Children who have been migrating without their parents or other caretakers and ask for protection in a safe country, have to become grownups in a pressure cooker. Most of these young people have encountered stressful events before or during their flight, and upon arrival in the Netherlands all have to go through an often also stressful asylum procedure. While the transition from childhood to adulthood can be difficult for every child, unaccompanied refugee children lack the safe haven of parents to guide them and against whom they can strive for their autonomy. Without the close proximity of their relatives, they have to create a sense of belongingness and find their way in an unknown society as well as in new family structures. As many of them arrive at the age of 16 or 17, they only have a short time before they turn 18, when their guardianship ends and they are supposed to largely manage on their own.

How does the transition to adulthood go for these young people? The PhD student will, in close cooperation with another researcher and a supervision team (first promotor Prof. Monika Smit), conduct research on the transition of unaccompanied minor refugees to adulthood, from a life course and/or intergenerational perspective. You will be committed to conducting original scientific research, and will be expected to disseminate this research in academic and nonacademic publications and presentations.

The PhD student is expected to:

• have a master degree in social sciences
• have had a thorough training in qualitative and quantitative research skills
• have experience in (narrative) interviewing
• have strong affinity with children, migration and refugees
• be able to show perseverance, flexibility, and have organizational and collaboration skills
• have a good command of spoken and written English and Dutch
• be able to finish the PhD thesis in four years
• enjoy planning and taking initiatives
• enjoy academic writing and have the desire to publish
• be able and willing to work in Groningen
• formulate a research proposal, and develop this further together with the promotors

Fixed-term contract: 48 months.

The PhD Scholarship student will be enrolled in the PhD Scholarship Programme and receives a scholarship of €2,181 per month (gross) from the University of Groningen. For more information on the RUG PhD scholarship programme and its benefits please check the website at https://www.rug.nl/education/phd-programmes/phd-scholarship-programme/conditions-application/

The PhD Scholarship contract is offered for four years. A successful candidate will first be offered a temporary contract of one year with the option of renewal for another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the contract period is to be expected.
A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences. As part of the programme, the PhD student will take part in the Career Perspectives Series, which provides a thorough preparation on the career after the PhD, inside or outside academia. During the course of the doctorate, the student will develop research and, if desired by the candidate, teaching competencies. For this, the PhD student will receive a tailor-made programme.

Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative university of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Balanced study and career paths in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 32,000 students and researchers to develop their own individual talents. Belonging to the best research universities in Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is an international place of knowledge.