Post-doc: Instruments for an Integral Assessment Framework for Future Pandemics

The Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) seeks to hire an ambitious post-doc researcher who is interested in participating in a pandemic preparedness project. This position is focused on research into integrated decision-making on government regulations during a pandemic, considering mental health, and social, economic and societal effects.

Join us!
In a ZonMw-funded project of 16 months, we aim to gain a better understanding of, among other things: (1) what are the key knowledge questions needed for integrated decision-making on pandemic mitigating measures to minimise the adverse health and societal effects of the pandemic as well as the potential policy measures; (2) what are the criteria for usable data to support integrated decision-making during a pandemic; (3) what research methods that meet these criteria are needed and available to answer the important knowledge questions, and (4) how relevant actionable knowledge can be communicated to decision-makers for the purpose of integrated decision-making. Methods include literature reviews and qualitative and quantitative interviews with experts

The post-doc will collaborate intensively with other post-docs examining, for example, physical health, vulnerable groups, and citizen engagement. This project is part of a work package within a large consortium involving over fifteen postdocs.

What are you going to do
Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Literature reviews and individual and group interviews with experts and policy makers;
• Selecting and reviewing research methods;
• Developing a fact sheet template on effects of pandemic measures;
• Writing up findings for publication in scientific journals;
• Collaborating with a highly interdisciplinary group of scientists and other stakeholders.

Would you like to contribute to policy for better pandemic preparedness and collaborate in a large multidisciplinary team? Do you have a broad multidisciplinary background in the social and behavioral sciences? Then you might be interested in this post-doc research position. This 16-month postdoc position will start on September 1, 2025.

What do you have to offer
You have:

• A PhD in Communication Science or a closely related discipline;
• Proven experience in pandemic preparedness research;
• Scientific creativity and productivity, as demonstrated in recent publications in international peer-reviewed journals and peer-reviewed conferences;
• Thorough knowledge of and skills in qualitative and quantitative (interview) studies with professionals;
• A proven background in interdisciplinary social scientific research;
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team;
• An excellent written and spoken command of the English language;
• Excellent social and organizational skills.

You are:

• Proven ability to think across disciplines and integrate knowledge from different academic disciplines (e.g., communication sciences, health psychology, social sciences, economics);
• A team player with proven strong interpersonal skills and experience in building contact with colleagues, experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders;
• Passionate about contributing through your research to future pandemic preparedness;
• Motivated to share your knowledge with both academic and non-academic audiences;
• Strongly committed to methodological rigor and scientific integrity (including Open Science).

What else do we offer you
We offer a temporary contract for 16 months for 0.8 fte to 1.0 fte (30.4-38.0 hours a week),. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO NU) is applicable.

The intended start date for this function is September 1, 2025.

The gross monthly salary based on full-time employment (38 hours per week) ranges from €4.537 up to a maximum of €6.209 gross per month (scale 11). This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus.

The Department of Communication at the UvA offers the option to combine the research tasks with teaching tasks, in which case the appointment can be extended to 1 fte.

In this team you will work
You will join the ‘Persuasive Communication’ programme group at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) of the UvA that is experienced in pandemic preparedness projects.

You will also be part of the Unity consortium, which is a collaboration between nine University Medical Centres, universities, and knowledge institutes. The consortium is coordinated by the Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center of Erasmus UMC.

The Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) is the research institute of the Communication Science department at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.

We offer a dynamic and inspiring work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for own initiative and further professional development and education.

Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Eager to start this position? Then we look forward to receiving your application on July 27 at the latest. You may apply online by using the link below.

In case of equal suitability, the internal candidate is preferred over the external candidate.

Applications should include:

• A curriculum vitae (including links to publications);
• A letter of up to 2 pages detailing how you meet the requirements.

We aim to invite potential candidates for interviews within two weeks after the closing date for an interview on August 20 or 21.