PhD positions in Empirical Legal Studies (Groningen Graduate School of Law)

Interested in doing a PhD at the Faculty of Law? We currently have two PhD positions available. If successful, you will develop your own research proposal related to the Empirical Legal Studies focus area.

You will conduct research and participate in the Groningen Graduate School of Law (GGSL)’s training programme. You will also be required to teach for a small part of your appointment. You will have plenty of opportunities to participate in international conferences and national and international workshops and seminars. Agreements regarding training and supervision will be recorded in your personal training and supervision plan.

Candidates for this position should:

● have completed or be about to complete a university degree, preferably in law and/or in a field relevant to the proposed research (e.g. sociology, psychology or criminology)
● have demonstrable affinity/experience with carrying out empirical legal research
● have good academic skills and writing skills
● be able to plan and carry out their work independently
● have the following competences:
○ analytical skills
○ a focus on results
○ a critical research attitude
○ perseverance.

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

● a gross monthly salary between € 2,395 and € 3,061 (scale P) for a full-time position
● an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus over the annual gross income
● good secondary terms of employment
● an initial temporary contract for 18 months of 1.0 FTE; in principle, the appointment is for the period of four years. In the event of a positive appraisal, the contract will be extended for the remainder of programme. The place of employment is Groningen.

Start date: no later than 1 August 2021

The University of Groningen (UG) is an internationally orientated university that collaborates with renowned universities outside The Netherlands, including those in Uppsala, Göttingen and Ghent. The UG has around 35,000 students and 6,000 staff from The Netherlands and around the world. It is committed to actively cooperating with its partners in society, with a special focus on its research themes of Healthy Ageing, Energy and Sustainable Society. The University comprises 11 faculties, the University Library, the Center for Information Technology and the University Museum.

Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law at the University of Groningen is a modern, nationally and internationally oriented faculty with a broad and classical profile. Although it has a rich history dating back over 400 years, the Faculty continues to update its teaching programmes in order to train broadly oriented and skilled lawyers. Its research largely transcends legal fields and is multidisciplinary in nature. The Faculty of Law has over 4900 students and almost 400 staff members, making it one of the medium-sized faculties at the University of Groningen.

Empirical Legal Studies
The Empirical Legal Studies focus area is concerned with implementing, aligning and integrating empirical research into the consequences of law in a range of legal fields. The research focuses on the effects of law on: those using legal procedures, the level of trust in the justice system and the significance of public interests in private relationships. These perspectives should be reflected in the research proposal.

Departments and research programmes
You will be appointed as a member of staff at one of the Faculty’s departments. You will conduct your research under one of the Faculty’s seven research programmes:

1. Effective Criminal Law
2. Law on Energy and Sustainability
3. Protecting European Citizens and Market Participants
4. Transboundary Legal Studies
5. User-friendly Private Law
6. Public Interests and Private Relationships
7. Public Trust and Public Law.

Research proposal
In your research proposal, you should specify how your research relates to the Empirical Legal Studies focus area, explain the role of empirical legal research in answering the research question and indicate to which of the Faculty’s research programmes the proposed research corresponds.

GGSL
The Groningen Graduate School of Law (GGSL) will supervise you as a PhD student throughout the entire programme. The GGSL organises the degree and training programmes for Research Master’s students and PhD students at the Faculty of Law. PhD students are welcomed in a stimulating and inspiring research environment, as evidenced by the research visitation in 2017, which rated the Faculty’s research as ‘very good’. The GGSL received praise for the way in which PhD students are supported and supervised from the start of their programme until their PhD ceremony.