Do you enjoy:

• Doing (empirical) research in European law, in particular on fundamental rights litigation or citizen participation;
• Being part of a vibrant research community and of an international research project;
• Participating in academic exchanges.

Then the job of PhD researcher for the project RED SPINEL at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is perfect for you as a graduate of a Master study in European Law or a research master.

What are you going to do

RED-SPINEL stands for 'Respond to Emerging Dissensus: SuPranational Intruments and Norms of European democracy'. It is an interdisciplinary and intersectional research project bringing together 11 partner organisations from 8 European countries. The partners will jointly analyse the changing nature of dissensus surrounding liberal democracy and its implications for EU supranational policy instruments.

The research group at the Amsterdam Centre for European Law ACELG will focus on the question of how fundamental rights within the EU can be protected through expert knowledge, citizen participation and/or judicial instruments. Your PhD research project will be a substantial part of ACELG's contribution to the overall project.

Within the three years allocated to the project you will execute your PhD research in close collaboration with the other Amsterdam project team members and under the supervision of Professor Christina Eckes (UvA) and Professor Chiara Armeni (Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB), leading to completion and publication of a PhD dissertation. You will engage autonomously in the collection of empirical data (interviews; document analysis) and present intermediate research results in internal discussions and potentially at workshops and conferences.

The thought of doing PhD research makes you really enthusiastic. You are keen to combine desk research with empirical work and to turn your findings in a consistent piece of academic writing. You understand that achieving such a project within three years asks for dedication and efficient self-management. At the same time, you are open in your communication with your supervisors so that the project gets all the support available.

As far as your research interests go, you are willing to engage or potentially have experience with methods of adjacent disciplines and their respective methods (i.e. history, philosophy, political economy, political science, etc.).

In addition, you:

• Have a law degree, master's level or equivalent; a research master will be an advantage;
• are specialized in the field of European law;
• are proficient in English;
• have not yet been accepted for a PhD programme.

Your research will be carried out within the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance under the guidance of ACELG director and project leader Christina Eckes and co-supervised by Chiara Armeni (ULB). ACELG unites a diverse group of researchers with an interest in the institutional, constitutional and economic law of the European Union. The centre has a strong track-record of excellent research and sustains a dynamic research culture through a series of events and initiatives. Additionally, you will benefit from the collaboration in the international RED SPINEL consortium, including potentially research stays at ULB.

You will have the opportunity to participate in the Amsterdam Law School's PhD training programme and be part of its PhD community.

We offer an employment contract for one year with a probationary period of two months, preferably starting on 1 September 2022. The appointment will be extended for another two years upon favourable evaluation, i.e until 31 August 2025. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week.

Your salary in the first year will be €2,443 gross per month on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) is applicable.

Amsterdam Law School

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.

Amsterdam Law School

Committed, responsible and open-minded. This is how we at the Amsterdam Law School view the role of law in a constantly changing (international) society. With over 5,000 students and 550 staff, we are one of the larger law faculties in the Netherlands. We educate legal professionals who know how to apply the law effectively with the aim of actually contributing to solutions for society. We respond to social developments through innovative and pioneering research. In this way, we always keep in touch with society.

ACELG

The Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance is one of the leading research centres within the Amsterdam Law School. It is nationally and internationally recognized as a research centre that makes high level contributions to the academic and policy debate on legal and governance processes in Europe. ACELG ensures the quality of its research by providing for a vibrant environment, in which our researchers are encouraged to pursue excellence, seek recognition in the scholarly discourse, both internationally and nationally, attract external research funding, and publish in the leading peer reviewed journals.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.