PhD researcher ‘Transparency in administrative decision-making: Single-case decisions under open government’

The Department of Public Law and Governance has a vacancy within the CITaDOG project for a legal PhD Researcher who has a strong interest in the (legal) consequences of open government for administrative single-case decision-making. Are you eager to discover how open government can transform administrative single-case decision-making into a more comparative (case-inclusive) process? And do you want to join a promising and multidisciplinary team with young and leading scholars in the field? Then check www.citadog.nl and discover whether this is the ideal PhD project for you!

Tilburg Law School is seeking an enthusiastic colleague for the position of a legal PhD researcher on the topic of ‘open’ administrative decision-making in the Department of Public Law and Governance.

The large majority of administrative decision-making deals with individual cases, such as sanctioning, licensing and subsidising. The rule of law requires these ‘single-case decisions’ to be consistent with previous decisions. For citizens, however, it is often difficult, if not impossible to compare their case with other relevant cases, because existing publication obligations deal with general legislation and policy rules only and hardly with single-case decisions. Modern open government legislation, such as the Open Government Act in the Netherlands, can act as a game changer here, as it increasingly requires administrative single-cases decisions to be disclosed publicly to everyone.

Central to this research are the legal effects of public disclosure of administrative single-case decisions to the process of administrative single-case decision-making. The public availability of single-case decisions can drastically transform the process of decision-making. In particular, administrative decision-making will become more comparative (‘case-inclusive’), since citizens are no longer only aware of the applicable legal rule, but also of the way this rule has been applied in other cases. As a result, existing transparency obligations, such as the right of access to one’s own file and the duty to proper reason-giving, need to be operationalized in a different, case-inclusive way. This PhD project therefore aims to analyze in-depth the legal consequences of ‘open’ administrative decision-making, where appropriate complemented by a legal theory or legal comparison perspective. Why should single-case decisions be made public? To what extent are governments bound by decisions that have been taken before in similar cases (‘stare decisis’)? In the end, this research will contribute to a reappraisal of the administrative decision as a new and distinct source of law, next to legislation and case-law.

This PhD position is part of the research project ‘Case-Inclusive Transparency for a Digital and Open Government’ (CITaDOG), which is funded by the Digital Sciences for Society program of Tilburg University, and of the NWO Vidi project ‘Administrative Decision-Making in Times of Open Government: from Rule to Case Transparency’ (2024-2028). CITaDOG consists of a multidisciplinary team of researchers (law, public administration, computer science, social psychology) and is supported by different collaborating partners representing both the government and the citizen perspective. You will be one of the four PhD candidates within the research team and will be supervised by inspiring scholars from different disciplines. Every week, we come together as a research team to discuss the most recent developments relevant to our fields of interest. For more information on CITaDOG, check https://www.citadog.nl en  https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about/digital-sciences-society/projects/case-inclusive-transparency

Tilburg University is curious about how you can contribute to our research, education, impact, and to the team you will be part of. Therefore, we would like to get the best possible picture of your knowledge, insight, skills, and personality. Below you can find the qualifications we consider important for the position.

The candidate:

• has completed a (research) master’s degree in law or any related discipline (or will do so in August 2025 ultimately);
• has a clear interest in issues of open government, administrative decision-making and/or legal argumentation
• can demonstrate excellent skills in conducting academic research
• has affinity with a positivist approach towards (administrative) law, but is also capable of combining this approach with other (legal) approaches
• is eager to reach out to other academic disciplines in order to strengthen research in public law
• is enthusiastic to perform research as part of a research team
• is equipped to contribute to the outreach activities of CITaDOG;
• has excellent writing and communication skills in both Dutch and English. 

To maintain a vibrant and active university community, it is important that we meet each other regularly and that the connection between us remains good. Therefore, the premise is that all staff members carry out their work in the Netherlands and that lecturing is done physically.

• You demonstrate personal leadership: you take responsibility for your work and career and possess a good level of self-knowledge.  
• You have team spirit: you feel part of a team and express this through collaboration, sharing knowledge and experiences, and contributing to an open and inclusive work environment.

Tilburg University offers excellent terms of employment with attention to flexibility and room for (personal) development. We recognize and reward our employees and encourage the use of talents and strengths.

Tilburg University is committed to an open and inclusive culture, embracing diversity, and encouraging the mutual integration of groups of staff and students. We create equal opportunities for all our staff and students so that everyone feels at home in our university community. 

We work in a vibrant and lively (work) environment on our beautiful campus, close to the forest and easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and challenge you to make an active contribution to this. 

For this position, we offer:

• Employment of 0,8 – 1,0 fte (32 - 40 hours per week). 
• Salary between €amount and €amount gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Promovendus, salary scale P). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience. 
• This is a vacancy for a PhD in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 8 sub b CLA DU. You will initially be given a temporary contract for the duration of 18 months.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. 
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave. 
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month). 
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport. 
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training. 
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions). 
• 30% rule for international employees (if applicable). 
• Pension through ABP. 
• Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses. 
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities. 
• Green ago campus with good public transport accessibility.

For more information, please see our website and the CLA Dutch Universities. 

Tilburg University's motto is Understanding Society. Based on this vision, our almost 2,800 employees conduct research, inspire more than 19,000 students of 110 nationalities, and bring people from different disciplines and organizations together to learn from each other. In this way, we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. In doing so, we work from the fields of economics, business and entrepreneurship, social and behavioral sciences, law and public administration, humanities and digital sciences, and theology. We seek the connection between the various disciplines to find solutions to the major issues we face as a society. Our students are educated to become responsible and entrepreneurial thinkers, driven by solidarity, a sense of responsibility, and empathy, who are able to influence and give direction to a rapidly changing society in an innovative way. Tilburg University has a culture of collaboration and co-creation, at local, regional, national, and international level.

About Tilburg Law School
Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe. Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society. Tilburg Law School is organized into five Departments: Public Law and Governance; Law, Technology, Markets and Society; Private, Business and Labour Law; the Fiscal Institute Tilburg; and Criminal Law. The mission of the School is to understand and improve the role of law and public administration in addressing the social problems of today and tomorrow. Through research and education, our scholars contribute to that mission. 

More than 4,000 students pursue a Bachelor's, pre-Master's or Master's degree at Tilburg Law School. Through this education, we train students in law, public administration, and data science. The Tilburg Educational Profile (TEP) is unique in the Netherlands. Central to it are three core concepts: knowledge, skill and character. A university education provides students with the latest substantive knowledge and trains them to be critical thinkers and resilient professionals. In addition, the School is committed to innovative educational concepts and, partly in response to the coronavirus crisis, has invested heavily in the quality of online education and in innovative didactic tools to make and keep students inquisitive. 

Tilburg Law School's research is highly regarded nationally and internationally. The Tilburg Law School Departments work closely together in their research in four signature research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) Regulating Socio-Technical Change; 3) Connecting Responsible Organizations; and 4) Crime, Criminal Justice and Vulnerability Theory. 

The Department of Public Law & Governance (PLG) is a unique collaboration of researchers in the fields of International Law, European law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Public Administration, Legal Philosophy, Political Science, Legal History, and Jurisprudence. Collaboration within the Department is very much inspired by joint research interests.

We invite you to apply online for this position by June 29, 2025 (23:59 CEST). 
More information about the vacancy can be obtained from prof. mr. dr. C.J. (Johan) Wolswinkel c.j.wolswinkel@tilburguniversity.edu.

Please attach the following documents to the application:

1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Official copy of your university degree
4. Grade lists
5. Research idea (max. 2 pages)
6. Best publication and publication list (if available)
7. Contact information of at least two referees (including name, phone number, and e-mail address).