We offer an exciting postdoc position in a transdisciplinary research project on sustainable land use strategies. You will first study how values regarding land use change have changed over time through a media analysis. You will furthermore conduct experiments and surveys among consumers and citizens that will be implemented in multiple countries. This will help identify measures and designing interventions that can stimulate a change towards more sustainable behaviour.

You are involved in a new Horizon Europe project called PLUS Change (Planning Land Use Strategies: Meeting biodiversity, climate and social goals in a Changing world). PLUS Change pulls together expertise from across the social sciences, humanities, arts, environmental economics, and land system science. It identifies, assesses, and enhances sustainable land use strategies. PLUS Change also pinpoints the tangible policy, governance and behaviour interventions to achieve them. The project brings together scientists and land use decision-makers in 11 countries. VU’s Institute for Environmental Studies contributes to this project through land use change modelling, modelling behavioural change, and exploring the linkages between land use and behaviour. In this project, you collaborate with a PhD researcher, whose focus is on mapping Land Use Change in Europe.

Your duties

• you conduct research on land use values and behaviour
• you publish research results in international peer-reviewed journals and impact oriented journals
• you contribute to project tasks, such as organizing workshops and producing deliverables
• you contribute to our teaching at BSc and MSc levels.

• you have a PhD in (environmental) economics or a related discipline
• you have strong quantitative skills. Experience in conducting surveys or experiments is an advantage.
• you have a demonstrable interest in mixed methods research (media analysis, surveys, experiments)
• you have a proven interest in interdisciplinary work
• you have good communication skills in English and one other European language. Proficiency in Dutch is a strong advantage

We realize that each individual brings an unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognizes themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not (fully) meet all the requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

An exciting postdoc position in a socially-engaged organization with a supportive project team and an active early-career scientist community. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.226,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.090,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially start with a 1 year contract with the possibility to extend to 2,5 years in total.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.

We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.

Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.

About the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)
Established in 1971, IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM has been part of the Faculty of Science at VU Amsterdam (legal name Stichting VU).

The department of Environmental Economics (EE) leads the institute’s efforts in improving insights into the interaction between the environment and the economy. The department is one of the main groups of environmental economists in Europe, consisting of around 40 scientific staff and PhD researchers. The department strategy is to consolidate and further strengthen its position as a major player in the European field of environmental economics. Important fields of application include climate change, energy, circular economy, food, water, and ecosystem services. The philosophy of the EE department is to closely integrate its research projects with its teaching programme and to initiate and conduct research jointly with stakeholders and collaborating institutes.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely. - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 5,500 staff work at the VU and over 30,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of the VU. The VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.