项目介绍

2026年7月17日

Interested in understanding how communities try to access their rights and seek justice in the city? Keen to test your qualitative research skills and try out experimental methods? Then apply for this PhD project which will explore how urban residents and civil society groups defend, shape and reinvent the rule of law from below in their interactions with municipal authorities.

What you are going to do

• Systematically review theoretical and empirical literatures relevant to the project;
• Conduct qualitative socio-legal research. This may include using ethnographic methods such as participant observation and in-depth interviews;
• Develop new research methods that align with the lived realities of communities. This may involve experimenting with participatory methods for conducting social research with vulnerable and/or marginalized populations;
• Contribute to academic debates on human rights and social justice practice by writing a PhD dissertation and presenting findings at conferences and events;
• Work with communities, civil society organisations, service providers and policy makers to translate research findings into better policy and practice;
• Follow AISSR PhD courses on theory, methodology, and academic writing;
• Teach in the Sociology department’s educational programmes (10% of appointment).

What do you have to offer

Candidates must have:

• have a university master’s degree in the social sciences or human rights;
• Dutch language proficiency (fieldwork will be conducted in Amsterdam);
• have substantial qualitative, preferably sociolegal, research experience (e.g., as part of your thesis or another research project);
• Experience working with, or demonstrable interest in human rights and social justice.

What do we have to offer

We offer a temporary employment contract of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of four years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment, this term will be extended by a maximum of three years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. You will attend courses offered by the AISSR and the Graduate School of Social Sciences as part of the PhD program. In addition to doing research, publicizing your findings, and participating in academic events, you will be involved in teaching (roughly 10% of your time).

For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” applies. Your salary will be €3,059 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3,881 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

Your place at the UvA

You will work here

This PhD position is embedded within the programme group Political Sociology of the Department of Sociology and the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR). Sociology at the UvA is characterised by its theoretical, methodological, and thematic diversity. Faculty members are valued for drawing on different approaches and perspectives, offering scholarship and teaching that represents the discipline’s different attempts to critically interpret and tackle society’s challenges and contradictions. The AISSR is the research school for faculty members and PhD candidates from the Departments of Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, and Geography, Planning, and International Development. It is committed to fundamental and engaged research that pushes the boundaries of the social sciences.

The PhD position is part of the AISSR Amsterdam Programme, which recruits eight PhD candidates across the institute’s four departments. The candidates will form a cohort and collaborate on innovative research methods that generate value for both the city of Amsterdam and the social sciences. All PhD candidates in the program will receive doctoral training from the AISSR and be affiliated with the Centre for Urban Studies and Urban Impact Lab.

About the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest educational and research institution in the field of social and behavioural sciences in Europe. Here, we explore societal and human-centered issues, driven by scientific curiosity but also with an eye for current themes. For example, the impact of media and communication on individuals and society, healthcare challenges, global urbanization, human development, the role of political institutions, understanding the human mind, growing inequality, diversity issues, and changing social relationships.In Europe and beyond, the FMG holds a leading position, thanks in part to its more than 1,300 staff members who contribute to education and research. Will you be one of them?Read more about the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Important to know

Your application & contact

If you recognise yourself in this profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your:

• CV (max. 2 pages)
• Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
• Research proposal based on this project outline using this template (max. 1400 words excl. reference list)

Please merge these documents into a single PDF.

You can apply via the red button until September 1^st, 2026.

Interviews will take place on 16 and 18 September 2026.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: Prof. Dr. Kiran Grewal (k.k.grewal@uva.nl)Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture.Read moreStudies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.