Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science

The Institute of Political Science of Leiden University’s Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences invites applicants for the position of

Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science (1.0 FTE)

Key responsibilities

The Postdoctoral Researcher will be part of the project ‘EUROTYPES: The Impact of Cultural Stereotypes in European Multi-Level Policy Enforcement’, funded by the European Research Council (2024-2028) and led by Dr Adina Akbik. Cultural stereotypes are often present in the political and media discourse on European Union (EU) governance, e.g. ‘the lazy Greeks’, ‘the tax-dodging Italians’, and ‘the stingy Dutch’, and so forth. Yet, despite their frequency in public rhetoric, there is limited research on how such stereotypes affect the behaviour of civil servants working in EU institutions. The project aims to explore the role of cultural stereotypes among people involved in the direct implementation of policy (‘multi-level policy enforcement’) via EU agencies. More information about the project is available at https://www.adinaakbik.eu/projects/2702-eurotypes

The ideal candidates will have strong quantitative methods skills (with a focus on survey experiments), specialized knowledge of EU institutions and/or European public administration, and a keen interest in the topic of the project. Together with the project team (the principal investigator, 2 PhD students, and 2 research assistants), the postdoc will be expected to investigate how stereotypes affect the willingness of officials to cooperate with each other and how they perceive the effectiveness of joint activities.

Responsibilities

• Participate actively in the research, publication, and communication activities of the project;
• Design, conduct, analyse, and interpret data from 2 survey experiments;
• Present research output at internal university seminars and (international) conferences;
• Collaborate with other members of the research team and of the Institute of Political Science;
• Support the administration and organization of project-related events.

Selection criteria

• Applicants must hold (or be near completing) a PhD degree in political science, international relations, public administration/public policy, or EU studies.
• Applicants must have expertise, preferably experience, designing and fielding survey experiments. Experience with elite surveys is a plus. Applicants must also have advanced knowledge of quantitative methods.
• Applicants must be familiar with the workings of EU institutions and/or national public administration in the EU context.
• Applicants should have a strong affiliation with the project theme of studying stereotypes.
• Applicants must have excellent command of English; a working understanding of other EU languages is an advantage.

Research at our Faculty/Institute

Leiden University’s Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences comprises five institutes: Political Science, Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Cultural Anthropology & Development Sociology and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies. The Faculty is home to 7,000 students and 1000 members of staff. Its teaching and research programmes cover diverse topics varying from adoption to political behaviour. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/social-behavioural-sciences.

The Institute of Political Science has a strong research tradition in various areas of comparative, Dutch and international politics, as well as political theory. The Institute has around 85 academic staff, including many non-Dutch scholars, and houses a number of editorships of international refereed journals and book series. Members of the institute are also involved in a number of the university’s multi-disciplinary research centres, including Central and East European Studies, International Relations, Parties and Representation, Political Philosophy, Centrum voor Nederlandse Politiek en Bestuur, ReCNTR, and the Europe Hub. The Institute is based in Leiden and in The Hague, where a large part of the teaching is done.

The Institute offers a range of programmes at the Bachelor and Master levels and also trains PhD students in political science. The BSc programmes include general Political Science (in Dutch & English, in Leiden), International Politics (in Dutch & English, in Leiden), and International Relations and Organisations (in English, in The Hague). The one-year MSc programme (taught mostly in English) includes five specialisations in Leiden and one in The Hague.

Terms and conditions

The position will start on 1 September 2024. We offer a full-time position for the duration of 1 year, with the possibility of extension for another 1.5 years (30 months in total). The salary is €3226. to €5929, gross per month (pay scale 10 or 11, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with an additional holiday bonus (8% of annual salary) and end-of-year bonus (8.3% of annual salary), training and career development. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions.

Diversity

Diversity and inclusion are core values of Leiden University. Leiden University is committed to becoming an inclusive community which enables all students and staff to feel valued and respected and to develop their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High quality teaching and research is inclusive.

Information

Further enquiries can be directed to Dr Adina Akbik, email: a.akbik@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Applications

Please submit online your application no later than 23:59 CET on 28 March 2024 via the blue button of our application system.

Applicants should submit online a two-page letter of interest, an academic CV, and a sample paper or article. Applicants should also include the names and contact details of two people who can be contacted directly to submit recommendation letters, commenting on the candidate’s professional qualifications and suitability for the position. Please note that no reference letters have to be submitted at the application stage, but these will be requested for shortlisted candidates.

The selection procedure will take place in April-May 2024. Pre-selected candidates will be required to develop a short survey/research proposal explaining their approach to the project. Interviews will take place at the end of April 2024.

Enquiries from agencies are not appreciated.