We are looking for a PhD candidate to join our international research team. The position is part of the 5-year research programme, funded by the European Research Council (ERC), entitled “Reputation Matters in the Regulatory State: Re-thinking the Fundamentals of Regulatory Independence, Credibility and Accountability” (EU_RICA), led by Dr. Madalina Busuioc (principal investigator). For more information see the project website: euricaerc.eu

Accountability is a fundamental principle of public administration and a key concern of modern governance. This project focuses on the account-holders (accountability forums), the institutional actors that hold others to account and are meant to act as checks on power and punish misconduct i.e., bodies such as executive actors, EU/national parliaments, audit bodies, ombudsmen, courts. Despite their central role in accountability, the behaviour and motivations of such actors are severely under-studied and under-theorised. Are the watchmen we entrust with guarding good governance and the health of our public institutions conscientious in carrying out their account-holding responsibilities? Or to the contrary, are they asleep “at the wheel”?

Empirical insights indicate that the “appetite” for accountability can vary significantly among account-holders, and neglect of accountability roles is reported for a host of such bodies. A variety of political or bureaucratic account-holders (such as MPs, MEPs, bureaucratic superiors or management board representatives) are found to fail to take interest in accountability processes, to scrutinise the performance of their agents, or to sanction agent misbehaviour despite explicit responsibilities in this regard. The project aims to gain an in-depth understanding of account-holders’ incentives and motivations, explain variations in account-holders’ interest and intensity of oversight, and develop more accurate theoretical predictions with respect to account-holders’ behaviour in accountability. See project outline: Understanding Institutions of Accountability: What Drives Account-holders’ Focus and Interest in Accountability?

The project centers on studying accountability in a regulation context. The project is comparative, cross-national, with a specific focus on a selected sample of (EU-level and national) jurisdictions and a variety of different types of account-holders.

You will have the opportunity to develop as an academic, to hone your research and methods skills, as part of an enthusiastic, multi-disciplinary team carrying out an ambitious and innovative EU-funded project, within a thriving public administration department.

• We are looking for a motivated candidate who can make the sub-project his/her own intellectual product, while executing the project in synergy with the other projects in the programme and in line with the demands and deliverables of the overall ERC programme;
• A completed (or will have completed prior to start date) Master’s degree in public administration/political science, or another relevant field of social sciences;
• Knowledge of and strong interest in the research topic;
• Possess solid training in research methods (both quantitative and qualitative skills are a plus) and willingness and interest to develop these skills further during the PhD;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and the ability to effectively communicate with external audiences; Working knowledge of another EU Member State language is a plus;
• An outstanding, demonstrable track-record of academic performance;
• Interest and enthusiasm for comparative public administration and regulation research.

The successful candidate will be part of an ambitious and dynamic research team. We offer a fixed-term post for a period of one year with an extension of additional three years after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility. Ultimately the appointment must lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. Start date: preferably June 2018 but no later than 1st September 2018.
Salary ranges from €2,222 gross per month in the first year to €2,840 gross per month in year four, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions. 

All our PhD candidates are embedded in the graduate school of the Netherlands Institute of Government www.utwente.nl/nig/training/. The graduate school offers a combination of courses and tutorials, which aim at increasing disciplinary knowledge and methodology.

Diversity
Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Universiteit Leiden

Leiden is a typical university city, hosting the oldest university in the Netherlands (1575). The University permeates the local surroundings; University premises are scattered throughout the city, and the students who live and study in Leiden give the city its relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere.

Leiden University is one of Europe's foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge in applying for academic posts and for functions outside academia. More at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at.

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs

The project is embedded at the Institute of Public Administration of Leiden University. The Institute is one of the largest and oldest institutes of academic research and teaching in the field of public administration in the Netherlands. The Institute combines a solid international academic reputation with a central positioning among the international, national, regional and local governance institutions of The Hague. The Institute of Public Administration has consistently received high ratings in peer reviews of both its teaching and research programmes. The Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs offers academic education in the field of Public Administration, Safety and Security, and International Relations, as well as in-depth post-academic programmes for professionals. The Institute of Public Administration is located in the Wijnhaven building, on the university’s campus in The Hague. We are a mere five minutes’ walk from The Hague Central Station and a 20-minute bike/tram ride to the beach. 

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/governance-and-global-affairs