Due to geopolitical tensions and hybrid threats, the societal resilience of our society is increasingly on the agenda. A major city, together with its partners, is also looking for ways to increase the city's resilience, so that the city and its inhabitants and organizations can absorb and withstand unexpected disruptions. An educational institution has brought these partners together in a 'resilience workshop' to connect this quest with research and education, thereby collectively increasing urban resilience.
For this workshop, the institution is looking for a Postdoc / Coordinating Researcher. In this unique role, you will combine scientific research with building a strong network of researchers, governments, and societal partners. Approximately half of your time will be spent on multi-year research into strengthening societal resilience in a metropolitan context. The other half, you will coordinate the workshop: a collaborative platform where knowledge development, education, and practice come together.
You will develop new knowledge, connect people and organizations, and ensure that research and education genuinely contribute to societal resilience.
What you will do. As a postdoc:
- For three years, you will work on research into societal resilience in an urban context.
- You will be embedded within a faculty of social and behavioral sciences of a university and will collaborate closely with researchers from various disciplines and partners from the city.
- The research focuses on societal resilience. The precise content of the research program will be developed in collaboration with a municipal organization.
- Your activities will include:
- developing and executing an independent, demand-driven research line around urban resilience issues
- establishing and maintaining collaborations with other researchers and (public/societal) partners
- producing scientific articles and practice-oriented knowledge products
- pursuing new opportunities for research funding through calls, grants, or commissioned research
- translating scientific insights into applicable knowledge for policy and practice
As coordinator of the workshop:
- The workshop is an initiative of a university and a municipal organization and collaborates closely with, among others, a safety region, a university of applied sciences, and an urban resilience initiative.
- Within this network, researchers, students, policymakers, and professionals come together to collectively develop, share, and apply knowledge.
- As coordinator, you will organize and facilitate this collaboration. You will ensure that researchers and societal partners find each other, that joint initiatives emerge, and that the workshop further develops as the knowledge and collaboration platform for societal resilience in the region.
- Your activities will include:
- organizing and coordinating meetings, workshops, and networking activities
- connecting researchers, students, and societal partners around current issues
- serving as the primary point of contact for partners, especially the municipal organization
- maintaining and expanding the workshop's network
- contributing to the development of joint knowledge agendas and new research initiatives
- making activities and results visible through, among other channels, the website and other communication channels
What they ask
- A (nearly) completed PhD in a relevant social science discipline, providing a strong foundation to conduct the aforementioned research
- Experience in conducting action-oriented/design-oriented research and organizing co-creation in research projects
- Excellent organizational and project management skills
- Strong communication skills, experience in engaging stakeholders and facilitating interaction and collaboration
- Strong academic writing skills, a creative and entrepreneurial mindset
- Ability to work both independently and in transdisciplinary teams
- Fluent command of the Dutch language
How to apply
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