• Conduct research on the project topic, resulting in several papers in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Participate in the teaching and research activities of the Theoretical Philosophy group, depending on the candidate’s need and availability.
• Co-supervise the Ph.D. student and supervise students in the Department’s Bachelor and Masters programs.
• Participate in the university’s grant-writing support program and submit at least one proposal to a national or international funding agency.
• Co-organize and coordinate project workshops and other events.

The candidate should have a Ph.D. degree in Philosophy (or an approved thesis and a set defense date) with a strong academic record and demonstrable affinity with contemporary analytic (social) epistemology. Familiarity with psychology and/or political philosophy or political science is a plus. Excellent spoken and written English, as well as strong academic writing skills are essential.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

• The appointment will initially be for 12 months. After satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, it can be extended for a total duration of three years.
• Preferred starting date: Fall 2017, but no later than December 2017.

You can find information about our excellent fringe benefits of employment at http://www.workingatvu.nl like:
• remuneration of 8,3% end-of-year bonus and 8% holiday allowance
• solid pension scheme (ABP);
• a minimum of 29 holidays in case of full-time employment;
• possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave;
• generous contribution (65%) commuting allowance based on public transport.

Salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, starting at € 3238.– gross per month based on full-time employment.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) is a leading, innovative and growing university that is at the heart of society and actively contributes to new developments in teaching and research. Our university has ten faculties, and provides work for over 4,500 staff and scientific education for more than 23,000 students.

The Department of Philosophy, which is one of three departments of the Faculty of Humanities, is a vibrant and international community of philosophers committed to high-quality teaching and research in diverse areas of philosophy. The Theoretical Philosophy group, where the current position is based, was evaluated as the best group in theoretical philosophy among all participating groups during the last QANU research visitation.

The position is part of Dr. Jeroen de Ridder’s NWO-funded Vidi project ‘Knowledgeable Democracy: A Social-Epistemological Inquiry’, which is devoted to evaluating the knowledge-producing potential of liberal democracies. The postdoc project is located at the intersection of social epistemology, cognitive (social) psychology, and political philosophy. Its key concern is exploring to what extent empirical results from cognitive (social) psychology undermine the ideal that liberal democracies are good at producing rationally grounded belief and knowledge. It will be carried out in close collaboration with the project’s principal investigator, Jeroen de Ridder, the PhD student Thirza Lagewaard, and a student assistant. The position includes ample funding for research and travel. A full project description is available for download here.