We are seeking candidates for a PhD project entitled The Fair Status-Quo Bias, which is part of the larger project Cooperation in the Face of Inequality.

This position is located at the Faculty of Philosophy. It is embedded in a collaboration between social psychologists and philosophers. The PhD candidate is expected to coordinate their efforts with the other subproject Dealing with Disadvantage.

See the link below for a description of the project (as well as the sibling project Dealing With Disadvantage): https://www.scoop-program.org/program-projects/697-cooperation-in-the-face-of-inequality-two-sibling-projects

The project is part of the interdisciplinary research programme SCOOP: Roadmaps to Resilient Societies (see: http://www.scoop-program.org ). SCOOP is a research and training centre dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of sustainable cooperation as a key feature of resilient societies. SCOOP brings together researchers of the University of Groningen, Utrecht University, VU Amsterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Radboud University Nijmegen. The PhD candidate will participate in the SCOOP PhD training program, see: https://www.scoop-program.org/training-program-towards-transdisciplinarity

The project is co-supervised by Prof. Russell Spears and Dr Titus Stahl.

You should have:

• (almost) finished a (research) master’s degree in philosophy or a related discipline
• a solid training in ethics, political philosophy and/or moral psychology as well as affinity with or eagerness to learn about social psychology.
• eagerness to learn to work in an interdisciplinary research team and to conduct interdisciplinary research in the SCOOP programme
• an excellent academic record
• eagerness to publish international articles and write a dissertation
• good social and communication skills
• excellent command of English and academic writing skills
• motivation and ability to teach in undergraduate social psychology courses.

Fixed-term contract: 48 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a gross salary of € 2,443 gross per month in the first year to a maximum of € 3,122 gross per month in the final year (salary scale PhD), based on a full-time position (1.0 FTE)
• a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% year-end bonus
• a position for four years. Each successful candidate will first be offered a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the contract period is to be expected. A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the Faculty
• PhD candidates in Psychology are expected to contribute to the department's undergraduate teaching program from the 2nd year of the PhD employment.

The conditions of employment are available at the University of Groningen website under Human Resources: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/

The preferred start date is 1 October

Faculty of Philosophy

Since its founding in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative centre of higher education, offering high-quality teaching and research. We encourage the 36,000 students and researchers to develop their own individual talents. Among the best research universities in Europe, we join forces with prestigious partner universities and networks around the world, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

The Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences is a centre of knowledge focusing on individuals and society. The faculty studies issues relating to human behaviour, and the relationships between people and society as a whole. This includes the study of how people function under normal circumstances, but also of the problems encountered by individuals or groups, and how these can be resolved or prevented. The Department of Psychology is part of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, and offers Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in both Dutch and English to over 3,000 students.

The Faculty of Philosophy is a vibrant, international community of excellent researchers and teachers. It consistently receives the highest evaluations for research among philosophy departments in The Netherlands.