Postdoctoral Researcher/Lecturer in citizen-driven sustainability transitions

Today’s grand challenges ask for a clever integration of widely diverse types of knowledge. This presents both practical and epistemological questions. In this postdoctoral research project, you address these by studying citizen-driven initiatives on sustainability transitions.

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 0.8 - 1

One of the core values of VU Amsterdam is to support and encourage community involvement in education and research in order to jointly tackle complex issues in society. One of the ways we add a concrete dimension to these values is through the implementation of the Community Service Learning (CSL) programme. Through CSL, students can collaborate with community partners and use their academic skills to contribute to social problems. CSL has the potential to be a transformative learning experience for students, while at the same time impacting society. We have several successful CSL projects underway and collaborate with key social partners in Amsterdam.

In Amsterdam, there are several local, civil society organisations that want to contribute to today's complex social issues within the broader domain of sustainability (energy, food and food systems, agriculture) and health and well-being (loneliness/mental health, disability/inclusive mobility). Although they all want to tackle pertinent societal problems and contribute to a more sustainable system, they experience challenges in terms of cooperation and knowledge sharing. In 'wicked problems' such as the transformation of food systems, not only is the relevant knowledge about the problem dispersed among multiple actors, each with a different part of that knowledge, but there is also a disconnection in sharing that knowledge and understanding with each other, which is crucial to bring about meaningful change in society. Therefore, there is a need for mechanisms and processes to reduce this fragmentation of knowledge and interests among these different actors, and to connect them with academia to jointly address pervasive societal issues that require broader collaboration between science and society. This presents both practical and epistemological questions.

In this postdoctoral research project, you address these by studying citizen-driven initiatives on sustainability transitions. You analyze them both on a local level and on a national level. As a researcher at the Athena Institute, you will study this by being part of the Community Service Learning team and using interactive and interventionist methodologies for monitoring, evaluation and co-design. By studying and designing inclusive, multi-stakeholder, innovation processes, this research should be seen as contributing to the dynamics of societal transformation and system innovation.

In the context of this research, you actively contribute to and promote collaborations between VU’s problem-driven teaching programmes and these local, citizen-driven initiatives. You also design and facilitate multi-actor processes for knowledge exchange and integration amongst the citizen initiatives, municipalities, and knowledge institutes. You get the opportunity to develop as a researcher in the field of citizen science, citizen participation, epistemological pluralism and governance, in the domains of suitability transitions (such as food- and agriculture and energy).

Your duties

• Developing a research programme in transdisciplinary knowledge production and co-learning in the area of (citizen-driven) sustainability transitions supervision of junior researchers and a PhD candidate.
• Teaching master students, including course coordination and thesis supervision, in courses that are part of the Institute’s transdisciplinary teaching portfolio.
• Linking up education/research efforts at VU with the real-world issues addressed in citizen-driven initiatives. You also assess and evaluate the added value of VU involvement.
• Publishing articles in high quality journals. You also communicate research findings and insights via other, more widely accessible forms of writing and presenting.
• Contributing to administrative tasks and responsibilities of the Athena Institute.
• Engaging with stakeholders outside of academia in co-learning processes.
• Contributing to a pleasant, diverse, and safe work environment at the Athena Institute.
  

• You have a PhD, preferably in the field of Science (biomedicine, health sciences, sustainability sciences, science & technology studies, system innovation, and other related sciences with interest/differentiation/experience in societal engagement and research, science communication, citizen science, inter/transdisciplinarity); but  also scholars with an affinity for sociology of knowledge, knowledge co-creation; public policy or public sector transformation; organizational change (incl. communities of practice, reflective practitioners); or related fields are invited to apply.
• You have experience with designing and facilitating focus group discussions and reflection sessions as part of change processes. You are familiar with participatory research methodologies, such as reflexive monitoring in action, learning histories, most significant change techniques.
• You hold a network of relevant (inter)national contacts and you are a team player.
• You have teaching skills and are an engaged and inspiring lecturer, as demonstrated by student evaluations.
• You have an excellent command of English, and a good command of Dutch.
  

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €2,960 (scale 10)

and a maximum €4,670 (scale 10), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE. The appointment will initially be for a period of one year with a possible extension conditional upon assessment of adequate functioning. The maximum duration of appointment will be four years.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment,
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus,
• solid pension scheme (ABP),
• contribution to commuting expenses,
• and optional model for designing a personalized benefits package.

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 30,000 students. We employ over 5,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

The Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to more than 11,000 students.

Athena Institute
The position is offered within the Athena Institute, Faculty of Science. The institute’s mission is to study and design interfaces between science and society to contribute both to a deeper understanding of innovation processes as well as a responsible implementation of research and innovation in society. As part of the scientific analysis of problems and innovations, Athena’s research program focuses on developing reflexive, participatory methodologies and strategies for knowledge articulation, integration and embedding.
For more information about the Athena Institute visit our website: https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/research-institutes/athena-institute

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter until

.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: Prof.dr. M.B.M. Zweekhorst
Position: Chair Innovation and Education in the health and life sciences
E-mail: [email protected]

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