PhD Position in Social Sciences

VU University of Amsterdam

Institution: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Social Sciences
Department: Political Science and Public Administration
Contract Type: Full-time PhD, 4 years (initial 1-year contract extended to 4 years)
Salary: €3,059 – €3,881 gross/month (scale PhD, full-time)
Application Deadline: Not explicitly stated; interviews May–June 2026
Preferred Start Date: 1 September 2026

Research Focus

The PhD is part of the VIDI project “Emotion-Infused Risk Regulation”, led by Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė and funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Objective: Investigate how citizens’ emotions (e.g., anger, fear, anxiety) influence regulators’ responses and regulatory legitimacy across multiple EU and national regulatory domains (health, environment, financial regulation).

Key Research Activities:

  • Study when and how regulators respond to emotion-laden citizen concerns.

  • Analyze regulatory discretion in emerging societal risk contexts.

  • Employ mixed-methods research: survey experiments, semi-structured interviews with EU/national regulators.

  • Disseminate findings through conferences, high-quality journals, and policy outputs.

Lab: Regulatory Behavior Lab – participate in shaping research profile, collaborative projects, and bridging academia-practice knowledge.

Candidate Profile

Required:

  • (Research) Master’s degree in public administration, political science, psychology, or related field by 1 September 2026.

  • Interest in emotion’s role in regulatory governance.

  • Skills or willingness to develop skills in quantitative (experiments, R) and qualitative research (elite interviews).

  • Excellent academic English writing and communication skills.

  • Autonomy, responsibility, diligence in research and publication.

  • Fluency in English and at least one additional EU language.

Desirable:

  • Interdisciplinary collaboration and clear communication across teams.

  • Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and innovative research.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct and analyze quantitative survey experiments and qualitative interviews.

  • Complete a cumulative 4-year PhD dissertation (~6 chapters, journal-article style).

  • Disseminate results at conferences and through policy reports.

  • Engage with Regulatory Behavior Lab activities and co-organize workshops/events.

  • Participate minimally (approx. 5%) in departmental teaching.

Employment Conditions & Benefits

  • Full-time 38-hour week; optional 40 hours with extra holiday leave.

  • 232 hours annual holiday entitlement (pro rata for part-time).

  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus.

  • Personalized benefits package options and contribution to commuting costs.

  • Access to sports facilities and professional development.

Application Procedure

Submit a single PDF containing:

  1. Academic CV (max 2 pages)

  2. Motivation letter (max 2 pages) linking your expertise to the VIDI project

  3. BA and MA grade transcripts

  4. Names/contact details of two referees

Interview Schedule: First round in May 2026; second round in June 2026.

Contact:
Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė – Associate Professor of Public Administration
[Email contact provided in the listing]

Location: VU Amsterdam, Zuidas business district, highly interdisciplinary environment.

Apply