项目介绍

2025年1月29日

How can scientists effectively communicate about climate change in today’s polarised world? In this PhD project, you will assess the outreach programme of the EMBRACER project, focusing on climate system feedbacks. By analysing audiences, surveying teachers, and interviewing scientists, you will develop a framework for impactful and hopeful science communication. Join a dynamic, multidisciplinary team at Utrecht University and contribute to advancing climate communication strategies that truly make an impact.

Your job

Climate change is one of today’s most pressing issues, but in this polarised world it is unclear how scientists can best communicate about their latest climate science. In this PhD project, you will apply science communication theories to assess the effectiveness of climate communication within the EMBRACER project. As part of that project on feedbacks in the climate system, you will analyse its outreach programme. Do we reach the people we want to reach? What is the effect of our communication on our audiences? Are the words and visuals that we use impactful? And how can climate scientists communicate about climate change feedbacks in a hopeful way? Answering these questions will help advance the knowledge-base of climate science communication.

During the project, you will:

• analyse the effectiveness of the EMBRACER outreach programme, through surveys of high school teachers and other target audiences;
• interview the EMBRACER scientists and analysing these responses about their strategies to communicate hopefully;
• develop a framework for effective science communication about climate tipping points.

You will work in a diverse and interdisciplinary team including colleagues with expertise in science communication, educational research, and climate science.

Your qualities

We welcome candidates with a collaborative spirit who recognise themselves in the following criteria and are enthusiastic about contributing to our team:

• either an MSc in a field related to science communication, in combination with a BSc in natural sciences; or an MSc in one of the natural sciences such as physics, biology, computer science, applied mathematics or similar, in combination with evidence of a background in science communication theory or practice;
• a proven affinity with climate (change) science;
• experience in quantitative analysis of social media or other large data sets, for example with Python or R;
• motivated to cooperate within a dynamic, diverse, multidisciplinary research team;
• proficiency in written and spoken English;
• as an important part of the target audience consists of Dutch students and teachers in secondary education—both in the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean—as well as Dutch young professionals in government, finance, and industry, you need a written and spoken Dutch proficiency of least B1 level.

Our offer

We offer:

• a full-time position for four years with a start date in summer 2025; 
• a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU)); 
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus; 
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU. 

In addition to the terms of employment external link laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development external link, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities external link, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University external link.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University external link, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes external link. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow external link.

Working at the Faculty of Science external link means bringing together inspiring people across disciplines and with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The Faculty external link has six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information & Computing Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together, we external link work on excellent research and inspiring education. We do so, driven by curiosity and supported by outstanding infrastructure. Visit us on LinkedIn external link and discover how you can become part of our community.

The position is part of the EMBRACER external link project, in which we work at the very frontiers of knowledge on climate change, Earth’s climate system and climate feedbacks. Within its 10-year research programme, funded by NWO external link, EMBRACER brings together a wide range of world-leading climate experts with the aim to address existing uncertainties about climate feedbacks at the boundaries between oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere. Our interdisciplinary approach and state-of-the-art infrastructure will bring us forward in our understanding of the impact of climate feedbacks emerging over the next decades to centuries.EMBRACER has a dedicated outreach programme: Tipping Point Ahead. Collaborating with the KlimaatHelpdesk external link and other partners, the goal of Tipping Points Ahead is to inform and engage students and, importantly, teachers in the Dutch secondary education system, both in the Netherlands and in the Dutch Caribbean, as well as young professionals in government, finance, and industry.

You will work at the Freudenthal Institute external link (FI) of Utrecht University an internationally leading institute in the field of science didactics and the history and philosophy of science. The FI is part of the Faculty of Science and employs approximately 75 professionals, including a number of young people who are conducting doctoral research just like you. Within the FI, you will work in the science communication group, which includes Erik van Sebille external link and Mark Bos external link, the advisers for this project, and focusses on the Science in Society research theme within the broader topic of Scientific and Mathematical Literacy in Life and Society.

You will also connect with the other group of Erik van Sebille, working on oceans and climate at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research external link, and with interdisciplinary marine scientists through the Pathways to Sustainability external link Strategic Research Theme at Utrecht University, and with the Public Engagement track within the UU Open Science Programme external link.

More information

If you have any questions about this position, please contact Professor Erik van Sebille external link at E.vanSebille@uu.nl.

Do you have a question about the application procedure? Please send an email to science.recruitment@uu.nl.

Apply now

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home external link for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the ‘Apply now’ button. Please enclose:

• your motivation letter;
• your curriculum vitae;
• the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least two referees.

If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.

Some connections are fundamental – Be one of them external link
#FundamentalConnection 

The application deadline is 14 March 2025.