This is a fixed-term, 24-month post-doctoral position under the supervision of Dr Richard Rijnks. The aim of this post-doctoral position is to gain insights into the complex interactions between, on the one hand, social entrepreneurs and vulnerable individuals in rural areas, and, on the other hand, mental healthcare providers and individuals in vulnerable situations. The key methodological tools for these studies are digital ethnography and conventional primary data collection (surveys, interviews). The post is part of two Horizon Europe projects: INSPIRE and EQUICARES.

INSPIRE is a three year EU Horizon project that aims to provide a thorough understanding of social inclusion, trends, and challenges in rural areas. It is specifically targeted towards hard-to-reach populations, and aims to incorporate novel methodological advances to improve our understanding of these processes and point towards potential interventions. EQUICARES is a four year EU Horizon project that will investigate inequalities to mental health service accessibility for people in vulnerable situations, identify potential solutions, and pilot innovative activities tailored towards vulnerable populations.

The University of Groningen is responsible for deploying both conventional and novel methods for data analysis to study the way that providers of services for vulnerable groups interact with their populations. For both INSPIRE and EQUICARES, this involves using digital ethnographies within existing online communities to establish the patterns of interactions and manner of diffusion of service provision. These data will be complemented by data from a bespoke survey, designed and analysed in this post-doc, and conducted by the pilot partners in the pilot regions. The results from the digital ethnographies will feed into spatial micro-simulation and agent-based-modelling, to be conducted at a later stage by other members of the team.

The post-doctoral researcher will work with an international team of researchers across Europe. The University of Groningen team of researchers also includes Prof. Dimitris Ballas, Prof. Aleid Brouwer, Prof. Viola Angelini, and Prof. Milena Nikolova. You will be based in the Faculty of Spatial Sciences and will be responsible for liaising with relevant partners and for collecting and analyzing suitable datasets as well as for developing suitable digital ethnographic models. You will also take the lead in the analysis of model outputs and writing up the results as scientific manuscripts.spatial

Organisation
The University of Groningen (founded 1614) is a research university with a global outlook and is currently in the top 100 universities worldwide on several influential ranking lists. The University creates and shares knowledge through its outstanding research, scholarship and education. With an academic tradition dating back to 1614 and a rich heritage, the University is a unique academic community with a strong sense of belonging and a culture of innovative education and research.

The Faculty of Spatial Sciences is a growing faculty with an open character. With approximately 100 employees and 100 PhDs, we focus on highly qualified education and research in the field of planning, demography and geography. With two bachelor's degrees and seven master's programs, the faculty offers broad training opportunities to around 1,100 students all over the world. Our motto is: we are making places better together.

We are looking for candidates who have

- A PhD in Geography, Economics, Regional Science or any other related discipline (with a strong social science component).
- Good writing skills and fluency in written and spoken English; experience in academic writing in English; preferably mastering some Dutch or willing to learn Dutch.
- A proven track-record of scientific publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.
- Experience with (digital) ethnography.
- Experience with primary data collection through surveys and interviews.
- A willingness and ability to liaise with project partners and stakeholders in INSPIRE and EQUICARES projects.
- Knowledge of service provisions, rural SMEs, and mental health services are desirable.
- A willingness and ability to liaise with research using quantitative geographical methods is desirable.
- Experience working in large European consortium projects is desirable.

Fixed-term contract: 24 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities

- A salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, with a minimum of € 4,020 to a maximum of € 5,278 (salary scale 10) gross per month for a full-time position.
- Excluding 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, participation in a pension scheme for employees and excellent secondary benefits. We offer 232 holiday hours per calendar year for a full-time employment.
- An appointment on a temporary basis for 24 months.

For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/

The appointee will ideally commence on 1 February 2024