PhD/Postdoc interview guide

Overview

An interview with the FWO expert panel consists of two parts: a 5-minute pitch (your monologue with PPT) and a Q&A session. Ghent University usually offers a mock interview where you receive additional training before the formal interview in the FWO.

The panel evaluates interviews through a set of criteria (see PhD interview score grid or Postdoc interview score grid)* that fall into two big groups: (1) the researcher and (2) the research proposal. This guide offers suggestions on how you can prepare your pitch as well as answers to some standard questions so as to demonstrate your eligibility for the fellowship according to the FWO criteria.

*This guide was written in September 2024, and the downloads were backed up at the same time; for updates, please visit the FWO website. Usually, we do not apply for the Interdisciplinary panel, so section 3. Level of interdisciplinarity does not apply to us.

There is no predetermined structure of the 5-minute pitch, so we can only highlight several points that might be of use to you during the preparation:

  • On the FWO website, check out who are the experts that sit on your panel. Most likely they would not be specialists in your specific area of research, which will mean that your presentation might need to begin by clarifying the basics of the topic that you are working on.
  • A good idea for the beginning of the presentation is to start by explaining the title. It may contain specialized terms, names of places or persons, the location, timing, and importance of which might not be self-evident for a non-specialist in the field.
  • In some cases, as you do this lead-in into the background and subject of your project, it might be helpful to put a map or a timeline on the slide.
  • Non-specialists might also be unaware that we have the Centre for Buddhist Studies here at Ghent University, so it might be good to mention its existence and how your project fits well in our research agenda. In this way, you fulfil the criterion of the relevance of your project for the host institution.
  • It might be useful to think of a catchy phrase or idea that will attract the attention of the expert panel. The panel listens to several proposals, and you may wish your presentation stand out. Try to highlight something extradordinary about your proposed project, be it the primary sources that you study, the contribution that you make, or some unusual fact.
  • Mentioning the scope of the primary sources and especially their availability can produce a good impression, as this demonstrates the feasibility of your project and your awareness of the risks related to the access to the sources.
  • A question about methodology is one of the standard questions in the Q&A session. You might reflect your methodology on the slides or at least prepare an answer in case it pops up during the Q&A. A clear presentation of research questions, sources, and methodology helps you fulfil the FWO criterion of a critical academic mindset.
  • Sometimes the last slide may hang on the screen throughout the whole Q&A, so you might put something memorable on it, such as a beautiful picture relevant to your research or a summary of some key points or terms in your workflow, etc.
  • One more standard question for postdoc interviewees is what are you going to do in three or five years’ time. It might be useful to think in advance of what sort of professional development you envision in the future, for example, what you consider researching as your next project after this postdoc.