The PhD Researcher based at Tilburg University will work on the role of law and good governance in the energy transition. The projects dives into fundamental concepts such as good governance, energy democracy and energy justice and will investigate if and how these concepts can be used to facilitate and accelerate the energy transition.

Research (0.8 fte):

• Pursue academically path-breaking research leading to an excellent PhD-dissertation;
• Actively contribute to the operationalization of the NEON program; 
• Participate in the Tilburg Graduate Law School courses and activities; 
• Be an active member of the department LTMS by participating in and organizing LTMS events and activities, presenting and discussing research output within the department, and representing LTMS outside Tilburg University; 
• Be an active member of NEON by participating in and organizing NEON events and activities, presenting and discussing research output within and outside of NEON. 

Teaching (0.2 fte):

• Co-supervise Law & Technology master thesis students; 
• Assist in the coordination and management of courses at the undergraduate and/or LLM programs that LTMS is involved in; 
• Cooperate with other LTMS members in developing new or modifying existing courses.

Tilburg University believes that academic excellence is achieved through the combination of outstanding research and education, in which societal impact is made by sharing knowledge. In doing so, we recognize that excellence is not only achieved through individual performance, but mostly through team effort in which each team member acts as a leader connecting people. 

Applicants must: 

• Hold a Master in Law (LLM) at the time of application; 
• Have very good academic results at Master level; 
• Show a research interest in competition law, data protection law, economic regulation, energy law and innovation, as evidenced by your master thesis and/or other activities. Work that combines two or more of these regimes is preferred; 
• Be willing to complete a PhD-project within four years, that fits within the NEON project area and the above mentioned research interests; 
• Have experience with early academic work and/or work in NGOs or public interest bodies; 
• Be able and willing to work in a team and undertake teaching and administrative support in parallel to the PhD-research; 
• Have excellent communication skills in English, orally and in writing. Knowledge of the Dutch language would be an asset, but is not required; 
• Be available to start working in September 2020, or earlier; 
• Be present at Tilburg University during office hours, and commit to integrate in the environment provided by the department LTMS and Tilburg Law School. 

Tilburg University offers excellent terms of employment. We believe flexibility, development, and good employee benefits are very important. We make clear agreements on career paths and offer all kinds of facilities and schemes to maintain an optimum balance between work and private life. Tilburg University also fosters diversity & inclusion; that is why we pursue an active policy for inclusive teams where diverse talents can flourish. 

The starting gross salary is € 2,325 per month (for a full-time appointment) and will raise every 12 months to a maximum of € 2,972 based on the PhD salary scale of the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities. Employees recruited from abroad may be eligible for the 30% tax facility – this means that 30% of your salary will be paid as a tax-free reimbursement.

The total duration of the PhD trajectory is four years (48 months) and 1.0 fte. You will initially be appointed for a fixed period of 16 months. After 12 months, an evaluation will take place. If the performance evaluation is positive, your employment contract will be extended for the remaining period of 32 months. 

You are entitled to a holiday allowance amounting to 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of your gross yearly income. If you work 40 hours per week, you receive 41 days of paid recreational leave per year.

Please visit Working at Tilburg University for more information on our employment conditions. 

Tilburg University

Organization
Under the motto of ‘Understanding society’, Tilburg University’s more than 1,500 employees develop knowledge, transfer it to others, and bring people from various disciplines and organizations together. In this way, we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. Our focus areas are economics, business and entrepreneurship, social and behavioral sciences, law and public administration, the humanities and digital sciences, and theology. Tilburg University is internationally known for its high standards in education and scientific research, as well as its good support facilities. The Tilburg University campus offers both quietness and connectivity as it is located in a wooded park, ten minutes away from the city center, main highways, and railways. A mid-sized city of 200,000 inhabitants in the South of the Netherlands, and in proximity to cities like Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and London, Tilburg is situated at the very heart of Western Europe.

Tilburg Law School

Tilburg Law School offers highly-ranked national and international education and research in law and public administration. Currently, 3,000 students are enrolled at Tilburg Law School. Students can choose from five Bachelor's programs, one of which is taught in English (Bachelor Global Law) and ten Master's programs, eight of which are taught in English. The international orientation of Tilburg Law School is reflected in these Bachelor's and Master's programs. The research conducted within Tilburg Law School is aimed at social relevance and provides students with the tools and skills to study and deal with current issues at an academic level.

Tilburg Law School

At the department of Law, Technology, Markets & Society (LTMS, home of TILT and TILEC), we engage in many research projects concerning technological and societal developments, such as facial recognition, data surveillance and nudging. We are looking for a person who can help our department, which is mostly populated with people having a background in law, philosophy and economy, by enriching our understanding of what actually are the psychological effect of these technologies, how they impact people’s lives and behavior and how they perceive data-driven technologies.