Post-doc Willingness to Fight

Introduction

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated that large-scale war in Europe can no longer be considered unthinkable. This has increased the need for a thorough understanding of societal willingness to contribute to defence efforts. Current opinion polls provide insufficient insight into the motivations and circumstances under which citizens are prepared to support defence initiatives. There is a lack of systematic, comparative analysis, as well as limited understanding of the underlying values, interpretations of “fighting,” and the differences between societal groups.

Job description

As a postdoc (0.8 fte, 18 months), you will contribute to the research group working on the willingness to fight.

This postdoc position is part of the project “What are Citizens Prepared to Fight for? The Netherlands in Comparative Perspective”. The overall objective of the project is to gain a deeper understanding of what citizens think about the military and security and defence policy and thus to better understand the societal context of the current transformation of the military and the policies on security and defence. The project is carried out in collaboration with prof. dr. Wolfgang Wagner at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,  prof. dr. Tine Molendijk at Dutch Defense Academy as well as prof. dr. Ainė Ramonaite (Vilnius University, Lithuania).

The position is funded for a period of 18 months, starting on or soon after 1 January 2026.

Your duties will include:

• Design and carry out a representative survey in six European countries about citizens attitudes towards the military and their own role in defence
• Organize focus groups amongst students and active military service personnel
• Contribute to joint publications on the findings of the project

Job requirements

• PhD in Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, International Relations or a closely related field
• Advanced quantitative research skills
• A proven track record in publishing in high-quality international refereed journals
• Willingness to work in a team
• Excellent English language skills, proficiency in other European languages is welcome

Employment conditions and benefits

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 January 2026 and you will be based at  the team of Policy, Politics and Society (PPS) in Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). This position is for 0.8 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 4.728 to a maximum of € 6.433 gross per month Scale 11 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is offered for a period of 18 months. 

Everything else we offer you; you can find below!

- Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!

- Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.

- Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.

- Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.

- Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).

- Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Employer

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 4.100 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.

Faculty / Institute / Central service

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) combines various disciplines such as public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College is affiliated with the faculty. Within ESSB, we work in teams on education and research, emphasising interdisciplinarity, diversity, inclusion and sustainability. Together, we strive for societal and scientific impact.

ESSB distinguishes itself through inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary research, in which academics and students work together on complex social issues. Thanks to this approach, ESSB successfully attracts national and international research subsidies and funds, with which we continuously strengthen and renew our education and research.

ESSB serves almost 6,000 students annually with a wide range of bachelor's and master's programmes and has more than 600 employees. These programmes are highly rated by students and alumni. Within ESSB, developing new insights and realising positive societal impact are central, always with a focus on people and society.

Visit our website for more information about the faculty, and click here for more information about our academic teams.

Group

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS encompasses the disciplines Public Administration and Sociology: two related scientific fields each with a unique profile. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes far beyond the public realm to also pay attention to public-private cooperation and the networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structures of societies and the way these evolve. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus, inter alia, on processes of globalization and individualization, and the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market and family relations. Social issues that are studied under this banner include 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 master programs of DPAS are built on this profile and develop students into scientifically schooled professionals.

Department

Team Policy, Politics and Society (PPS)
The Policy, Politics and Society (PPS) team is an interdisciplinary team conducting research and teaching on various complex policy topics. Working according to the principles of ‘team science’, we aim to provide a stimulating and creative environment for academic development. In addition to academic impact, we also attach great importance to societal impact and engagement, especially towards communities, governments and organisations. The team brings diverse expertise in institutional change, wellbeing and inclusion, European and global policy, resilient cities, e-governance, and migration and diversity.

For more information, please visit our website.

Applying

Please submit your application, consisting of a motivation letter and CV, and one sample publication, before the vacancy closing date. In your CV, please provide the names of three referees, whom we may contact. Referees will only be approached if you are shortlisted for an interview.

The selection procedure consists of two interviews. The first interview is expected to be held in the week of the 24 November.

You can find more information about the EUR on our website www.eur.nl. For more information about this vacancy, please contact prof.dr. Michal Onderco via onderco@essb.eur.nl.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Persons of all gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, ages, neurodiversities, functional impairments, citizenships, or any other aspect are welcome to apply and join the EUR community.