The Utrecht University School of Governance (USG) is seeking to appoint a Full Professor for the new Chair ‘Sport & Society’. This chair is aimed at the development and utilization of theoretically-based and empirically-substantiated knowledge about the societal impact of sport and the creation of public value through sport. The chair’s focus is on the way that public matters become apparent in sports, in what way and under what conditions sports give rise to, increase, tackle or reduce public issues, and how sports organisations interpret their public responsibility in the light of these issues.

The chair’s remit also includes the development and dissemination of knowledge about the question how being physically active and practicing sports relate to each other in this regard (and within sport: both elite and grassroots sports). By extension, the chair holder will reflect critically on the governance and organisation in and of sport (in particular with respect to the regulatory autonomy of national and international sport bodies) and the instrumental ambitions that emerge in sport policy. At the same time, the chair holder will develop knowledge about alternative approaches and opportunities for solutions to dilemmas that ease the creation of public values in and via sports.

The chair holder will encourage an international and multidisciplinary approach, in conjunction with scientific networks centred on Utrecht University’s strategic themes (in particular ‘Institutions for Open Societies’ and ‘Dynamics of Youth’), Utrecht University’s focus area ‘Sport & Society’, and the Vitality Academy that has been established together with research groups of University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU) and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). This collaboration offers opportunities for the connection of the chair with legal, economic, medical, technological, and geographical expertise in order to allow for the utilization of knowledge about, for instance, urban planning and industrial design, and the implementation of new methods such as the use of accelerometrics, GPS and mobile technology.

The chair holder will ensure the further positioning and profiling of the research group within the international academic community. Building on the strong position that the research group has established in contract funding in the Netherlands, the chair will be primarily aimed at the expansion of research funded by, for instance, the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), and from other revenues, like the European Union, non-governmental organisations, and the business sector.

The chair holder will act as an anchor and source of inspiration for the master’s programme in Sport Policy and Sport Management that USG has provided since 2004 as part of the master’s degree programme in Public Administration and Organisation Science. This master’s programme is the only academic master’s degree programme in the Netherlands in this field. The chair holder will also contribute to the further strengthening of the Global Programme ‘Sport for Development’ that is provided from the 2017-2018 academic year as an honour’s track within the master’s programme Sport Policy and Sport Management, in collaboration with the universities of Johannesburg (South Africa) and Tsukuba (Japan).

You must have an excellent track record in research, teaching and leadership. The Chair holder is expected to:

• contribute to the further implementation of the Public Matters research programme of the Utrecht School of Governance, in particular the core theme/focal point of Sport & Society, and to set up and conduct research in the field of the chair’s remit;
• contribute in this research to Utrecht University’s focus area ‘Sport & Society’ and the inter-university collaboration in the Vitality Academy;
• set up, apply for and supervise interdisciplinary and international research projects within the framework of, for instance, NWO and EU-funded programmes;
• develop and provide teaching activities in the field of the chair within the Public Administration and Organisation Science master’s programme of Sport Policy & Sport Management and the Vitality Academy in cooperation with the UMCU and TU/e;
• conduct administrative and coordinating tasks linked to the focus area and the collaboration with UMCU and TU/e.

To this end, you are expected to:

• have a PhD degree in a relevant discipline;
• be an international leader or promising talent in the field of expertise with demonstrable output, utilization and recognition in the academic field and external target groups;
• play a committed role in (inter-)national activities in scientific and/or societal communities that are of use to the further internationalization of the research and education in the field of the chair at USG;
• have high potential for the acquisition of external research funds;
• have experience in supervising young researchers, including PhDs and postdocs;
• have experience with the setting up and carrying out of inspiring teaching activities at the master’s degree and PhD levels;
• hold the Basic and Senior Teaching and Research Qualification, or a similar qualification, or is considered to be able to obtain this in the short term;
• be a team player that combines commitment and loyalty with a critical-constructive attitude toward the organisation, colleagues, and students;
• have experience in administrative and management roles, preferably at a university.

Utrecht University employs a system of quality assessment for teaching and research, with consequences for career development. This system implies that, in addition to having a PhD in a relevant field of research, an eligible candidate also possesses appropriate senior level academic teaching and senior research qualifications; the Faculty may use an assessment as an instrument in the selection procedure.

We offer a position as full professor at 0.8 -1.0 FTE for a period of five years.

The gross salary varies on previous qualifications and experience, and will correspond to full time appointment on scale H2 of the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities (ranges between €5,334 and €7,766 per month in 2017). Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, there are outstanding secondary benefits such as an excellent pension plan, a partially paid parental leave and flexible employment conditions. You'll find more information about working at Utrecht University here.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, colleagues from various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance is a faculty at the heart of society, with a strong focus on social issues. Our subjects of Law, Economics and Governance give us a strong mix of academic disciplines that complement and enhance each other. This is a unique combination and a mark of our faculty's strength.

The Utrecht University School of Governance is one of the departments of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance. USG’s research, education, and consultancy are characterized by interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cooperation and focuses on the governance and organisation of public issues. This cooperation allows for versatile research approaches based on a strong disciplinary embedding in the public administration and organisation science. To this end, the USG academic staff is divided into the two sections of ‘Organisation and Management’ and ‘Public Governance and Management’.