Are you interested in social inequality and social change? We are searching for a motivated and enthusiastic PhD candidate to develop innovative, multi-method quantitative studies that advance fundamental knowledge of the socio-psychological dynamics of privilege. This is a four-year position, supervised by Dr. Cátia Teixeira, Dr. Karen Schelleman-Offermans and Prof. Kai Jonas, with a 10% teaching load.

Project (Limits of) Support for social change among the advantaged: when ingroup/self-interest conflicts with morality.
Social inequality is on the rise. We see societies polarized between those who put efforts to decrease social inequality at the forefront of their political agendas and others who openly favor inequality in their countries or deny its existence based on meritocratic principles. This project will focus on reactions to social inequality reduction among advantaged group members. Its main goal is to systematically disentangle mechanisms and situations that trigger different types of support for social change among advantaged group members (e.g., principle-policy gaps) and to examine the consequences of this support (or lack thereof) on mobilization of disadvantaged groups.
In this project, a quantitative multi-method approach will be employed using (existing) survey and experimental methods. We are seeking a PhD candidate with a strong interest in fundamental social psychology, experimental research and advanced data analyses. The project has a strong theoretical component and involves hypotheses formulating and testing in a variety of contexts of social inequality (e.g., gender, ethnicity, social class, or more “minimal” contexts).

This is one of three PhD positions opening at the Work and Social Psychology department of the Faculty of Psychology and Neurosciences and is funded by the Dutch Government’s sector plans for Social Sciences and Humanities in the focus area of Social Inequality.

Job Description
Key responsibilities and skills to be acquired during the project:

• Review literature on the domain of social inequality and privilege and develop a systematic and nuanced (interdisciplinary) understanding of the state of the art;
• Develop hypotheses, operationalize key concepts;
• Design and execution of surveys and experiments;
• Exploration of international data bases allowing for hypotheses testing (e.g., European Social Survey);
• Perform data analyses on primary and secondary data using advanced statistical methods and analyses (e.g., structural equation, multi-level, Natural Linguistic Processing);
• Report results in scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals, culminating in a dissertation;
• Presenting (preliminary) results at national and international scientific conferences;
• Develop research according to the highest open science standards;
• Outreach and dissemination of findings outside academic contexts.

Requirements
Desired profile:

• A completed or upcoming (research) master's degree in (Work and) Social or Political Psychology, or related field (e.g., Sociology);
• Collaborative and pro-active mindset, openness, and high autonomy in project management and learning new skills;
• Very good statistical knowledge, and strong interest to learn advanced multivariate statistics techniques (e.g., multivariate analyses testing moderation effects);
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of and interest in social inequality dynamics.

What we offer
As PhD at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale PhD according to UFO profile PhD/Promovendus, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2770,00 in the first year and €3539,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1.0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience
The Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) is an international faculty with students and staff from various cultural backgrounds, who are connected by their shared curiosity about human behaviour and our brains.

This curiosity inspires us to explore the wide field of psychology from different perspectives (such as a biological and cognitive viewpoint). By using small-scale and student-centred methods, such as problem-based learning and project-based learning, we encourage a similar kind of curiosity in our students, as we provide them with the tools to discover the world of the human brain.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Catia Pinto Teixeira at c.pintoteixeira@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD? Apply now, no later than 30 June 2024, for this position.

To apply please upload the following information:

• CV
• Motivation Letter
• Names and contacts of two referees

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.