PhD - Planetary health risks:Communicating climate change-related health impacts

We invite you to join us in exploring the critical intersection of climate change and health as a PhD candidate.

One area of planetary health focuses on understanding and addressing the broad impacts of climate change on human health. Our changing climate poses significant risks: emerging allergies, increased mortality from extreme heat, and more. To mitigate these impacts, it's crucial to implement effective measures and ensure public adherence to guidelines that minimize health risks related to climate change.

Effective risk communication is key to this effort. However, to communicate risks effectively, we first need a deep understanding of public perceptions. This is where your research will come in. By examining how citizens perceive climate change-related health risks through a planetary health lens, you will uncover the complex interplay of factors that influence readiness to act.

Job description
This project aims to understand how people living in the Netherlands perceive different climate change-related health risks, how they search for and process information about these risks, and what factors determine readiness to act, to ultimately make recommendations about how to communicate effectively about the health impacts of climate change.

To do this, four studies are performed utilizing survey designs, social media analysis, and mixed methods (survey and focus groups/interviews). As a start, the risk perceptions of the general public in relation to several possible health risks related to climate change are examined. Special attention is paid to vulnerable groups, such as elderly, children, individuals with chronic diseases and migrants. Based on the results of this first study and literature review, a particular subgroup and risk will be chosen to focus on (for example mental health of young people, or heat stress among the elderly) in the subsequent studies.

Requirements:

The applicant for this position is expected to have a (research) master’s degree in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, social or health psychology, communication studies) or health sciences (public health, global health). A good statistical background and experience with quantitative research is essential; an interest or experience with qualitative methods is an advantage. Computer skills should include SPSS, SAS, R or similar statistical software. Applicants must have excellent speaking and writing skills in English and preferably Dutch, should hold a strong motivation for the research topic ‘planetary health’ and are fairly interested in risk communication.

Salary 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 02-SEP-2024 and you will be based at [class.26087] in Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM). This position is for 1 fte - 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.770 to a maximum of € 3.539 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of (contractduur).

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.

40 hours per week

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50