Vacancy
PhD position Legitimacy of Water-Management Models: Social, Political, and Institutional Viewpoints
Your job
Are you interested in how computer models in water management shape policy and vice versa? Do you want to contribute to societally relevant research in the field of water management for case studies across three countries? Do you want to be part of an interdisciplinary research team? Then we may have the perfect opportunity for you!
We are currently looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to join our team (4 years, full time, fully funded) at the Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics Group at Wageningen University to explore the social, political and institutional processes that contribute to the establishment of legitimacy of decision support models.
Computer models facilitate anticipatory governance. But models are not neutral - they conceal value-laden choices, such as which processes and system boundaries are represented in the conceptual model, the model approaches, data sets used, and model applications. This implies that certain perspectives are favored by the model. Since decisions based on such value-laden models have real-world consequences, it is essential to understand how these models obtained the legitimacy to serve as policy advisors and the different consequences of this for distinct groups in society and ecosystems. The LEGIT project aims to uncover the factors and processes through which water-management models acquire legitimacy to support decisions. This will be done with an interdisciplinary research team.
In this PhD project, as part of the LEGIT project, you will investigate how water management models obtain the authority to serve as policy advisors for three different cases in which models are used to support water-management related decisions: one in the Netherlands, one in the US, and one in Australia. The research will explore political, social, and institutional processes, to understand how model legitimacy is established. This includes interviews with decision makers and other stakeholders. You will be part of an interdisciplinary team, where other team members will focus on the modellers and the model itself. Intense collaboration within the team is foreseen, including conducting the fieldwork abroad.
For this position, we are looking for enthusiastic candidates who have a background in qualitative social sciences methods. Openness to interdisciplinarity and collaborating with natural scientists is a must. Affinity or basic experience with coding or modelling and/or experience with water management or governance is a big plus. As a PhD candidate in our group, you will join the PhD program of the WIMEK graduate school. The selected candidate is expected to finish the 4 year project by writing a PhD thesis that contains a series of peer-reviewed journal articles.
Specifically, you will:
- develop your own research proposal;
- identify the relevant stakeholders in the computer model legitimation process for cases in the Netherlands, the United States, and Australia. This includes fieldwork of several months at location;
- scrutinize social, political, and institutional factors influencing model legitimacy for these three cases;
- collaborate with other team members who have a natural sciences background and who will focus on evaluating modellers and the model itself;
- write scientific publications as part of your PhD dissertation;
- take part in (international) workshops and conferences, and engage in the organization of activities related to the research project, such as outreach to decision makers;
- engage actively in the activities and collaborations of the research team;
- spend up to 10% of your time on education and supervision of BSc/MSc students.
Your qualities
You have:
- a completed (or about to be completed) MSc of MA degree in critical social sciences, such as Political Ecology or Science and Technology Studies;
- a strong motivation for interdisciplinary team-work, collaborating with natural scientists and making advances through intense collaboration. This requires continuous reflexivity;
- a strong motivation to understand the role of computer models in decision making
- motivation to plan and conduct fieldwork in the Netherlands and beyond;
- preferably some experience or affinity with coding, modelling and/or water management or governance;
- good organizational and communication skills.
You will work here
The research is embedded within the Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics Group (HWM), a dynamic and committed team of 14 academics, 5 support staff, 3 postdocs and 29 PhD researchers. Your main supervisor from this group will be dr Lieke Melsen. The focus of this group is on hydrology and environmental hydraulics, which we combine to understand and quantify hydrological processes in catchments, aquifers, rivers and deltas. While we have a clear natural sciences focus, this PhD position in the LEGIT project takes a different perspective. Therefore, this position will be shared with the Water Resources Management Group, a highly interdisciplinary group focusing on different dimension of water management and governance in international contexts. From this group, you will be supervised by dr Jeroen Vos. WRM research investigates the social and political construction of water technologies, infrastructure, models and policies. The investigations are based on thorough field research in collaboration with local stakeholders, and critically reflect on water engineering practices and water policy discourses.
We offer you
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- Partially paid parental leave;
- working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
- the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
- there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
- a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2901,- per month rising to € 3707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.
There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact Lieke Melsen, lieke.melsen@wur.nl
For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl .
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 6 January 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the week of 20 January 2025. The selected candidate can then start as soon as possible but no later than May 2025.
Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.
We are
This position is based in the Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics Group (HWM) at Wageningen University and Research but is shared with the Water Resources Management Group (WRM).
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.
Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.