PhD position on collaborative experimentation for mission-driven innovation

Are you interested in studying collaborative innovation to address societal challenges?  Please apply for a PhD position at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's KIN research group.

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 0.8 - 1

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is offering a fully funded, four-year PhD-position on experimentation and scaling of innovations developed in fieldlabs, as part of the NWO-funded project "Fieldlabs@Scale: Towards effective collaborative experimentation for mission-driven innovation". Fieldlabs are emerging in the Netherlands as a promising approach to mission-oriented innovation. They bring together regional stakeholders—including business and knowledge institutes—to collaboratively experiment with solutions for societal challenges. So far, their effectiveness remains mixed as they face problems in scaling such innovative solutions in business ecosystems. Involving a broad, interdisciplinary consortium, Fieldlabs@Scale studies fieldlabs in agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, and smart industry. The project develops new theories on mechanisms for collaborative experimentation and co-create supportive tools for policymakers, regional network organizations, and fieldlab participants.

As PhD candidate, you will identify the mechanisms and strategies for implementing and scaling innovative solutions through business ecosystems. Such solutions for complex societal problems not only require actors to adopt innovations and new technologies, but also involve process innovations, such as reconfiguring a division of labor between parties, developing new work processes, and redistributing value across actors in business ecosystems.

You will be part of a team of four PhDs candidates and eight senior researchers (at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Twente University, Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology), and work with a large consortium of policymakers, regional network organizations, and fieldlab participants.

The project can start after January 1, 2023.  

Your duties
You will need to develop a thorough understanding of management theories on interorganizational collaboration and collaborative innovation, as well as in-depth expertise in qualitative research methods, facilitated by the PhD training program of ABRI (Amsterdam Business Research Institute). You will perform in-depth case studies on innovation trajectories across various fieldlabs. You will also be involved in activities to develop tools for stakeholders and transfer research outcomes. PhD candidates will give a modest contribution to the department’s teaching program, with the opportunity to obtain a basic qualification teaching certificate (shortened BKO).

• Motivated to conduct high quality research with the aim of publishing top-level articles;
• Research Master or MSc in business administration, innovation management, organizational studies, or a related field;
• Expertise in qualitative research methods;
• Interest in topics of interorganizational collaboration and collaborative innovation;
• Academic writing skills;
• Proficiency in English and preferably in Dutch.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,541 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,247 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. 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 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a duration of 4 years.
Additionally, 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,
• 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.

School of Business and Economics
The School of Business and Economics (SBE) provides high-quality education and excellent research in business administration and economics with a focus on contributing to the social, economic and ecological challenges of our time. Whether it is the use of robots in society or big data, labour market participation or flexibility in the labour market, traffic jams or the housing market, flash crashes in the stock market or choice behaviour in gambling, leadership or change management: we believe in goal-oriented scientific research and understand that progress in academics, the business community and society is achieved through cooperation, openness and social responsibility.

At SBE, all of our highly-motivated colleagues work together closely in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment to achieve our collective goal of encouraging society to make informed choices. Approximately 7,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s students and 1,700 executive students are enrolled at the School, and employs roughly 600 people.

KIN
KIN Center for Digital Innovation (KIN) (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/research-institutes/kin-center-for-digital-innovation ) is one of the departments of the School of Business and Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. KIN conducts research on the development, use and business value of innovative organizational processes and technologies. The research contributes to an international field that is relatively new and multi-disciplinary. We work closely together with faculty and researchers from other universities and cooperate with an extensive network of business partners. The KIN research group is also responsible for several courses in the Business Administration curriculum at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and facilitates the Master Digital Business and Innovation.

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload a short letter (maximum one page) in which you describe your abilities and motivation, accompanied by a curriculum vitae and two references (names and e-mail addresses) 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. ir. Hans Berends
Position: Professor of Organization & Innovation
E-mail: [email protected]

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