23 Fully Funded PhD Positions at Utrecht University, Netherlands

The extensive use of land, water, energy, and chemicals makes the textile industry one of the most polluting sectors worldwide. Both the Dutch government and the European Commission aim to improve the circularity of the textile sector to ensure a sustainable future. The Dutch Circular Economy programme highlights the necessity of behaviour change and the adoption of circular principles, such as the use of second-hand platforms and the dissuasion of fast-fashion consumption, to name two examples. Central to the programme is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which in principles is meant to encourage producers and retailers in the Dutch textile industry to change their business models and enhance textile collection efforts.

This PhD project aims to accelerate the transition to a circular textile economy by leveraging the Mission-specific Innovation Systems (MIS) framework. This framework provides a systems perspective to study the dynamics of diffusion and implementation of innovation. It maps the actors, networks, and institutions involved, assesses system performance, and identifies barriers to achieving societal missions through innovation. Until now, the MIS has mainly focused on technological innovation but in this project we also want to focus on the social innovations that are needed to accelerate the transition towards circular textiles. The research will focus on integrating both technological and social innovations and will focus on those R strategies that involve behavioural change and new business models. The project will map the mental models of various stakeholders within the Mission-specific Innovation System (MIS), assess the viability of circular business models, and provide intervention options for stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem that might be needed to supplement the shortcomings of existing mechanisms, such as some aspects of EPR.

We are looking for a PhD candidate for a project that delves into the meaning and applications of canceling practices within antiracist and decolonial movements. The specific focus is on cancelling as a reparative strategy aimed at addressing the enduring impact of historical injustices in the present. Termed ‘reparative canceling,’ these practices seek to rectify symbols, art, knowledge, cultural heritage, and ingrained cultural norms that are deemed harmful and unjust, thus perpetuating the legacy of colonial history.

Creative tasks—those where the generation of new ideas and products traditionally relies heavily on the individual and group-related competencies of human workers—are widespread in many jobs, and for these tasks the adoption of Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) may be considered both a blessing and a curse. The project focuses on GAI purposefully as we want to contribute to the debate on how human capacity for creation/creativity is affected by the technological paradigm shift.

Over a period of four years, you will conduct doctoral research on this topic. The focus of your research is to explore how the future of creative work is evolving in light of technological disruptions. There is room for shaping the research objectives within the PhD trajectory.

We are looking for a candidate with commitment to overcome the challenges faced in working with complicated material from close to Antarctica. This project really seeks a problem-solver, one that isn’t let down by the first disappointment. You demonstrate the capability to contribute yourself to the planning and organisation of your work, with a keen interest in taking initiatives for the direction in which it develops.

You must have completed your MSc degree in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Biology or a related discipline by the time the position starts. Preferably, you also have:

• experience or strong interest in paleoclimate/paleoceanography;
• experience in palynology/micropaleontology is highly appreciated;
• experience in working in a laboratory or willingness to learn;
• experience in (in)organic geochemistry is a pro;
• a love for microscope work and teamwork, willingness to travel (also abroad);
• adequate social/verbal/communication skills.

Due to the international character of our research, good command of spoken and written English is essential. We highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse backgrounds to join us.

INFRAEMPIRE 

 is a five-year project supported by a European Research Council Advanced Grant. The project explores the ways that rising economic powers such as Turkey, China, and Brazil rely on building the infrastructure of other states to drive reconstruction in their own capitals and create ‘soft power’ empires. INFRAEMPIRE turns an ethnographic lens on the infrastructural imperialism of the Turkish state, a growing power whose construction sector is reshaping the Global South and for almost two decades drove a domestic economic boom. INFRAEMPIRE will examine the infra-imaginaries, infra-power, and infra-subjectivities that such projects create.

Infra-imaginaries are those new visions of global futures and new conceptions of the global distribution of power that emerge around such projects. INFRAEMPIRE posits that in contrast to the hierarchical relations of European colonialism, infrastructural imperialism relies upon a global “big brother” phenomenon, or infra-power, in which relations of domination are cast as “equal” and “fraternal.” Infra-subjectivities are those new forms of political subjectivity that require a language beyond that of neoliberal globalisation, with its teleological assumptions of increasing political and economic liberalisation.

INFRAEMPIRE will examine foreign-funded megaprojects as geopolitical sites in which these new forms of imaginary, power, and subjectivity can be studied. The six case studies will take place at a crucial geopolitical juncture: the seam of Eurasia, where former and aspiring empires intersect, compete, and build new worlds through infrastructure. The aim of INFRAEMPIRE is to theorise the relationship between infrastructure and empire and to offer a fundamentally new understanding of power relations in a globalised world.

We seek one PhD candidate and three postdoctoral researchers who have the necessary research experience and language skills to conduct one of the subprojects in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Turkey. (The positions for a further subproject on the Sandžak region of Montenegro and Serbia have already been filled.) 

Throughout this project, you will be well guided and supported by your supervisor. As a PhD candidate, you will also become part of an active group of PhD researchers who organise regular feedback sessions as well as a number of social events within the department of Cultural Anthropology’s Sovereignty and Social Contestation (SoSCo) research programme.

Each of the corresponding programme lines contains comprehensive innovation activities connecting research, technology and product development, industrialisation and ramp-up to scale. The ‘design-for-circularity’ principle in each of the technologies and products is used in order to have the built-in potential for recycling and minimising the use of critical materials.

One of the three technologies will involve silicon/perovskite tandem structures. While perovskite cells and modules have reached over 25% efficiency for single junction devices and over 33% for tandem devices, these lab efficiencies need to be transferred to large-area commercial processes while at the same time demonstrating their reliability. Perovskite device stability is affected by multiple parameters and is not fully understood yet. This includes light (UV/vis) induced degradation, temperature induced degradation, and degradation due to oxygen/humidity as external stressors. Also, ion migration is denoted as a cause for degradation. An intriguing phenomenon is self-healing, which would repair light-degradation during the night, when perovskite devices are monitored outdoors.

In this project, the indoor and outdoor performance of new module architectures will be investigated, i.e., tandem a-Si:H/perovskite, triple a-Si:H/nc-Si:H/perovskite, and tandem high bandgap perovskite/nc-Si:H. This will be done in close collaboration with other academic and industrial partners in the SolarNL programme. This PhD project should lead to increased insight in the stability of new proposed module architectures by degradation analysis and established specific energy yields in kWh/kWp in outdoor conditions (energy rating).

The vacancy is part of the National Growth Fund Oncode Accelerator 

 and positioned within the Copernicus Institute’s Mission-oriented Innovation Policy Observatory, a transdisciplinary initiative for studying and enhancing ambitious endeavours that aim to address societal challenges such as missions on cancer and health and wellbeing.

The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development is looking for a PhD candidate who would like to join our interdisciplinary team to study new forms of monitoring and evaluation of challenge-based research and innovation projects to support societal missions on cancer. You will become part of the National Growth Fund programme Oncode Accelerator 

, which aims to accelerate the development and clinical application of new cancer therapies to address unmet medical needs. Your position will also be embedded in the Copernicus Institute’s Mission-oriented Innovation Policy Observatory 

, a transdisciplinary initiative for studying and enhancing ambitious endeavours to address societal challenges such as missions on cancer and health and wellbeing.

As a PhD candidate you will contribute to developing a theory of change and monitoring and evaluation approach to understand and assess the process of impact creation in large translational research projects such as Oncode Accelerator. You will particularly focus on how science and technology development in these projects contribute to shaping the Dutch and European health innovation system and addressing societal missions on beating cancer. This includes a focus on the role of clinical data infrastructures, in-vitro models such as organoids and artificial intelligence approaches for drug discovery. As part of the regulatory innovation workstream of the Oncode Accelerator programme, you will also consider how processes of regulatory and policy change are part of mission achievement. This involves active collaborations with the Utrecht Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation and Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board.

The ENTICE project aims to investigate the relationships between climate and environmental policy and the trade of various resources. On the one hand, resource consumption is a major cause of energy demand. At the same time, climate policy leads to significant changes in the energy system, influencing future resource demand (for instance, an increased demand for specific metals used in batteries). Both relationships are intriguing. For instance, as greenhouse gas emissions are mostly associated with the production of materials, changes in trade patterns also result in changes in emissions across countries. Other important dimensions include security of supply, identification of resource bottlenecks, and possible environmental implications of trade.

The aim of this PhD project is to test whether chimpanzees have the capability and motivation to develop cumulative cultures – the process in which cultural innovations incrementally shape cultural expressions such that they become better suited for their envisioned purpose. You will study chimpanzees’ potential to create and maintain cumulatively established cultures by means of targeted experimental assays. Moreover, you will investigate whether chimpanzees’ social network properties are predictive of their potential to develop cumulative cultures with behavioural observations and network analyses. The position involves 90% research time and 10% teaching activities within the group.

How the overturning circulation of the Mediterranean Sea responds to variations in forcing (tectonics and climate) is a fundamental question that potentially has global significance given that Mediterranean circulation has elements in common with the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. It is also a highly relevant question for the countries bordering the sea in view of our warming climate.

In this NWO (Dutch Research Council)-funded project we will exploit the paleoceanographical record of the late Quaternary which provides an exceptional dataset on e.g. water properties, intensity of intermediate and deep-water formation and strait flow. You will design and execute experiments with dynamic box models and evaluate their results using the available data. The geometrically simple box model is chosen because it can be run following the evolution of circulation and water properties through time, thus doing justice to the transient nature of the processes at play. The analysis will focus on the role of:

• the Strait of Sicily;
• the properties of the inflowing waters; and
• sea-level variation.

You will be based at the department of Earth Sciences where you will be part of a vibrant PhD community and where expertise in both paleoceanography/paleoclimate and numerical modelling is amply available.

We are looking for a candidate with a background in natural sciences and a proven passion for sustainability education. You are somebody that likes to prepare your students for the great challenges of the coming decades with your teaching and research. As an ideal candidate you have:

• a Master’s degree (or you graduate before starting date) in Environmental Sciences, Sustainability Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology, or a related field;
• proven ability to work with large datasets and model-output;
• affinity with the societal context of sustainability challenges;
• interest in and a positive experience with teaching (e.g. teaching assistant, junior teacher, high school teacher);
• motivation to further develop your teaching skills and acquire the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO);
• energy to combine teaching and research over a 6-year period;
• excellent communication and academic writing skills in English (equivalent to B2 
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We are looking for an enthousiastic new colleague who meets several or all of the following criteria:

• Education: a Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field, with the ability and willingness to learn new skills as required for the PhD project.
• Virtual Reality Development: demonstrable experience with virtual reality game development using several appropriate programming languages and libraries (e.g., C# with Unity, C++ with Unreal Engine).
• Data Visualisation: demonstrable experience with data visualisation and building visual analytics dashboards, including related math and statistics, using a number of appropriate programming languages and libraries (e.g., Python, JavaScript).
• Research: demonstrable interest, motivation, and enthousiasm for independent and team-based scientific research, including collaborative software development.
• Data Science: experience that demonstrates you are able to work in an applied data science context (e.g., collecting, formatting, cleaning, and analysing large amounts of complex data);
• Communication: excellent spoken and written English communication and interpersonal skills, knowledge of spoken and written Dutch is an advantage.

Phylodynamic studies can aid control of infectious diseases in animals, which is crucial to improve animal health and welfare and human health in case of zoonoses. However, phylodynamic models are not yet frequently applied to viruses in animal populations (Guinat et al. 2021), even though animal populations are interesting to study in light of contact structures that are incomparable to human populations.

We have a unique genomic dataset of two viruses in swine. Swine Influenza A virus (SIV) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv) are significant causes of respiratory disease in swine and have been circulating in swine herds for decades, even though vaccines are available for both pathogens. Control of these viruses is hampered by extensive genetic diversity and continuous evolution by mutations, reassortment and recombination. By tracking the evolution of SIV and PRRSv within individual pigs, farms, and regions, and connecting this to vaccination status and epidemiological parameters, this project will provide novel means to decipher the transmission dynamics of the viruses in swine populations. The results of this research will contribute to the development and application of phylodynamic models in animal populations and to the control of respiratory viruses in swine herds. The findings will ultimately contribute to protecting animal and human health.

The goal of this PhD project is to get insights into the molecular processes underlying mechanosensing of pathogens by plant cells. In this project, you will design and perform experiments that will provide a better understanding of how plants respond to mechanical force during infection. This requires a strong scientific basis in combination with your creativity and perseverance. The envisioned approaches aim to identify early signaling proteins and genes, to functionally analyse candidate genes by studying mutants and perturbed proteins, and to study infection phenotypes at the macroscopic, microscopic and biophysical level.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• conceptualising and designing experimental setups based on provided guidelines, proficiency in interpreting Process Flow Diagrams (PFD) and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID);
• working closely with the assembly team to efficiently construct the experimental setups;
• designing and executing a series of experiments to evaluate the performance of the system under various operational conditions, with a primary focus on fuel cell mode and limited extension to electrolyzer mode;
• collaborating effectively with project partners, including The Hague University of Applied Sciences;
• conducting rigorous performance tests on the system, analysing data, and validating its capabilities against specified requirements.

Financial institutions are required to adopt and report various Valuation Adjustments, known as xVA, for over-the-counter derivatives, while also managing associated risks. The primary goal of xVA is to integrate various risk categories and external factors —such as Counterparty Credit Risk— into the pricing of derivative contracts. Efficient computation of xVA metrics, along with their associated risk measures and sensitivities to underlying factors, is crucial for effective portfolio risk management. However, despite existing methods proposed in the literature, these calculations continue to be computationally intensive due to the complex and high-dimensional nature of the problems. Challenges include numerous risk factors and counterparties, large portfolios with path-dependent derivatives, and complex models governing the dynamics of risk factors and defaults.

We are seeking two curious and proactive PhD students eager to tackle the following research questions: How, to what extent, and under which conditions can social innovations contribute to just sustainability transitions? How are power relations transformed or reproduced in transformative social innovation processes? How can we enhance the transformative power of social innovation?

The PhD students will focus on theoretical and empirical investigations of two or more social innovation movements (decentralized energy production, the sharing economy, eco-communities, and/or participatory democracy) across Europe and beyond. They will study translocal networks and conduct local case studies in Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

In addition to their theoretical and empirical work, the PhD students will engage in transdisciplinary inquiry and action research, contributing to the development and nurturing of POTRANSI’s Transformative Power Arena as a community of practice. This role not only aims to understand power dynamics and social innovation but also to empower transformative change towards justice and sustainability.

This PhD program focuses on the large-scale offshore wind farm, Oranje Wind, located in the North Sea about 53 kilometers off the Dutch coast. The project aims to deliver over 760 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity, sufficient to power nearly one million Dutch homes, and contribute to the Netherlands’ offshore wind build-out targets. The wind farm will integrate offshore wind with electrolyser capacity for green hydrogen production, flexible demand solutions like e-boilers and battery storage, and floating solar panels to maximize ocean space use.

The development of a North Sea Energy system with 300-400 GW of offshore energy generation capacity by 2050 presents significant challenges. Your research will involve creating quantified roadmaps for this energy system through energy system modeling and scenario analysis. These roadmaps will provide insights into timing, location, technological design, investments, and costs, and will be used to develop policy roadmaps through backcasting methods.

You will analyze national policies and strategies, including planning and legal procedures for offshore wind parks and infrastructure, to identify best practices and address discrepancies between national approaches. The research will also focus on the innovation system around the North Sea and multilateral collaboration frameworks.

As part of the Nationaal Groeifonds programme NL2120  , the Department of Physical Geography at Utrecht University explores adaptation approaches for Dutch rivers and peatlands. We are seeking two PhD candidates who are eager to contribute to this climate adaptation challenge through two separate projects.

We are searching for a motivated and goal-oriented PhD candidate who would like to work in an interdisciplinary research environment in close interaction with stakeholders. Specifically, we are looking for someone with the following qualifications:

• You have successfully completed a relevant Master’s degree. Relevant disciplines include (but are not limited to) science and technology studies (STS), transition studies, futures studies, policy sciences, environmental humanities, innovation sciences, media studies, political science/philosophy, and sociology. Please note, however, that academic discipline is not a leading criterium for selection, so feel free to apply from any discipline if you have affinity with the research topic.
• You have affinity with in-depth social research and innovative methodologies of communications/media research/digital humanities.
• You have experience teaching in higher education, either as a junior teacher or as a teaching assistant.
• You have a proven interest in sustainability (transitions), as demonstrated by training or extracurricular activities.
• You have affinity and experience with stakeholder engagement and communication of scientific research.
• You enjoy working in an interdisciplinary team, and can showcase a critical attitude, intellectual independence, and good organisational skills.
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and in languages pertinent to the selected case studies. We welcome international candidates, especially if they bring in their own suggestions for case studies. 

Throughout the project, you will develop core skills in fundamental cell biology and metabolism research, in mass spectrometry and integrated multi-omics analysis, and gain insights in the role of mEVs in the development and intricate relationship of the liver-immune-brain axis. You will execute parts of the project at the partner institutes.

As a team, we prioritise effective collaboration, ongoing feedback, and both professional and personal development. At Utrecht University there are plenty of opportunities to facilitate your development.

FLOW aims to uncover the molecular principles of how the cellular protein quality-control network modulates the fate of proteins from cradle to grave. Molecular chaperones and the degradation machinery determine the fate of proteins, and failure to do so leads to diseases as divergent as neurodegeneration or cystic fibrosis. The FLOW consortium, a unique and highly interdisciplinary team, aims to discover, rebuild and control the triaging of protein fate. We do this by combining biochemical, biophysical, cell biological, computational, and genetic methods, from single molecule to cell.

Tissue engineering (TE) approaches can be used to produce implants with a composition not unlike real tissues. However, their collagen-based matrix often lacks the intricate organisation that is imperative for biomechanical stability. Here, we aim to unravel the triggers that underlie the formation, guidance and integration of the collagen networks in articular cartilage and leverage biofabrication technologies to generate durable implants.