Vacancy

PhD position: Recreation for a vital countryside and a liveable city

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April 4, 2025
Location Wageningen
End date Mon 5 May 2025
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Your job

Are you interested in the relationships between rural and urban areas and the role of recreation and landscape appreciation in this dynamic? Then we are looking for you!

The Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning cluster, in collaboration with the Built Environment Department of TU Eindhoven, is seeking a PhD researcher in the field of "recreation as a connector between city and countryside." This PhD position is part of the NWO-funded research program Fertile Soils, which conducts interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on the sustainable improvement and integration of rural-urban relationships.

The project focuses on aligning (spatial) demand and supply and the (re)evaluation of landscape services—such as drinking water, recreational spaces, and biodiversity—within different regions. Fertile Soils targets five urban-rural regions: Zwolle, Groningen-Het Hogeland, the Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Region, the Breda-Tilburg Urban Region, and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region.

To facilitate the productive exchange of landscape services between urban and rural areas—such as recreational spaces, food, drinking water, and clean air—it is crucial to ensure a good balance between supply and demand. What is needed to make rural areas more accessible and attractive for recreation? What types of recreation are desirable from the perspective of landowners? Under what conditions are farmers willing and able to use income from recreation to transition to less intensive forms of agriculture? And what roles do other entrepreneurs and residents play in this process?

Can this transition be left to the market, or is an organization or government intervention necessary to ensure that the benefits reach the right stakeholders?

This project focuses on recreation as a landscape service, while other researchers examine different landscape services (e.g., water retention). Together, you will contribute to long-term integrated regional designs and valuation models.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

  • setting up and conducting the aforementioned research, resulting in a dissertation that includes 3 to 4 international scientific publications, to be publicly defended.
  • publishing and presenting (partial) research results in the Netherlands and at international scientific conferences.
  • actively participating in and contributing to the Fertile Soils project.
  • maintaining and expanding contacts with internal and external partners.
The research is embedded within the cluster Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning, and part of the Fertile Soils project which is led by dr. ir. Jasper de Vries. You will be supervised by dr. Dena Kasraian, dr. Franziska Komossa and prof. dr. Martha Bakker.

Your qualities

You are/ You have:

  • completed a university-level Master's degree in a relevant field, preferably in spatial sciences.
  • knowledge of, experience with, or a demonstrable interest in the themes of recreation, landscape, and agriculture.
  • understanding of the Dutch context, including the position of agriculture, the pressure on green spaces, and the value propositions of the Dutch landscape.
  • willing to develop the skills needed to collaborate interdisciplinarily and transdisciplinarily (with societal stakeholders) and actively contribute to knowledge integration within the Fertile Soils project.
  •  an enthusiastic researcher with an affinity for both academic and practice-oriented research.
You also possess:
  • strong analytical skills and the ability to work independently.
  • affinity with GIS and quantitative research methods.
  • strong communication skills in both Dutch and English.
  • a results-oriented and flexible mindset, with perseverance.
For this position you are expected to command the Dutch language (B1), your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

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;
  • 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 year-end bonus of 8.3%;
  • excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  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.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

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 the position, please contact Martha Bakker via martha.bakker@wur.nl.
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via noorien.abbas@wur.nl .

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until 5th May 2025. The first interviews are scheduled for mid 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

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.

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