically calculate the length of the periods of leave, which will be deducted from your PhD age. For funding instruments, where there is no PhD age limit for the applicant, leave of absence must be noted in a free text field.

Periods of leave to be deducted are specified in the current call.

Calculate your PhD age

You can calculate your PhD age, before you start an application, using DFF’s tool for calculation of PhD age. The calculation is indicative.

        Access the calculation tool