The successful applicant will work on a project titled “From Ideas to Actions: Decoding Nascent Entrepreneurship via Experiments and Machine Learning”, funded by a Dutch Research Council (NWO) Starter Grant.

In your PhD, you will embark on experimental research in the realm of entrepreneurship, especially:

• Psychology of Nascent Entrepreneurship: Experimentally exploring entrepreneurial imagination, creativity, and cognitive processing.
• Innovative Research Data and Methods: Identifying novel data types for entrepreneurship research, especially audio/video content, and the application of latest techniques, such as generative models and causal inference.
• We will support you to develop your own ideas in relation to these topics.

In your PhD journey, you'll receive training in quantitative empirical research and pre-registration, along with support for data collection, experimentation, and conference travel. You will craft and execute top-tier research, aiming for presentations and publications at leading conferences and journals. The members of the department have published their research in top-tier outlets, such as Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, among others.

We seek proactive, motivated individuals eager to pursue a potential academic career. You will join a supportive team aspiring to good standards of research and teaching. As a member of our research group, you will mostly interact with Dr. Jermain Kaminski, Dr. Catarina M. Santos, Dr. Simon Kleinert, and Prof. Dr. Martin Carree.

Candidates are expected to enter the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE) and to deliver a doctoral dissertation within three to four years (full-time). PhDs at our department are allocated 20% of teaching per year and do Bachelor thesis supervision in a colloquium (“thesis circle”).

• Inquisitive nature, with the curiosity to conduct academically challenging and practically relevant research
• Completed Master’s degree (MSc or MPhil) in Psychology, Business, Computational Social Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field (at the latest until February 2024)
• Graduation from a two-year (Research) Master program (120 ECTS) is not mandatory but preferred
• Prior research experience is helpful but not a necessity
• Proactive and creative in overcoming obstacles
• Well organized in data curation and analysis
• Skills in R and/or Python are a plus
• Good competence in written and spoken English

As PhD-candidate at School of Business and Economics, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile Promovendus, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2770,00 and €3539,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 18 months with a scope of 1.0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 2.5 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.
  The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University

Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

The School of Business and Economics

The School of Business and Economics (SBE) is one of Maastricht University’s six faculties. Our mission is to contribute to a better world by addressing societal problems, by co-creating knowledge and developing team players and leaders for the future.

By joining SBE, you will be part of the 1% of business schools worldwide to be Triple Crown accredited (EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA). You will join an inspiring and international environment, where learning and development is priority.