Postdoctoral Researcher in Digital Democratic Innovations (1.0 FTE)

We are seeking a fixed-term, 24-month, postdoctoral researcher with a profile in democratic theory and a specialization in digital democracy. The aim of the postdoctoral position is to investigate the democratic standards underpinning the design of digital democratic platforms, such as inclusiveness, safe participation, deliberative quality and representativity. The post-doctoral researcher will work with an international and interdisciplinary team of researchers, with a specific focus on inclusion.

The Horizon Europe project PERYCLES, “Participatory dEmocRacY that sCaLES” started in January 2025 under the coordination of the University of Groningen. Civil society and public authorities from all levels of government are turning to digital democracy tools to improve citizens’ participation in democratic processes and the legitimacy of policy decisions. Yet democratic technology is currently developed and deployed without evidence-based methods for designing and validating it. PERYCLES tackles the challenge of developing such methods. It will analyze and test open-source software solutions for democratic deliberation that can be deployed at multiple levels of governance while confidently safeguarding the democratic quality of the processes they support. PERYCLES builds on a tightly-knit international and interdisciplinary consortium of six academic partners and three societal partners.

Organisation
The position is within the scientific staff of the faculty Campus Fryslân (CF). CF is the youngest and eleventh faculty of the University of Groningen, with the beautiful building De Beurs in Leeuwarden as its home base. Here, students receive innovative education, and passionate researchers study global themes for which local solutions are sought. Our motto is therefore: Global challenges, local solutions.

Our research focuses on the following areas:

- Circular Society and Economy
- Sustainable Environment and Well-being
- Responsible Governance and Technology

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programmes and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage more than 34,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global centre of knowledge.

We are looking for a candidate who has

- A PhD in political theory, philosophy or related field. PhD researchers close to completion will also be considered.
- Expertise in democratic theory and digital democracy.
- Excellent writing skills and fluency in written and spoken English; experience in academic writing in English.
- A proven track-record of scientific publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.
- A willingness and ability to liaise with project partners and stakeholders in the PERYCLES project.
- A willingness to engage in interdisciplinary collaborations.

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 € 3,378 (salary scale 10.0) to a maximum of € 4,537 (salary scale 10.7) 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 appointment will begin as soon as agreed with the supervisor(to be discussed with the candidate).

Elise Roumeas
e.roumeas@rug.nl

Candidates must submit the following documents:

- A recent curriculum vitae.
- A motivational letter of a maximum of one A4 page.
- A writing sample (published or unpublished) on a relevant topic.
The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/

Candidates may apply for this opportunity until 20 March 11:59pm / before 21 March 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

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