Two PhD Positions in Computational Social Science

We are seeking two enthusiastic and well-qualified PhD candidates in computational social science / (social) network science to support the growing activities of the newly established Urban Impact Lab and of PLANET-NL, a collaborative inter-university research group. The positions are for 4 years and are fully funded. Working at the UvA Two PhD candidates Are you a passionate and committed researcher with strong expertise in cutting-edge computational social science approaches? With a keen interest in policymaking? Would you like to contribute to research that turns large-scale network analysis into actionable policy insights? Do you want to work in an interdisciplinary environment of leading researchers and policymakers at the City of Amsterdam? If so, we hope that you will apply to become our new colleague. We are currently searching for two PhD candidates (full-time, 4 years, expected starting date Spring 2026) on Population-Scale Social Network Analysis in the context of the Urban Impact Lab and PLANET-NL. The Urban Impact Lab is a new collaboration between the City of Amsterdam and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. Its motto: social data science for a better city. Its aim: to bring together knowledge and expertise from policymakers and scientists to better answer today's most pressing societal questions. PLANET-NL (Platform for the Analysis of Large-Scale Networks) is the national infrastructure for large-scale social network analysis, based at the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University. While the position offers a certain degree of freedom in terms of the precise research direction, the candidate will be asked to work on issues related to social segregation, polarization, political behaviour, or public health. This ties into a broader objective of the Urban Impact lab, which is to understand how privacy-sensitive population-scale network data can generate actionable insights for better policy interventions. As an ideal candidate for this position, you find yourself at home in the international computational social science research community with a keen interest in retrieving actionable insights to make better policies. You have a well-developed skillset in scientific programming and an affinity with network analysis in particular. Policy experience is a plus. You are able to work with very large data and have the creativity and curiosity to work with network measures and statistics. You may also be an expert on grounded computational social science: combining large-scale data analysis with detailed contextual (often qualitative) data. You may have a disciplinary background in either social sciences (such as sociology, political science, communication sciences), humanities, or computational science. You believe in interdisciplinary collaboration and you get excited about working across traditional disciplines. You want to know more about how research insights play out in practice, for the people living in Amsterdam. You are a creative team player who doesn't shy away from entering new scholarly terrain and sees this as essential to scientific progress. You aspire to build a career with real impact, be that in science, public service, or industry. You have creativity, precision, and perseverance. You take initiative, have excellent communication skills, and are able to work in a team as well as independently. You are motivated by the social impact of your work rather than journal metrics, yet your ambition drives you to achieve excellence in all you do. Do you recognize yourself? Do you want to be involved in frontier computational social science research? Are you thrilled by the opportunity to work in a truly interdisciplinary research environment? Send us your application. A good salary Your salary will be determined on the basis of your experience and seniority, in accordance with the Labour agreement . Your grading and therefore the amounts mentioned are based on full employment of 38 hours per week. 232 vacation hours We also offer parental leave, partner leave and social engagement leave. Through the Employment Conditions Menu Card, there are opportunities for even more vacation hours. Financial arrangements On top of your salary, you receive holiday allowance (8%) and a year-end bonus (8.3%). You build up a good pension with ABP. And in addition, we offer many other allowances and schemes. Career development and room for growth The UvA encourages you to continue to professionalise through training courses and open UvA lectures. Family matters Relocating to the Netherlands with your family? Find out about daycare, schooling, health insurance or employment options and support for your partner or spouse. Including the IDCN-network which provides support for your spouse through various training sessions, social activities, and networking events. All About This Vacancy What are you going to do Conduct research in the area of computational social science and (city) network science, leading to peer-reviewed publications. Write an article-based PhD thesis within the duration of the position. Translate research findings into actionable insights for policymakers. Engage, on a limited basis, in co-supervising BSc and MSc students and minor local organizational activities. Engage in relevant teaching activities. What Do You Have To Offer A completed master's in a relevant discipline*. Willingness and ability to work in an interdisciplinary setting, bridging social science, computer science, and policy. Proficiency in scientific programming (Python), preferably with some large-scale network analysis experience. Excellent proficiency in English. Proficiency in Dutch or the willingness and ability to acquire this in the first year. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse scholarly and policy audiences. Ability to work independently and in a team. An academic, creative, and curious mindset. : excellent candidates not (yet) (fully) past the MSc phase, but sufficiently close to graduation, are also invited to apply. What Else Do We Offer You A collaborative, inclusive work environment with opportunities for professional development Part of a team that spans several institutes and universities The chance to advance groundbreaking research and contribute directly to policy initiatives Flexible work arrangements and competitive compensation The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of four years. The initial employment is for one year and will preferably start in Spring 2026, with a probationary period of two months. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of three years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate in four year. For this position the University Job Classification profile "Promovendus" applies. Your place at the UvA You will work here You will be part of an active academic community spanning several universities and institutes. You will be based at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, where you will join the PhD program. Your work will be embedded in the PLANET-NL research group, based at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam. With colleagues from PLANET-NL, you will work closely together with the Municipality of Amsterdam in the context of the Urban Impact Lab. You will attend the monthly meetings of the PhD community of the Municipality of Amsterdam. More information about PLANET-NL can be found at . About The Faculty Of Social And Behavioural Sciences The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest educational and research institution in the field of social and behavioural sciences in Europe. Here, we explore societal and human-centered issues, driven by scientific curiosity but also with an eye for current themes. For example, the impact of media and communication on individuals and society, healthcare challenges, global urbanization, human development, the role of political institutions, understanding the human mind, growing inequality, diversity issues, and changing social relationships. In Europe and beyond, the FMG holds a leading position, thanks in part to its more than 1,300 staff members who contribute to education and research. Will you be one of them? Important to know Your application & contact If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter (no more than 2 pages) and your academic CV. Your motivation should include a short description of a research idea that you would want to work on in light of this particular position. The deadline for submitting your application is 15 January 2026. Interviews are scheduled for the last week of January. You can apply via the red button. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates. For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: e.m.heemskerk@uva.nl Diversity, Equity & Inclusion As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture. Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.