PhD in Social Entrepreneurship

Join Utrecht University School of Economics as a PhD candidate in (social) entrepreneurship and engage in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor research network!

Your job
This is a full-time PhD position dedicated to research linked to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). Over a period of four years, you will conduct doctoral research and contribute to advancing the field of entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on social entrepreneurship. You will have the opportunity to develop research skills, collaborate with expert academics and societal partners, and pursue a PhD degree in a dynamic academic environment. Time will also be reserved for academic training and development, including participation in PhD courses, conferences, and workshops. Within the period of four years, the progress of your research will be evaluated at predetermined moments. You will also contribute to our teaching (of USE’s Entrepreneurship section) for 10% of your appointment.

The focus of your research will be on understanding institutional determinants of (social) entrepreneurship, in a project enabled by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. In doing so,

• you are a driving force of the Utrecht University team collecting Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data for the Netherlands, supervised by Niels Bosma;
• you make use of the rich GEM dataset to publish academic articles that will feed into your PhD dissertation, supported by experienced GEM researchers;
• you design and apply innovative computational methods such as machine learning, to extract meaningful insights from GEM and complementary datasets;
• you engage with Dutch stakeholders via research-based policy briefs and stakeholder sessions;
• you potentially engage in a new international ‘pulse survey’ towards relevant entrepreneurial ecosystem actors.

We are looking for a talented researcher, who meets the following requirements:

• You have recently completed a Research Master’s degree in economics, management business administration or a related discipline. An academic Master’s degree may also suffice, provided that the candidate can demonstrate affinity and skills with doing research (evidenced by method courses, elective courses, excellent grades, and an outstanding master thesis).
• You have strong affinity with (social) entrepreneurship research, preferably including proficiency in programming languages (e.g., Python, R) and experience in applying machine learning or AI techniques in research.
• You have good quantitative research skills (e.g., survey data, experiments, web-scraping, regression models). Willingness to learn missing research skills quickly.
• You are a communicative team player, proactive organiser, and you feel comfortable engaging with (mainly Dutch) societal partners.
• You are proficient in English (spoken and written, at least C1 level) and you have basic proficiency in Dutch or willingness to achieve it during the position.
• You are eager to conduct innovative and thorough research, resulting in a PhD degree within four years.

• A position for four years;
• a full-time working week and a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit 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 strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

The Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance is a faculty at the heart of society, with a strong focus on social issues. Our subjects of Law, Economics and Governance give us a strong mix of academic disciplines that complement and enhance each other. This is a unique combination and a mark of our faculty's strength.

The Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) is part of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance. U.S.E. aims to contribute to an economy where people flourish by taking a broad view on welfare and its causes. We aspire to be an internationally renowned school of economics with scientifically robust and socially relevant research and education. We enrich economics with other disciplines to better solve problems and identify opportunities, from a business as well as government perspective.