This project is part of the European Research Council (ERC) project DONORS, a multidisciplinary scientific project on prosocial behaviour, with an open eye for a societally pressing topic, namely blood and organ donation. Duration of the PhD project is four years and the PhD candidate will participate in the VU Social Sciences Graduate School as well as in the PhD network at Sanquin Research Institute.

Your duties

• examine motivations and barriers for prosocial behaviour using large-scale survey and registry data
• collect and analyse information about macro-level indicators of blood, plasma and organ collection in Europe
• complete a (dissertation of a) series of journal articles in English
• social media and popular communication about the research results

• excellent training (MSc degree in e.g., sociology, economics, health sciences, social sciences or related discipline) in a Research Master program
• strong record in quantitative research methods, demonstrated by high grades for a Research Master program and courses in statistics and methodology
• outstanding organizational and analytical skills, flexibility (work at two locations), communicational skills (including social media) and perseverance, ability to work in a team and excellence in written and spoken English
• open eye for societal relevance of the project

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,325 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €2,972 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a total duration of 4 years.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 24,500 students. We employ more than 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences examines the major social problems of our time from multiple perspectives. From bullying at school to dealing with illegal immigration, from the rise of populist politicians to creating a self-reliant society. Only at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you will find all the academic disciplines needed to understand these 'wicked problems': alongside the traditional disciplines such as sociology, anthropology and politics, we also research and teach the new social sciences such as communication science and management & organization science. We do not settle for easy answers in our teaching and research. Our researchers and students are critical thinkers and doers who work together to devise surprising solutions to the problems of today.

Working at the Faculty of Social Sciences means working with colleagues from a range of academic disciplines in an inspiring and personal work and study environment with excellent research facilities. We employ more than 250 staff members, and we are home to around 2,500 students.
 
This project is a collaboration between the Center for Philanthropic Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and the Department of Donor Studies at Sanquin Research.  The Donor Studies department is internationally recognized for high-quality (blood) donor research. Staff consists of about 15 researchers, including 6 PhD candidates. The Center for Philanthropic Studies at VU conducts research in all areas of the Dutch philanthropic sector. It consists of 10 researchers, including 2 PhD candidates. Since 1995, the Center has been the leading unit for research on philanthropy in the Netherlands and in Europe. The PhD candidate will be employed at VU, the research will be conducted at both VU and at Sanquin, both located in Amsterdam.