Postdoctoral Position (1 FTE): Emotions in Regulatory Politics

This two-year postdoctoral position is part of the VIDI research project “Emotion-Infused Risk Regulation: Rethinking the Fundamentals of Regulatory Governance for Citizen-Centric Rulemaking”, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and led by Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė.

The VIDI project investigates the role of emotions in regulatory governance, examining how emotions shape both regulators’ formulation of rules and citizens’ reception of regulatory responses. It is structured around three interlinked objectives: (1) Emotion and Regulatory Responsiveness: To what extent and why do regulators respond to citizens’ emotion-laden concerns? (2) Citizens’ Emotional Responses in Regulatory Encounters: To what extent and how are citizens’ emotions elicited during interactions with regulators? (3) Emotions and Regulatory Legitimacy: What are the effects of citizens’ emotions on their perceptions of regulators’ legitimacy? Read more about this research agenda in the following link: Affective regulatory governance: towards an emotion-based understanding of citizen-regulator interactions in regulatory politics.

The postdoctoral project will contribute to the emerging research agenda on affective regulatory governance, with a particular focus on citizens’ emotions in the Regulatory State context (Objectives 2 and 3). Specifically, the project will examine emotionality in citizens’ interactions with the regulatory state and experimentally test causal effects and mechanisms through which emotions influence citizens’ perceptions of regulators’ legitimacy.

Your duties
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will contribute to the implementation of three empirical studies planned within Objectives 1 and 2 of the Vidi project. In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop and pursue your own research ideas within the broader topic of the project (e.g., Emotion in Public Governance).

You will be responsible for designing and implementing experimental studies (primarily large-scale survey experiments) and applying (advanced) quantitative analysis methods. Experience with laboratory-based experiments can also be used or developed within the project.

Working closely with an interdisciplinary research team within the Regulatory Behavior Lab, led by Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė, you will play a central role in advancing the project’s scientific contributions. Your responsibilities will include refining cross-national survey experiments, administering data collection with representative citizen samples in at least six EU countries and beyond, analysing quantitative data, and disseminating findings through conference presentations, publications in high-quality international journals, and publicly accessible policy outputs (e.g., reports and policy briefs).

As a core member of the recently founded Regulatory Behavior Lab, you will actively contribute to shaping its scientific profile and visibility. This includes participating in lab meetings, engaging in collaborative research, and helping build connections between academic and practitioner communities (for example, by co-organizing workshops and events that translate research findings into actionable insights for regulatory practice).

The allocation of your time will be determined in consultation with the Principal Investigator, with a typical balance of approximately 0.8 FTE dedicated to research and 0.2 FTE to teaching activities, such as supervising MA theses within the department’s teaching programmes.

If desired, you may also act as a formal co-supervisor for the PhD candidate working on Objective 1 of the Vidi project, gaining experience in PhD supervision and contributing to the candidate’s academic development.

These tasks are intended as development opportunities and will be performed under guidance, depending on your experience and growth within the role.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who:

• has obtained, or is close to obtaining, a PhD in public administration, communication science, political science, (political/social/cognitive) psychology, or another relevant discipline;
• has a publication record appropriate to their career stage, demonstrating the ability to conduct research and publish in internationally recognized journals;
• has excellent skills in designing, implementing, and analyzing quantitative empirical research, particularly survey experiments, with demonstrated experience in statistical analysis (e.g., R);
• is familiar with affective science and its various theoretical approaches;
• is strongly interested in examining how emotions affect citizens’ encounters with the regulatory state and influence their judgments and decision-making regarding regulatory rules and regulators;
• possesses excellent academic writing skills in English;
• is communicative, autonomous, and responsible, taking ownership of research projects while being diligent and conscientious in advancing research and publications;
• can collaborate effectively across disciplines and communicate clearly, both orally and in writing;
• is fluent in English and at least one additional EU language, given the cross-national nature of the planned studies.

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

We offer a challenging and rewarding postdoctoral position within a vibrant, ambitious, and socially engaged Department of Political Science and Public Administration. At the VU, you are embedded in a highly interdisciplinary research environment that fosters substantial academic and professional development.

In return for your efforts, we offer you:

• A salary of € 4.412,00 (Scale 10.5) and maximum € 4.901,00 (Scale 11.1) gross per month, on a full-time basis. The exact salary depends on your education and experience
• A research position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Upon good performance, the contract will be extended with an additional year.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 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

About the department
You will be employed at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. This is a large and diverse department with many multidiscipilinary research projects into societally relevant topics: https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/faculties/faculty-of-social-sciences/departments/political-science-and-public-administration.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the VIDI project and further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application. We require:

Please combine the following items into a single PDF in this order.

• An academic CV (maximum 2 pages)
• A motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) emphasizing the connection between your expertise and the Vidi project
• A writing sample: for instance, a scientific publication or pre-print of your ongoing empirical work, ideally demonstrating your fit to the project
• Names and contact details of two referees

The first round of interviews will be held in May, with a second round scheduled for June 2026. The intended start date is September 2026, or by mutual agreement.

Submitting a diploma is part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.