PhD Position: An Ethical-Empirical Study of Climate Responsibility


PhD Position: An Ethical-Empirical Study of Climate Responsibility
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Workplace	Amsterdam - North Holland - Netherlands
Category	Social Sciences \| Environment
Position	Junior Researcher / PhD Position
Published	2 March 2026
PhD Position: An Ethical-Empirical Study of Climate Responsibility VU Hoofdgebouw Amsterdam 0.8 / 1 Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities PhD MSc Closes on 01-04-2026 Publishing date 02-03-2026 Does the inaction of ’big players’ excuse citizens from their responsibility? Dive into the tension between power, trust, and shared climate responsibility in this unique interdisciplinary PhD project. Your function A lack of trust in other parties can lead to a breakdown in shared climate effort. The core question of the project is: does the (perceived) climate inaction of powerful actors - governments and corporations - excuse individual citizens from their own responsibilities? This PhD project studies the issue of climate responsibility from an interdisciplinary perspective. We seek a PhD candidate who is trained as a philosopher (preferably in ethics) but has an interest in (social) psychology. You will analyse normative arguments regarding fairness and autonomy between actors with unequal power. Furthermore, you will compare these arguments against empirical data on how Dutch citizens perceive the shifting responsibilities between themselves, the state and corporations. Supervisors Jan Willem Wieland (Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Félice van Nunspeet (Social Psychology, Utrecht University) Your jobs gaining in-depth knowledge of the climate responsibility debate developing, together with your supervisors, key components of the project, including normative and empirical analyses participating in the Ethics group at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam participating in SOCION’s research meetings, training activities and collaborative events with academic and non-academic stakeholders contributing to the interdisciplinary integration of philosophical and psychological perspectives within SOCION presenting your research at national and international conferences publishing in international peer-reviewed journals and completing a PhD thesis taking relevant courses within the Graduate School to meet the requirements for obtaining a PhD contributing to teaching of the Ethics group (max. 10% of your time) Your profile MA/MSc degree in a discipline relevant to the first discipline Philosophy; interest in and ideally some familiarity with the second discipline Psychology Interest in the topic of social cohesion and in collaborating in a broad research consortium with academic and non-academic stakeholders Professional competence in English and Dutch (for cooperation with Dutch stakeholders) Strong academic record in contemporary analytic Ethics, as evidenced by grade transcripts and relevant coursework Eagerness to integrate theories and research findings from two fields (Ethics and Social Psychology) in the research project Affinity with and/or training in the field of (Social) Psychology and/or quantitative/qualitative data analyses is considered a bonus As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset. We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements. What do we offer? A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you: a salary of € 3.059,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.881,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract. We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples: A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata. 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus space for personal development optional model for designing a personalized benefits package solid pension scheme (ABP) About us The consortium SOCION addresses a pressing challenge of our time: fragmentation in societies. Social cohesion is ’society’s fabric’ and is key to sustainable societies and citizens’ well-being. However, it is increasingly undermined by the erosion of and polarization between communities, factions and groups. In this project, psychologists, social historians, demographers, philosophers and sociologists work with each other and with civic organizations to generate and integrate insights into how connections between individuals, groups and institutions contribute to new pathways to and forms of social cohesion. Are you one of the 17 PhD candidates that will work with us to implement this mission? Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection. Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct . We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education. Diversity Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding. We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services. Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community. Interested Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application. We require the following: CV motivation letter writing sample (around 8k words) course and grade list Ba and Ma names/contact details of two references Important dates: Vacancy closing date: 1 April Interview round 1 (online): 16 April Interview round 2 (on-site): 23 April Projected start date PhD project: 1 September Applications received by e-mail will not be considered. Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated. Your function A lack of trust in other parties can lead to a breakdown in shared climate effort. The core question of the project is: does the (perceived) climate inaction of powerful actors - governments and corporations - excuse individual citizens from their own responsibilities? This PhD project studies the issue of climate responsibility from an interdisciplinary perspective. We seek a PhD candidate who is trained as a philosopher (preferably in ethics) but has an interest in (social) psychology. You will analyse normative arguments regarding fairness and autonomy between actors with unequal power. Furthermore, you will compare these arguments against empirical data on how Dutch citizens perceive the shifting responsibilities between themselves, the state and corporations. Supervisors Jan Willem Wieland (Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Félice van Nunspeet (Social Psychology, Utrecht University) Your jobs gaining in-depth knowledge of the climate responsibility debate developing, together with your supervisors, key components of the project, including normative and empirical analyses participating in the Ethics group at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam participating in SOCION’s research meetings, training activities and collaborative events with academic and non-academic stakeholders contributing to the interdisciplinary integration of philosophical and psychological perspectives within SOCION presenting your research at national and international conferences publishing in international peer-reviewed journals and completing a PhD thesis taking relevant courses within the Graduate School to meet the requirements for obtaining a PhD contributing to teaching of the Ethics group (max. 10% of your time) Your profile MA/MSc degree in a discipline relevant to the first discipline Philosophy; interest in and ideally some familiarity with the second discipline Psychology Interest in the topic of social cohesion and in collaborating in a broad research consortium with academic and non-academic stakeholders Professional competence in English and Dutch (for cooperation with Dutch stakeholders) Strong academic record in contemporary analytic Ethics, as evidenced by grade transcripts and relevant coursework Eagerness to integrate theories and research findings from two fields (Ethics and Social Psychology) in the research project Affinity with and/or training in the field of (Social) Psychology and/or quantitative/qualitative data analyses is considered a bonus As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset. We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements. What do we offer? A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you: a salary of € 3.059,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.881,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract. We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples: A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata. 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus space for personal development optional model for designing a personalized benefits package solid pension scheme (ABP) About us The consortium SOCION addresses a pressing challenge of our time: fragmentation in societies. Social cohesion is ’society’s fabric’ and is key to sustainable societies and citizens’ well-being. However, it is increasingly undermined by the erosion of and polarization between communities, factions and groups. In this project, psychologists, social historians, demographers, philosophers and sociologists work with each other and with civic organizations to generate and integrate insights into how connections between individuals, groups and institutions contribute to new pathways to and forms of social cohesion. Are you one of the 17 PhD candidates that will work with us to implement this mission? Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection. Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct . We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education. Diversity Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding. We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services. Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community. Questions about the vacancy? Please contact Jan Willem Wie land Universitair hoofddocent Send an email Interested Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application. We require the following: CV motivation letter writing sample (around 8k words) course and grade list Ba and Ma names/contact details of two references Important dates: Vacancy closing date: 1 April Interview round 1 (online): 16 April Interview round 2 (on-site): 23 April Projected start date PhD project: 1 September Applications received by e-mail will not be considered. Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated. Questions about the vacancy? Please contact Jan Willem Wieland Universitair hoofddocent Send an email Application procedure Other interesting vacancies PhD Position - Structural Injustice and Social Cohesion 1 / 1 Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities PhD MSc Closes on 01-04-2026 Publishing date 02-03-2026 0.0 km Are you eager to pursue a PhD in philosophy in an interdisciplinary context? Do you want to explore how societies can address structural injustice without deepening polarization? 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In your application, please refer to myScience.co.nl and reference JobID 29314.