Postdoc Circular Society - Circular and Inclusive Cities (0.8 - 1.0 FTE)

We are looking for a bright and inspiring postdoctoral researcher in the interdisciplinary field of circular and inclusive society. The research concentrates around the matter of how people in an underprivileged position can be more involved in transition processes towards a sustainable society, especially the transition towards a circular society, for example by promoting systems thinking and collective thinking. Systems thinking and collective thinking have been identified as promising avenues to engage (groups of) individuals with matters that transcend their own short term interest and contribute to the benefit of all including future generations. This approach also encourages the  interdisciplinary understanding of how society as a whole can contribute to the transition of circular and inclusive societies by addressing behavioural change in the context of broader societal processes. The urgently required transitions to a more sustainable society often tend to be designed by and addressing the higher educated middle and high income population. However, the transitions will not work and the transition processes will meet with substantial resistance if underprivileged people and the lower income population is not sufficiently involved and enabled to take part in the transformation processes.

The position shall be located at one of the faculties related to Social Science and Humanities at Utrecht University. These are the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance and the Faculty of Geoscience. In which research group and at which faculty you will work depends on you research interests, your proposed projects and your experience.

This topic will be addressed in interdisciplinary research projects within the strategic alliance of our four Universities. The motto of the strategic alliance between Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University and University Medical Centre Utrecht is 'Challenging Future Generations'. We strive to do this by connecting researchers, lecturers, and students and by collaborating across the borders of scientific disciplines. In the alliance, the four institutions combine their expertise to contribute to social transitions in the fields of health, food, energy, and sustainability (see Circular Society – Challenging Future Generations ). A focus within the alliance is the theme ‘circular inclusive cities’. The research must fit into this focus and contribute to its development.

We expect you to produce the following concrete deliverables within two years: 

• scientific publications on circular inclusive cities, more specifically for the inclusion of underprivileged, low income groups (aim for three, at least partly interdisciplinary);
• having initiated a collaborative interdisciplinary research proposal related to an external call or having participated in such a proposal;
• popular science publications in media with a broad audience;
• contributions to selected social media;
• contributions to the organization of workshops, sandpits on your research theme within the alliance.