PhD position - The development and institutional design of Flood Resilient Landscape Governance Arrangements

Do you want to better understand power dynamics of designing Flood Resilient Landscapes? Do you want to explore the enabling and constraining conditions of realising nature based solutions from a governance and stakeholder perspective? Then this might be the perfect opportunity for you!

We are looking for a PhD candidate as part of our project “Flexible Deltas” of the Delta Climate Center (DCC) in Vlissingen. The position is about the development and institutional design of Flood Resilient Landscape Governance Arrangements in the Southwestern Delta of the Netherlands.

The Flexible Delta project focuses on Flood Resilient Landscapes (FRL) and the feasibility of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the land-water transition zones of the Western and Eastern Scheldt.

Within Flexible Deltas this PhD project gives insight in the governance aspects of FRL, to contribute to effective, lawful and legitimate development and implementation of several NbSs in FRL. Special objectives of this PhD project are (1) to understand the specific institutionalization of FRL governance arrangements for the selected FRL, with a specific focus on legitimacy and power dynamics and (2) to provide input for the institutional co-design of NbS with stakeholders.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Analyze the institutionalization of possible GAs and conduct fieldwork for the three selected FRLs;
• Write and submit a PhD thesis assessed against the WUR rubrics for the PhD thesis;
• Cooperate with the other researchers in the Flexible Deltas project and actively participate in the meetings and workshops with the private and public stakeholders in the Living Lab setting;
• To contribute to the development of the Delta Climate Center;
• Present and share your research results in (international and national) conferences.

You will work here
This PhD project is embedded within the Delta Climate Center and the Environmental Policy Group of Wageningen University.

As PhD researcher you will be member of the DCC Flexible Deltas team. You will be supervised by Prof.dr.ir. Jan van Tatenhove and Dr. Marloes Kraan. Your work location will be Vlissingen.

The Delta Climate Center is a new and innovative knowledge center in the field of climate adaptation. Its core question is: how to advance the transition towards sustainable, climate-resilient and prosperous deltas? With the Zeeland delta as its living lab, the Delta Climate Center fosters innovative and impactful solutions for future-proof delta’s worldwide. The DCC unites science and practice in a unique partnership between Scalda, HZ University of Applied Sciences, University College Roosevelt, NIOZ, Utrecht University, and Wageningen University & Research.

Requirements:

You are a motivated researcher with a broad curiosity and the ability to cooperate with researchers of several disciplines (ranging from the natural to the social sciences), but also to work in the transdisciplinary setting of Living Labs in which scientist cooperate and work together with a diversity of public and private stakeholders. We are looking for a collaborative and flexible team member, who is able to work independently and contributes to the broader Flexible Delta project.

You also possess:

• A successfully completed MSc degree in social sciences, preferably political science, public administration, sociology, human geography or related disciplines.
• Background in and experience with innovative qualitative research methods in the social sciences
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Dutch and in English and the ability and willingness to participate in inter- and transdisciplinary meetings and workshops

For this position your command of the Dutch language is expected.

Salary Benefits:

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

38 hours per week

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