Postdoc: Neurodiversity & Higher Education

The ‘Dilemmas of Inclusion’ project brings together neurodivergent students and academic staff to design solutions for more inclusive teaching practices, culture and policy in higher education. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will engage with students and staff to collect rich data, perform qualitative analyses, co-author open-access papers, and co-create a dilemma game – a reflective tool for teachers, support staff, and policymakers. Your work will have a direct impact on creating an inclusive and equitable academic community.

Your job
The Department of Psychology at Utrecht University is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to research on neurodiversity and inclusive higher education. The position is part of a project: “Dilemmas of Inclusion: Engaging Multiple Stakeholders to Increase Inclusion of Neurodivergent Students in Higher Education”, which is funded by NWO.

What is the project about?
The growing number of neurodivergent students poses both opportunities and challenges for higher education. Strategies for supporting this group are still poorly understood and teachers face barriers in their implementation. For instance, while group work may be difficult for some students and alternatives are recommended, teachers may question how these accommodations align with their learning objectives and whether they are fair to other students. This study engages neurodivergent students in participatory research to identify strategies increasing their inclusion. Then, it examines challenges experienced by teaching and supporting staff in applying these strategies through a newly developed dilemma game to produce feasible recommendations and an educational tool for teachers.

What will you do?
As a postdoctoral researcher you will be involved in every stage of the research project, including preparing study protocols (in-depth interviews, diary studies and focus groups), recruiting participants (university students and staff), collecting and analysing data, and co-authoring research papers. They will work alongside the project leader, Dr Mateusz Płatos, and oversee the work of a student assistant.

You will:

• Co-develop diary and interview protocols with neurodivergent students and conduct these interviews;
• Conduct focus groups & dilemma-game workshops with lecturers, managers and support teams;
• Transcribe, code and thematically analyse qualitative data (NVivo);
• Co-create feasible, context-specific inclusion guidelines and a playable dilemma game;
• Co-write two open-access articles.

As part of the project, there is also an opportunity to obtain a temporary teaching position (0.4 FTE) in the first semester of the next academic year (September 2026 to February 2027). Therefore, previous teaching experience and teaching qualifications (BKO) would be advantageous.

We are looking for a collaborative, creative researcher with an inclusion mindset.

We are looking for you, if you have:

• A completed PhD in educational sciences, psychology, sociology or related field;
• Demonstrable interest in neurodiversity, disability or higher education studies;
• Strong communication skills in both English and Dutch;
• Good organizational and coordination skills demonstrated in previous work.

Furthermore your suitability is ideally exemplified by:

• Proven experience with qualitative data collection and participatory research;
• Published peer-reviewed work in the field of psychology or education;
• Previous teaching experience and teaching qualifications (BKO).

• a temporary position for one year;
• a working week of 7 - 8 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.546 and €4.728 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the leading faculties in Europe providing research and academic teaching in cultural anthropology, educational sciences, interdisciplinary social science, pedagogical sciences, psychology, and sociology. Almost 7,000 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes. The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has some 1,100 faculty and staff members, all providing their individual contribution to the training and education of young talent and to the research into and finding solutions for scientific and societal issues.

The faculty is located at Utrecht Science Park near the historical city centre of Utrecht.

For more information, please contact Dr Mateusz Płatos via M.P.Platos@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.