How to evaluate the output of participatory projects for urban resilience?
Dutch urban areas are transforming due to societal, environmental, technological and economic pressures. Key Enabling Methodologies (KEMs) are a set of experimental design methods that are being used to link societal insights with technological and policy innovations, assisting change agents in tackling urban resilience challenges. However, up to now KEMs often do not adequately support policymakers in addressing the complexities of urban challenges, leaving them feeling unprepared. The 6-year NWO-funded project URRRRRBAN: Urban Resilience through Responsive, Relational, Representative and Responsible Policymaking (led by prof. Mascha van der Voort, University of Twente) attempts to fill that void between KEM development and policy, by addressing how KEMs can move beyond experimental use toward structural integration in policymaking.
In this 2-year postdoc position, you will aid in one of the foundational tasks of the project: to investigate how we can evaluate and reflect on the selection, use and impact of KEMs in policy making practice and the value alignment between policymakers and other stakeholders in their choices of KEMs. The aim is to enable mutual learning, validation, and adaptation of KEMs in transdisciplinary collaborations for urban transformations. This evaluative framework will be theoretically grounded in Actor-Network Theory.
You will closely collaborate with other researchers in the various project work packages. Concrete cases you will be working on include Buurtbarometer (Enschede), Open Urban Platform (Amersfoort), VONK (Rotterdam), CivicAI Lab (Amsterdam), and Energielab ZuidOost (Amsterdam).
This is what you will be doing
- Developing an implementable evaluation framework that is informed by the analysis of the use cases and supports researchers in the other work packages;
- Designing and conducting research under the guidance of the work package leaders, resulting in at least two peer-reviewed academic publications in (inter)national scientific journals and/or edited volumes;
- Interacting and communicating with the project leaders and researchers to share work in progress and contribute to the overall project goals;
- (Co-)organizing expert meetings and a symposium as part of the ongoing project;
- Performing a clearly defined set of administrative tasks.
This is what we ask of you
- PhD in a relevant field in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities, such as philosophy/STS, urban studies, (human) geography, sociology, or in another domain but with demonstrable affinity and experience with Social Sciences and/or Humanities research;
- Demonstrable experience in working with KEMs and/or other ways of bridging between design research and policy;
- Demonstrable postdoctoral experience in publishing in leading international scientific journals;
- Demonstrable postdoctoral experience in presenting scientific results at international conferences;
- A strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
- Excellent social, communication, and organizational skills;
- Good command of Dutch (minimum C1 level) and English (C2 level).
NB: The ability to speak and write in Dutch at minimum C1 level is a hard requirement due to the use cases – applicants that do not demonstrate C1 level Dutch will be rejected.
This is what we offer you
- The employment will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with one year. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2026;
- Depending on relevant experience, the salary at the start of the employment is between EUR 3.546 – EUR 5.538 gross per month based on full-time employment for a 38-hour working week. In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable;
- Working in an enthusiastic and professional team, consisting of academics, policy makers and representatives from societal partners;
- An inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam;
- The opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their inter- and transdisciplinary approach - are world renowned;
- The UvA offers excellent employment conditions and employee benefits such as a holiday- and a year-end allowance and a wide variety of training options.
This is where you'll be working
You will be employed in the department of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), where supervisor Julia Noordegraaf is based, and work in close partnership with the department of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, where supervisor Michiel de Lange is based. At UvA, you will closely collaborate with the team that builds the Amsterdam Time Machine, and with the >35 researchers and engineers of the Cultural Data and AI Hub, that convenes once a month at the faculty’s Humanities Labs. Next to weekly meetings with your supervisors and regular URRRRRBAN project meetings the job includes occasional field visits to partner organizations in various cities in the Netherlands.
Do you want to help Dutch cities to become more resilient by connecting design and policy? We are looking for a 2-year postdoctoral researcher to develop an evaluative framework for urban policy practices focusing on aligning stakeholder values through participation.
How to evaluate the output of participatory projects for urban resilience?
Dutch urban areas are transforming due to societal, environmental, technological and economic pressures. Key Enabling Methodologies (KEMs) are a set of experimental design methods that are being used to link societal insights with technological and policy innovations, assisting change agents in tackling urban resilience challenges. However, up to now KEMs often do not adequately support policymakers in addressing the complexities of urban challenges, leaving them feeling unprepared. The 6-year NWO-funded project URRRRRBAN: Urban Resilience through Responsive, Relational, Representative and Responsible Policymaking (led by prof. Mascha van der Voort, University of Twente) attempts to fill that void between KEM development and policy, by addressing how KEMs can move beyond experimental use toward structural integration in policymaking.
In this 2-year postdoc position, you will aid in one of the foundational tasks of the project: to investigate how we can evaluate and reflect on the selection, use and impact of KEMs in policy making practice and the value alignment between policymakers and other stakeholders in their choices of KEMs. The aim is to enable mutual learning, validation, and adaptation of KEMs in transdisciplinary collaborations for urban transformations. This evaluative framework will be theoretically grounded in Actor-Network Theory.
You will closely collaborate with other researchers in the various project work packages. Concrete cases you will be working on include Buurtbarometer (Enschede), Open Urban Platform (Amersfoort), VONK (Rotterdam), CivicAI Lab (Amsterdam), and Energielab ZuidOost (Amsterdam).
This is what you will be doing
- Developing an implementable evaluation framework that is informed by the analysis of the use cases and supports researchers in the other work packages;
- Designing and conducting research under the guidance of the work package leaders, resulting in at least two peer-reviewed academic publications in (inter)national scientific journals and/or edited volumes;
- Interacting and communicating with the project leaders and researchers to share work in progress and contribute to the overall project goals;
- (Co-)organizing expert meetings and a symposium as part of the ongoing project;
- Performing a clearly defined set of administrative tasks.
This is what we ask of you
- PhD in a relevant field in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities, such as philosophy/STS, urban studies, (human) geography, sociology, or in another domain but with demonstrable affinity and experience with Social Sciences and/or Humanities research;
- Demonstrable experience in working with KEMs and/or other ways of bridging between design research and policy;
- Demonstrable postdoctoral experience in publishing in leading international scientific journals;
- Demonstrable postdoctoral experience in presenting scientific results at international conferences;
- A strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
- Excellent social, communication, and organizational skills;
- Good command of Dutch (minimum C1 level) and English (C2 level).
NB: The ability to speak and write in Dutch at minimum C1 level is a hard requirement due to the use cases – applicants that do not demonstrate C1 level Dutch will be rejected.
This is what we offer you
- The employment will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with one year. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2026;
- Depending on relevant experience, the salary at the start of the employment is between EUR 3.546 – EUR 5.538 gross per month based on full-time employment for a 38-hour working week. In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable;
- Working in an enthusiastic and professional team, consisting of academics, policy makers and representatives from societal partners;
- An inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam;
- The opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their inter- and transdisciplinary approach - are world renowned;
- The UvA offers excellent employment conditions and employee benefits such as a holiday- and a year-end allowance and a wide variety of training options.
This is where you'll be working
You will be employed in the department of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), where supervisor Julia Noordegraaf is based, and work in close partnership with the department of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, where supervisor Michiel de Lange is based. At UvA, you will closely collaborate with the team that builds the Amsterdam Time Machine, and with the >35 researchers and engineers of the Cultural Data and AI Hub, that convenes once a month at the faculty’s Humanities Labs. Next to weekly meetings with your supervisors and regular URRRRRBAN project meetings the job includes occasional field visits to partner organizations in various cities in the Netherlands.
If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. Please send your cover letter and CV as a single PDF file and add two publications that best demonstrate your expertise in relation to the position.
For questions about the position or department, you can contact:
- Julia Noordegraaf, j.j.noordegraaf@uva.nl
- Professor of Digital Heritage, dept. of Media Studies
The vacancy closes on 24-6-2026. The first round of interviews will take place on Friday 3 July 2026 (morning)
