PhD Position (1 FTE): Emotions in Regulatory Politics

This fully funded four-year PhD 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 PhD project will contribute to the emerging research agenda on affective regulatory governance, with a particular focus on regulatory responsiveness to citizens’ emotionally charged concerns (Objective 1). Specifically, the project will examine when and under what conditions regulators respond to citizens’ emotion-laden reactions - such as anger, fear, or anxiety regarding regulatory conduct. The project will analyze these dynamics across different regulatory domains (e.g., health, environment, financial regulation) and multiple levels of the EU governance system (supranational and national). It will investigate how independent regulators exercise their discretionary authority when responding to affective citizen concerns, particularly when addressing emerging societal risks that demand regulatory interventions. Empirically, the PhD project employs a rigorous mixed-methods design, combining survey experiments with interviews involving top-level EU and national regulators.

Your duties
As a PhD candidate, you will complete a cumulative dissertation within four years at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. Your dissertation will consist of approximately six chapters, including four experimental and qualitative studies prepared as journal articles.

Working closely with your interdisciplinary supervisory team led by Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė, you will play an integral role in advancing the VIDI project’s first objective on regulatory responsiveness. You will design and conduct survey experiments and semi-structured interviews with EU and national regulators, collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data, and disseminating findings through conference presentations, publications in high-quality international journals, and publicly accessible policy outputs (e.g., reports and policy briefs).

The allocation of your time will be determined in consultation with the Principal Investigator, with a typical balance of approximately 0.95 FTE dedicated to research and 0.05 FTE to teaching activities within the department’s teaching programmes.

As a core member of the recently founded Regulatory Behavior Lab, you will actively contribute to shaping its scientific profile and visibility. You will engage in collaborative research, participate in lab meetings, and help bridge academic and practitioner communities—for instance, by co-organizing workshops and events that translate the project’s findings into actionable insights for regulatory practice.

As a member of our vibrant, internationally renowned department, you will broaden your professional network and develop collaborations with scholars in related fields. All PhD candidates of the Faculty of Social Sciences will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Social Sciences (VU-GSSS) and admission to the VU-GSSS is part of the hiring procedure. More details can be found on their website and are available upon request.

We are looking for a PhD candidate who:

• has obtained, or will have obtained by 1 September 2026, a (research) master’s degree in public administration, political science, (political/social/cognitive) psychology, or a closely related field;
• is interested in examining how and why citizens’ emotionally charged concerns shape regulators’ decision-making and behavior;
• has skills, or demonstrates a strong willingness to develop skills, in designing and conducting quantitative empirical research, particularly experimental studies;
• is comfortable with statistical analysis (e.g., experience with R);
• possesses experience, or demonstrates a strong willingness to develop expertise, in collecting and analyzing qualitative data, particularly through elite interviews;
• possesses excellent academic writing skills in English;
• is autonomous and responsible, takes ownership of research projects, and is 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, due to the cross-national nature of the planned studies.

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognizing 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 realize that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise, and mindset. Therefore, we are happy to invite anyone who recognizes themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

We offer a challenging and rewarding PhD 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. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of € 3.059,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.881,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
• an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. 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
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• contribution to commuting expenses
• 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
• Grade transcripts of your BA and MA degrees
• Names and contact details of two referees

The first round of interviews will take place in May, followed by a second round in June 2026. The intended latest start date is 1 September 2026; however, a start date can be arranged 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.