MSCA Full-Time Doctoral Fellowship in European Law

Do you enjoy:

• Doing (empirical) research on the law and practice of the rule of law within the European Union

• Being part of a vibrant research community and of an international research project

• Participating in academic exchanges

Then the job of PhD researcher for the project GEM DIAMOND at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is perfect for you as a graduate of a Master study in International and/or European Law or a research master.

What does this job entail?

This 3-year-long doctoral fellowship is offered as part of a specific collective project within a multiannual international research effort on Globalisation, Europe, and Multilateralism (GEM). This project, coordinated by the Institut d’études européennes (IEE) at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), will assess the EU’s capacity to act given the challenges facing Democratic Institutions, the rise of Alternative MOdels and mounting Normative Dissensus (DIAMOND).

GEM-DIAMOND is a Marie Skłodowska Curie Action - Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) involving 7 European and 4 international degree-awarding Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) alongside 6 well-established non-academic institutions. The project will hire and train 16 doctoral fellows to help address knowledge gaps associated with the growing normative tensions undermining multilateral and democratic practice. Four of the 16 doctoral fellows will be based at the University of Amsterdam, one of whom at the Amsterdam Law School.

The goal of your specific legal research project (ESR3 within working package 1, Conceptualising Growing Dissensus over Liberal Democracy) is to assess how EU law and the European fundamental rights system have been at the forefront of several legal conflicts within Europe regarding liberal democracy.

Within the three years allocated to the project you will execute your PhD research in close collaboration with the other Amsterdam project team members at the Faculty of Social Sciences and during two extended research stays at the University of Geneva and at the Fédération Internationale Pour Les Droits Humains FIDH in Brussel. Your research project will be supervised by Professor Christina Eckes (UvA - ACELG ) and Professor Nicolas Levrat (University of Geneva) and mentored by Dr Elena Crespi (FIDH). It will lead to completion and publication of a PhD dissertation and a joint doctorate from the Universities of Amsterdam and Geneva. You will engage autonomously in the collection of empirical data (interviews; document analysis) and present intermediate research results in internal discussions and potentially at workshops and conferences. For further information on the research project and the tasks associated with it, see www.gem-diamond.eu

What do you have to offer?

You are keen to be part of a common effort to advance the understanding of the growing normative tensions undermining multilateral and democratic practice. The thought of doing PhD research makes you really enthusiastic and you do not shy away from the challenge of working with supervisors and a mentor in different (non-)academic institutions. You have experience with desk research and first ideas on how to combine it with empirical work and are ready to turn your findings in a consistent piece of academic writing. You understand that achieving such a project within three years asks for dedication and efficient self-management and you are good at that. At the same time, you are open in your communication with your supervisors so that the project gets all the support available.

As far as your research interests go, you are willing to engage or potentially have experience with methods of adjacent disciplines and their respective methods (i.e. history, philosophy, political economy, political science, etc.).

In addition, you:

• Have a law degree, master’s level or equivalent; a research master will be an advantage – for ECTS requirements see the call
• are specialized in the field of International and European law
• are proficient in English (attested either through a previous English language diploma, or an internationally recognised proficiency test (i.e., IELTS, IBT, TOEFL or Cambridge); Language skills specific to the project (e.g., proficiency in other European languages, particularly Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, and an intermediate knowledge of French) will be an asset
• preferably are in the first four years of your research career
• have not yet been accepted for a PhD programme
• fulfil the mobility requirements (no residence or activities in the Netherlands for more than 12 months cumulatively in the 3 years prior to October 2022).

What can we offer you?

Your research will be carried out within the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance under the guidance of ACELG director Christina Eckes and co-supervised by Professor Nicolas Levrat (University of Geneva). ACELG unites a diverse group of researchers with an interest in the institutional, constitutional and economic law of the European Union. The centre has a strong track-record of excellent research and sustains a dynamic research culture through a series of events and initiatives. Additionally, you will benefit from the collaboration in the international GEM DIAMOND network, including stays at the University of Geneva and the FIDH.

You will have the opportunity to participate in the Amsterdam Law School’s PhD training programme and be part of its PhD community.

We offer an employment contract for one year with a probationary period of two months, preferably starting on 1 October 2022. The appointment will be extended for another two years upon favourable evaluation, i.e until 31 September 2025. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week.

Your salary in the first year will be €2.443 gross per month on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) is applicable.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.

Amsterdam Law School

Committed, responsible and open-minded. This is how we at the Amsterdam Law School view the role of law in a constantly changing (international) society. With over 5,000 students and 550 staff, we are one of the larger law faculties in the Netherlands. We educate legal professionals who know how to apply the law effectively with the aim of actually contributing to solutions for society. We respond to social developments through innovative and pioneering research. In this way, we always keep in touch with society.

ACELG

The Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance is one of the leading research centres within the Amsterdam Law School. It is nationally and internationally recognized as a research centre that makes high level contributions to the academic and policy debate on legal and governance processes in Europe. ACELG ensures the quality of its research by providing for a vibrant environment, in which our researchers are encouraged to pursue excellence, seek recognition in the scholarly discourse, both internationally and nationally, attract external research funding, and publish in the leading peer reviewed journals.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, please contact per email:

Prof. Christina Eckes: [email protected] .

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. Candidates must apply through the GEM-DIAMOND online application system , which will request the following information:

Applications will be accepted until 3 July 2022, 17.00 CET.

The application interviews will take place in July.