Postdoc (3 Years) on Nihilistic Violent Extremist Groups

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 39,573 - 61,804; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday leave 232 hours/year

8% holiday allowance

8.3% end-of-year bonus

Commuting expense contribution

Personalized benefits package

Sports facilities access

Job summary

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is seeking a Postdoc to study Nihilistic Violent Extremist groups using advanced data science methods. You will join an interdisciplinary team and present findings at conferences and in journals.

The starting date is 1 January 2027 at the latest. The role includes conducting rigorous analyses of large social media datasets, collaborating with senior researchers, and contributing to teaching activities within the department.

Qualifications

• PhD completed or soon to be completed before the start date in criminology, psychology, data science, or related field.
• Expertise in research relevant to extremism, radicalization, and terrorism.
• Strong background in statistics and data science techniques.
• Demonstrable experience with quantitative analyses of large volumes of social media data.
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills.
• Team player with good communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Map existing literature on NVE groups and develop cutting-edge research ideas.
• Explore existing data sources, find new data sources, and monitor updates.
• Analyze and curate data.
• Present findings at (inter)national conferences.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed articles.
• Assist in (minor) teaching activities within the department.
• Contribute to team spirit and help others achieve their goals.

Skills

Statistics

Data Science

English proficiency

Team player

Education

PhD in criminology/psychology/data science

Job description

Your function

We will be hiring a Postdoc on a project to investigate Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) groups – that is, radical online groups (consisting of mostly adolescents and young adults) that are notorious for committing a broad range of crimes, consisting of members who appear to be driven less by a clear ideology than by general desires for chaos and online status. You will work within an interdisciplinary research team that includes Prof. dr. Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Prof. dr. Arjan Blokland, and Dr. Elanie Rodermond. You will investigate these issues with sophisticated data science techniques (i.e., statistically analyzing a large volume of social media data). You will present the findings at conferences and publish them in academic journals. The targeted starting date is 1 January 2027 at the latest.

Your duties

• mapoutexistingliterature on NVE groups and develop ideas for cutting-edge research on these groups
• explore existing data sources, find new data sources, and monitor them for updates
• analyze and curate data
• presentthefindingsat (inter)nationalconferences
• publish the findings in academic, peer-reviewed articles
• assist in (minor) teaching activities within the department
• contribute to the team spirit and help others achieve their goals

Your profile

• you have completed or will soon complete (before the position’s starting date) a PhD in criminology, psychology, data science, or other field relevant for the project.
• you have expertise in research relevant for extremism, radicalization, and terrorism
• youhavea strong background in statistics and data science techniques
• you have demonstrable experience with quantitative analyses of a large volume of social media data
• youhaveexcellentverbalandwrittenEnglishlanguageskills
• youareateamplayerwithgood communicationabilities

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?

Achallengingpositioninasociallyengagedorganisation.AtVUAmsterdam,youcontributeto education, research, and service for a better world. In return for these valuable efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3546,00 and maximum € 5538,00 gross per month, onafull-timebasis.ThisisbasedonUFO (University Job Classification)profile for the position ofa Postdoc.Theexactsalarydependsonyoureducationandexperience.
• apositionfor1FTE.Theinitialcontractwillbefor1year,whichcanbeextendedfor two more years contingent on a positive evaluation.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. 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
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

About us

You will work within an interdisciplinary team, consisting of Prof. dr.Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Prof. dr. Arjan Blokland, and dr.Elanie Rodermond. You will become part of the Social Psychology section at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This section is world‑leading in its work on trust, emotion, cooperation, and morality. The section also has expertise in evolutionary approaches to psychology, cross-cultural research, political psychology, close relationships, and emotion, among other topics. We value high-quality research, personal development, and social cohesion within an international atmosphere. Through the team's affiliations with the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), you will also benefit from being part of the NSCR research community. This includes joining its growing research cluster on extremism and terrorism, benefiting from the institute's broader expertise in crime and criminal behavior, and making use of its unique research infrastructure for the secure management and analysis of sensitive data.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences

Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better.

Are you interested in joining Behavioural and Movement Sciences? You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We offer you all the space you need for personal development. Together with your 630 colleagues, you will take care of about 4,200 students.

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.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.