As a PhD candidate in the exciting project 'A bitter pill? How the use of oral contraceptives can lead to increased mood and anxiety disorders' you will be working at the Departments of Experimental and Clinical Psychology. You will conduct complex longitudinal data-analysis on already existing data, while setting up experimental studies that are focused on emotion regulation and stress resilience in first-time oral contraceptive users. The PhD candidate can be embedded in a postgraduate school: The Helmholtz Research School and the Experimental PsychoPathology Research School. By doing so, the candidate will have a stimulating environment in which he/she can learn from peers and an extensive network of international researchers. Read more about the project here (.pdf).

Job tasks/responsibilities

• Conducting the research (literature research, recruiting schools, collecting and analyzing data, reporting the results), resulting in international scientific publications and a dissertation.
• Assist in data collection.
• Present results at national and international scientific conferences.
• Teaching (max. 10%).
• Active participation in the research group of the project and of the Department.
• Affinity with communication of findings to a broader audience (general practitioners, media, users).
• Ambition to collaborate with (inter)national partners and to pay visits to these partners.

We are looking for someone who:

• holds (or nearly holds) a Master’s degree in Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology or Experimental/Biological Psychology or a related field;
• preferably has affinity with neuroendocrinology, psychophysiology (EEG,EMG) and/or anxiety and mood disorders;
• has good social skills;
• is effective and efficient, and able to think conceptually;
• is able to meet deadlines, and conduct research independently and as part of a team;
• has good communication skills (written and oral) in Dutch and English and exceptional statistical skills.

We offer a temporary position (1.0 FTE) for one year, starting preferably October 1, 2019. Upon a positive performance, the appointment will be extended for three further years. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between €2,325 and €2,972 (scale P according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, (partly paid) parental leave, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at our website: 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 societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

Utrecht is a young and vibrant city with a large academic population, around 30 minutes south of Amsterdam. It combines a beautiful old city centre with a modern university. Utrecht has an excellent quality of life, with plenty of green space and a strong bicycle culture.

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the leading Faculties in Europe providing research and academic teaching in Interdisciplinary Social Science, Cultural Anthropology, Educational Sciences, Pedagogical Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology. More than 5,600 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes. The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has some 850 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.