Post-doc position: Value-driven collaboration in infrastructure projects: from indicators to outcomes

Data are important for measuring the preconditions, processes, and effects of (urban) infrastructure. However, this often brings certain values into focus more than others. Aspects such as materials, flows and densities, cost-efficiency, and productivity are frequently measured. More difficult to quantify are values and associated ideals such as inclusivity, freedom, safety, and creative entrepreneurship. The question arises: how can these be robustly integrated into infrastructure policies and projects that are often initially framed in predominantly technical terms?

The postdoctoral researcher will explore ways in which these value-ideals can gain a stronger position in decision-making by incorporating them more prominently into the assessment frameworks and measurement systems of infrastructure projects.

The research consists of the following steps:

• Building on qualitative research results from other postdocs (from WUR and TUD in particular) in the project on value-driven collaboration.
• Conducting interviews (mostly in Dutch) with various stakeholders in large infrastructure projects, such as the Municipality of Amsterdam, the Province of North Holland, project developers, contractors, and also participants in smaller-scale citizen initiatives.
• Designing a framework in which different types of valuations (qualitative and quantitative) and decision-making moments are optimally combined to arrive at valuable decisions and outcomes.
• Translate the results into a form (e.g. a handbook or training) that can be communicated to municipalities and contractors.

The research takes place in an environment where research, policy, business, citizen initiatives, and sustainable innovations converge. It is part of the Future-Proof Living Environment program funded by the Dutch National Growth Fund, in which clients, contractors, and researchers jointly test and scale up new contract forms, working methods, materials, and techniques in the infrastructure sector. This collaboration, coordinated by the AMS Institute, enjoys broad sectoral support for the application of the postdoc’s research.

Although literature (including international examples) and theory serve as sources of inspiration in this research (e.g., Performativity of Indicators, Value-Driven Approaches, Informal Infrastructures, New Mobilities), practical application is equally important. This research brings together many elements: it is transdisciplinary, critical and constructive, situated at the intersection of policy, practice, and research, and combines insights from both quantitative and qualitative research. The researcher speaks Dutch to effectively engage with ongoing developments in Amsterdam, particularly in policy and participatory processes.

Your team
You will work within the UEC group in Wageningen, but are also expected to spend one or two days a week in Amsterdam with the AMS Institute. You will closely collaborate with Dr. Erkinai Derkenbaeva and be supervised by Prof. Eveline van Leeuwen.

Duration of the contract
The vacancy is for 8 months with possible extension up to three years.

• A PhD in either the spatial domain (spatial or urban economics, economic geography, or Geographic Information Systems), or in the communication/governance domain (sociology of place, Science and Technology Studies, communication, planning, governance).
• With experience in both quantitative and qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, data collection, data analysis, discourse analysis, or co-creation).
• Who enjoys working in a team and with diverse societal stakeholders.
• With a creative and independent mindset.
• Who can communicate well in Dutch (highest proficiency level).

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1 .

Urban Economics Group
To get the best out of cities, at UEC, we study the link between place, behaviour and environment, both inside the city and between urban and rural areas. How does the physical and social environment allow or constrain people to be more energy efficient, to insulate their homes, use electric (shared) vehicles, invest in solar panels, and how does this affect inequality in terms of energy poverty? How do individual and collective food strategies impact health, resilience and food security at different spatial scales across the world? We focus on three themes: the energy transition, circular food systems and health & wellbeing
We are an interdisciplinary group: we use insights from urban, regional, and behavioral economics to improve the understanding of consumer and household decision making concerning sustainability, health & well-being and the systemic impacts at the individual, urban and regional level. In addition, we aim to contribute to new economic thinking and bring in concepts and approaches from heterodox economic streams like ecological, wellbeing and feminist economics.

Furthermore, we link micro- to macro insights by using a wide range of methodologies from (behavioral) experiments, to surveys, spatial econometrics, simulations and agent-based models.

The research is embedded within the chair Urban Economics Urban Economics - WUR and member of the Section Economics, which is led by Prof. van Leeuwen prof.dr.ir. ES (Eveline) van Leeuwen - WUR.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.378,- and € 5.331,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer an eight months contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance for up to three years. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.