The VU Amsterdam has the ambition of fostering research and education that contribute to (local) societal issues. This contribution can be realized, amongst other forms, through transdisciplinary approaches that promotes students’ learning through their active participation in experiences of community/public engagement. It is not only beneficial for students and teachers for improving social engagement and enhancing skills and aptitudes, but also to community partners to address pertinent issues in the society.
This PhD position involves research on development of competencies among students through transdisciplinary processes that involve engagement of academic and non-academics actors. Engaged learning is a form of transdisciplinary process that promotes students’ learning through their active participation in experiences of community/public engagement. While much is known about the varied competencies that students can develop through engaged learning, there is a dearth of evidence on how these competencies are shaped and developed, interlinked, and how the level of participation/engagement in such processes affect the level of competencies they develop. Further, it is of importance to understand how these competencies developed through engaged learning can lead to actual broadening of minds and/or ‘transforming’ of students, teachers and community partners, and to supporting goals relating to reciprocity between academic and non-academic stakeholders. To do so, a combination of qualitative methods (literature review, interviews, focus groups) and quantitative methods (surveys, experiments) will be used.

Your duties

As a Ph.D. student on these projects your main tasks and responsibilities are:

• to work in close collaboration with the community service learning (CSL) team, and students, teachers and community partners.
• to carry out literature study, surveys, interviews, and focus groups with stakeholders to understand how competences are developed in public engagement processes within VU Amsterdam.
• to develop new ideas and insights which will lead to international publications and a Ph.D. thesis
• to assist in teaching activities of the department

Your work will be supported with committed supervision and additional training in methods you are not familiar with. If you share our enthusiasm for the academic challenges and relevance of the proposed research topic and meet the requirements below, then we encourage you to apply for the position.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, curious, and creative candidate who has:

• a master’s degree preferably in the field of science or a related field with interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary focus
• practical experience with qualitative research methods: collection or analysis of interviews/focus groups (knowledge of Atlas.ti, NVIVO, or comparable is an advantage) and/or practical experience with quantitative methods: statistical analysis (SPSS, STATA, or R)
• previous experience with one or more of the following: participatory methodologies, mixed-methods research approach, stakeholder interaction, or other co-creative processes
• Good organizational, networking and communication skills to interact and connect successfully with students, lecturers, community partners, other stakeholders as well as researchers of other disciplines
• fluency in spoken and written English and Dutch are essential
• the ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• strong track record and research skills, relative to experience, and excellent academic writing and presentation skills

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of  €2,395 (PhD) and a maximum €3,061 (PhD) based on full-time employment. The job profile is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FT. The PhD student can choose to divide their duties between either 75% research - 15% education - 10% other activities or 50% research - 40% education - 10% other activities.  With the 40% education option there is the possibility of obtaining BKO qualification

The appointment will initially be for 1 year with a possible extension conditional upon assessment of adequate functioning.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment,
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus,
• solid pension scheme (ABP),
• possibility to save holiday hours, for sabbatical leave,
• child daycare facilities available on campus

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,000 students. We employ over 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

The Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 6,000 students.
 
Athena Institute, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences
The position is offered within the Athena Institute, Faculty of Science. The institute’s mission is to study and design interfaces between science and society to contribute both to a deeper understanding of innovation processes as well as a responsible implementation of research and innovation in society. Athena’s research program amongst other focuses on analysing complex global health challenges, designing interventions and conducting participatory monitoring and evaluation research. 
For more information about the Athena Institute visit our website.