We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative researcher to strengthen our research group. You will work in a multi-center study funded by the EU, the Citizen Science Project on Urban Environment and Health (CitieS-Health).

Citizens are increasingly concerned about the consequences of environmental pollution on their health and engage in data collection and activism efforts around environmental problems such as pollution from traffic, wood burning, noise and mobility. These concerns, along with the availability of affordable crowd-sensing and data processing technologies, that allow citizens to measure environmental and health parameters, make environmental health studies a perfect yet underexplored opportunity to develop citizen science projects. The aim of CitieS-Health is to find an effective model of citizen science projects at the maximum collaboration level in the field of environmental health. The project will develop participatory citizen science projects in five diverse European cities (Barcelona, Kaunas, Ljubljana, Amsterdam, Lucca) assessing urban air and noise pollution, wood burning, urban design and mobility. In the Netherlands, the project will primarily address wood burning and health issues. The project will involve measurements of exposure and health, to be developed with citizens and other stakeholders, including the Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam.

As a PhD candidate you will be responsible for developing the Dutch project in close collaboration with the international partners. You will publish the findings as papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals. These papers will form the basis of your PhD thesis. 

Candidates should have a Master's degree and have a strong interest in epidemiology, environment and participatory research. Especially candidates with an interest in crossing disciplinary boundaries are encouraged to apply. Experience in environmental epidemiology or working with citizens is a strength. The candidate should be able to work independently and have good verbal and written communication skills in English and Dutch.

We offer a fulltime position, initially for a period of three years, with a possible extension for another year. The monthly salary is based on experience and qualifications, and ranges from a minimum of €2,325 to a maximum of €2,972 per month (scale P according to the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities). Salaries are supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8,3%. Utrecht University offers excellent secondary benefits including collective insurance schemes, an excellent pension scheme and flexible employment conditions. For more information: Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has a unique position in the Netherlands. Not only is this the only institution where Veterinarians are trained, researchers are also working together on innovative scientific research. In addition, the Faculty provides specialist clinical care in the largest academic veterinary hospital in Europe. Thanks to this position, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is a point of contact for all veterinary matters, both nationally and increasingly internationally. The Faculty employs approximately 900 Veterinarians, Scientists and support staff and counts 1,500 students.

The project will be performed within the environmental epidemiology division of the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS). IRAS is an inter-facultary research institute within the Faculties of Veterinary Medicine and Medicine, of Utrecht University. Its mission is to provide education and research on the human and environmental health risks of exposure to potentially harmful agents in the environment where research takes places within the domains Toxicology, Environmental Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health. The position is funded by the EU and will be linked to the Utrecht Exposome Hub.