What are you going to do?

High-quality childcare greatly improves outcomes in later life. Yet childcare access and usage are distributed unevenly, leading to amplified inequalities in later life outcomes. Parents from low-income households are 50% less likely to use formal childcare services than high-income households, use them when the child is older, and use them less intensively overall. Research has shown that affordable and accessible childcare increases usage, yet policy solutions aimed at removing financial or accessibility barriers have not reduced inequalities. The ERC-funded CHILDCARE STRATEGIES will investigate why low-income households don’t use formal childcare. The project will reframe our understanding of childcare to identify barriers to uptake.

The research project utilizes linked network data derived from administrative records, survey data, and new computational methods. To this end, there are three Ph.D. positions available which will focus on the analysis of large-scale network data and agent-based modeling. The project utilizes ODISSEI, the Dutch National Infrastructure for Social Science, and its secure high-performance computing environments to analyze very large administrative and survey data files. Given this, Ph.D. candidates must have a grasp of advanced statistical methods and be willing to achieve proficiency in computational methods. Through the four years of the project, the Ph.D. candidates will receive further training in advanced methods with the aim of preparing them for a career in science or policy. Ph.D. candidates will also be able to adapt and develop the elements of the research project to their own aims and interests including through potential research secondments to other leading international institutes outside of the Netherlands.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Conducting innovative research leading to a finalized dissertation;
• Participating in advanced methods courses and training;
• Participating in other activities of the project, such as bi-weekly colloquia, contributing to public debate, and organizing outreach activities of the CHILDCARE STRATEGIES project;
• A small contribution to the teaching activities of the department and support in developing teaching skills;
• Collaborate with other researchers within the consortium.

All candidates will be provided with an extensive training and development budget, a budget to cover publication fees, conference fees, and to cover the costs of travel to international conferences and workshops. The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare individuals for a successful career in science and will provide the necessary training, networking, and development support to achieve this.

•  M.Phil. or Research Master’s degree in Sociology, Demography, Economics, Econometrics, or Computer Science or other related disciplines.
• Strong Academic Record
• Strong and explicit interest and motivation for scientific research
• Excellent command of English (minimum CEFR C1)
• Proficiency with either R or Python
• Candidates are selected on the basis of their CVs, motivation, academic references, and interview(s) with potential supervisors.

An internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with good working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).

The start date of this position is 01.07.23 and you will be based at ESSB/DPAS in Woudestein campus. The position is for 1,0 FTE. The salary starts at € 2.541 to a maximum of € 3.247 gross per month on a fulltime basis, in accordance with scale Promovendus of the CAO-NU. In addition, we offer an 8% holiday allowance, an end-of-year payment of 8.3%, and a very generous paid leave scheme. Furthermore, EUR is affiliated with ABP for the pension provision, and we offer partially paid parental leave, fully paid extended birth leave for partners, a personal career budget, work-life balance coaches, discounted collective health insurance, and more. As an employee, you can also use EUR facilities such as the University library and receive a discount on subscriptions for the Erasmus sports center.

Erasmus University Rotterdam offers a Dual Career Programme (DCP) to assist the life partners of new academic staff (on payroll) in finding employment in The Netherlands. The programme is offered in close cooperation with the nearby universities of Delft and Leiden.

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfill their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)

The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research.  Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4000 students and more than 400 staff-members. The different disciplines are supported by the Faculty Office (for more information, please visit www.eur.nl/essb).

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS covers the disciplines of Public Administration and Sociology. Two related scientific fields with different profiles. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on the institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes well beyond the public realm itself and pays attention to public-private cooperation and networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structure of societies and the way it evolves. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus among other things on processes of globalization and individualization and on the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market or family relations. Related social problems that are studied are migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and masterprogrammes of DPAS are build on this profile and educate students to become scientifically schooled professionals.