Are you our new colleague?
We are looking for a PhD candidate to build a macroeconomic model that links long‑term strategies for flood risk management to the behaviour of the financial sector and the broader economic development of the Netherlands. In this project, you will work on methods to quantify how choices regarding possible long‑term solutions – as distinguished by the IPCC (from protection to retreat and from adaptive building to spatial dispersal policies) – feed through to interest rate premia for a country on the capital market, capital requirements for banks and insurers, the investment climate and economic growth. You will study tipping points for the financial sector, given the evolution of flood probabilities and impacts.
About FIRM
Flood Insurance and Risk Management (FIRM) is a five‑year research programme (2026–2030), funded by TKI Deltatechnologie, Nationale‑Nederlanden and contributions from more than 10 partners from academia, the financial sector, engineering consultancies and government. The central aim of FIRM is to estimate flood and water nuisance risk information as realistically as possible and to make it suitable for use in the financial sector.
FIRM consists of four substantive research pillars and a work package on knowledge transfer. This vacancy concerns a PhD position within Pillar 2. You will collaborate closely with the PhD candidates in the other pillars and will be supervised by researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Deltares, working together with experts from the field.
This is what you will be doing
This PhD project focuses on the interaction between long‑term strategies for flood risk management, the behaviour of the financial sector and the macroeconomic development of the Netherlands. The project develops a methodology to make this interaction explicit. The research consists of:
- Further developing a macroeconomic model that incorporates the response of insurers and other financial institutions to climate change and possible long‑term adaptation strategies to reduce floodrisk (using the flood risk models of Pillar 1), including GDP effects and distributional effects between areas inside and outside transition zones;
- Identifying tipping points at which climate and transition risks because of climate adaptation influences investment choices;
- Developing and analyzing adaptation pathways: combinations of prevention, spatial planning and financial instruments that can postpone or avoid tipping points, assessed against the long‑term scenarios from the Sea Level Rise Knowledge Programme (Kennisprogramma Zeespiegelstijging, KP ZSS) and possible transition pathways based on the IPCC;
- Applying the methodology to case studies in the Netherlands in collaboration with project partners, and exploring international applications.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- Further developing a macroeconomic model that, in addition to protection, links other long‑term strategies to the behaviour of the financial sector and the implications for economic growth, including distributional effects between regions with different policies;
- Identifying tipping points at which climate and transition risks cause the financial sector to shift from a facilitating to a constraining role in spatial development;
- Developing adaptation pathways and assessing their effectiveness in terms of costs, benefits and distributional effects;
- Applying the model in workshops with insurers (led by Nationale‑Nederlanden) and policymakers (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Min. LnW; NLAAA);
- Presenting at international conferences and publishing in leading peer‑reviewed journals;
- Completing a PhD thesis within four years;
- Contributing to teaching activities (approximately 20% of your time), including tutorials and supervision of theses.
This is what we ask of you
This is an interdisciplinary project at the intersection of environmental economics, macroeconomics, actuarial science and water management. We realize that candidates will usually have expertise in one of these fields and ask for a genuine interest in the others.
- A Master’s degree (or completion before September 2026) in Economics, Econometrics, Actuarial Science, Applied Mathematics, Environmental Sciences or a related field;
- Strong quantitative background: familiarity with dynamic optimization, cost‑benefit analysis or macroeconomic modelling is an advantage;
- Experience with programming (Python, R, MATLAB or similar);
- Ability to collaborate constructively with stakeholders from the financial sector and government;
- Interest in the Dutch spatial planning context and water management is an asset;
- Fluency in English is essential. Proficiency in Dutch is an asset;
- Intellectual curiosity, attention to detail and the drive to successfully complete a four‑year research project.
Applications that do not satisfy all listed requirements will not be taken into consideration.
Supervisors: Prof. dr. Bas Kolen (UvA, HKV) · Prof. dr. Ton van den Bremer (UvA, TU Delft) · Dr. Kees van Ginkel (Deltares, VU).
This is what we offer you
Weoffer:
- A temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a duration of 4 years (initial contract of 18 months, extended upon positive evaluation). The position should lead to a PhD thesis;
- A gross monthly salary ranging from € 3,204 (year 1) to € 4,051 (year 4), scale P, excluding 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year‑end bonus. The UFO profile “PhD Candidate” applies. The 30% ruling may apply to non‑Dutch candidates;
- An ambitious, international and collegial research environment within the Actuarial Science and Mathematical Finance research group at the Amsterdam School of Economics, in the heart of Amsterdam;
- A position in a large national research consortium, with direct access to unique insurance loss data and hydraulic model sets;
- Collaboration with leading financial institutions and water management organizations, with regular opportunities to present findings to practitioners;
- Access to the broad range of training, career and development opportunities at the UvA, including the support programme “Mastering my PhD” (for doctoral candidates).
Thecollective labouragreementofDutchuniversitiesapplies.
The UvA has an extensive package of fringe benefits, including:
- 29 days' holiday with full employment & extra holidays between Christmas and the New Year;
- Excellent work (from home) facilities;
- reimbursement of commuting expenses;
- pension accrual with ABP;
- In addition, the UvA offers excellent study and development opportunities and encourages employees to continue their professional development;
- You may participate in the open UvA lectures with which you can earn up to 30 credits per year.
This is where you’ll be working
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is the largest university in the Netherlands and ranks among the top universities in Europe. With over 42,000 students, 6,000 staff and 3,000 PhD candidates, the UvA is an intellectual hub driven by a culture of curiosity.
The UvA is an equal‑opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.
About UvA Economics and Business
Education and research at UvA Economics and Business (EB) covers a wide range of fields that includes economics, data science, business administration, business analytics, accountancy, control, actuarial science, econometrics, finance and entrepreneurship. This is organised in 2 Schools: the Amsterdam Business School (ABS) and the Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE). Over 7,000 students are enrolled in our UvA Economics and Business programmes and around 500 employees provide education and support.
The Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE) enjoys international recognition for its research in actuarial science, econometrics, mathematical finance and quantitative economics.
The vacancy is within the Quantitative Economics section of the ASE, which is responsible for teaching most quantitative economics related courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. The section produces internationally acclaimed research and covers three different research programs: Actuarial Science & Mathematical Finance, Econometrics, and Equilibrium, Expectations & Dynamics (CeNDEF).
Find more information about Economics and Business on uva.nl/eb.
Find more information about the Amsterdam School of Economics on ase.uva.nl.
Find more information about the Quantitative Economics section here.
Are you interested in the long‑term consequences of climate change and adaptation choices and the role that insurers and other financial institutions? Do you want to develop macroeconomic models that reveal where the tipping points lie in the relationship between changes in flood risk, financial markets and possible response strategies as protect, retreat and living with waterclimate adaption?
Are you our new colleague?
We are looking for a PhD candidate to build a macroeconomic model that links long‑term strategies for flood risk management to the behaviour of the financial sector and the broader economic development of the Netherlands. In this project, you will work on methods to quantify how choices regarding possible long‑term solutions – as distinguished by the IPCC (from protection to retreat and from adaptive building to spatial dispersal policies) – feed through to interest rate premia for a country on the capital market, capital requirements for banks and insurers, the investment climate and economic growth. You will study tipping points for the financial sector, given the evolution of flood probabilities and impacts.
About FIRM
Flood Insurance and Risk Management (FIRM) is a five‑year research programme (2026–2030), funded by TKI Deltatechnologie, Nationale‑Nederlanden and contributions from more than 10 partners from academia, the financial sector, engineering consultancies and government. The central aim of FIRM is to estimate flood and water nuisance risk information as realistically as possible and to make it suitable for use in the financial sector.
FIRM consists of four substantive research pillars and a work package on knowledge transfer. This vacancy concerns a PhD position within Pillar 2. You will collaborate closely with the PhD candidates in the other pillars and will be supervised by researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Deltares, working together with experts from the field.
This is what you will be doing
This PhD project focuses on the interaction between long‑term strategies for flood risk management, the behaviour of the financial sector and the macroeconomic development of the Netherlands. The project develops a methodology to make this interaction explicit. The research consists of:
- Further developing a macroeconomic model that incorporates the response of insurers and other financial institutions to climate change and possible long‑term adaptation strategies to reduce floodrisk (using the flood risk models of Pillar 1), including GDP effects and distributional effects between areas inside and outside transition zones;
- Identifying tipping points at which climate and transition risks because of climate adaptation influences investment choices;
- Developing and analyzing adaptation pathways: combinations of prevention, spatial planning and financial instruments that can postpone or avoid tipping points, assessed against the long‑term scenarios from the Sea Level Rise Knowledge Programme (Kennisprogramma Zeespiegelstijging, KP ZSS) and possible transition pathways based on the IPCC;
- Applying the methodology to case studies in the Netherlands in collaboration with project partners, and exploring international applications.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- Further developing a macroeconomic model that, in addition to protection, links other long‑term strategies to the behaviour of the financial sector and the implications for economic growth, including distributional effects between regions with different policies;
- Identifying tipping points at which climate and transition risks cause the financial sector to shift from a facilitating to a constraining role in spatial development;
- Developing adaptation pathways and assessing their effectiveness in terms of costs, benefits and distributional effects;
- Applying the model in workshops with insurers (led by Nationale‑Nederlanden) and policymakers (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Min. LnW; NLAAA);
- Presenting at international conferences and publishing in leading peer‑reviewed journals;
- Completing a PhD thesis within four years;
- Contributing to teaching activities (approximately 20% of your time), including tutorials and supervision of theses.
This is what we ask of you
This is an interdisciplinary project at the intersection of environmental economics, macroeconomics, actuarial science and water management. We realize that candidates will usually have expertise in one of these fields and ask for a genuine interest in the others.
- A Master’s degree (or completion before September 2026) in Economics, Econometrics, Actuarial Science, Applied Mathematics, Environmental Sciences or a related field;
- Strong quantitative background: familiarity with dynamic optimization, cost‑benefit analysis or macroeconomic modelling is an advantage;
- Experience with programming (Python, R, MATLAB or similar);
- Ability to collaborate constructively with stakeholders from the financial sector and government;
- Interest in the Dutch spatial planning context and water management is an asset;
- Fluency in English is essential. Proficiency in Dutch is an asset;
- Intellectual curiosity, attention to detail and the drive to successfully complete a four‑year research project.
Applications that do not satisfy all listed requirements will not be taken into consideration.
Supervisors: Prof. dr. Bas Kolen (UvA, HKV) · Prof. dr. Ton van den Bremer (UvA, TU Delft) · Dr. Kees van Ginkel (Deltares, VU).
This is what we offer you
Weoffer:
- A temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a duration of 4 years (initial contract of 18 months, extended upon positive evaluation). The position should lead to a PhD thesis;
- A gross monthly salary ranging from € 3,204 (year 1) to € 4,051 (year 4), scale P, excluding 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year‑end bonus. The UFO profile “PhD Candidate” applies. The 30% ruling may apply to non‑Dutch candidates;
- An ambitious, international and collegial research environment within the Actuarial Science and Mathematical Finance research group at the Amsterdam School of Economics, in the heart of Amsterdam;
- A position in a large national research consortium, with direct access to unique insurance loss data and hydraulic model sets;
- Collaboration with leading financial institutions and water management organizations, with regular opportunities to present findings to practitioners;
- Access to the broad range of training, career and development opportunities at the UvA, including the support programme “Mastering my PhD” (for doctoral candidates).
Thecollective labouragreementofDutchuniversitiesapplies.
The UvA has an extensive package of fringe benefits, including:
- 29 days' holiday with full employment & extra holidays between Christmas and the New Year;
- Excellent work (from home) facilities;
- reimbursement of commuting expenses;
- pension accrual with ABP;
- In addition, the UvA offers excellent study and development opportunities and encourages employees to continue their professional development;
- You may participate in the open UvA lectures with which you can earn up to 30 credits per year.
This is where you’ll be working
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is the largest university in the Netherlands and ranks among the top universities in Europe. With over 42,000 students, 6,000 staff and 3,000 PhD candidates, the UvA is an intellectual hub driven by a culture of curiosity.
The UvA is an equal‑opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.
About UvA Economics and Business
Education and research at UvA Economics and Business (EB) covers a wide range of fields that includes economics, data science, business administration, business analytics, accountancy, control, actuarial science, econometrics, finance and entrepreneurship. This is organised in 2 Schools: the Amsterdam Business School (ABS) and the Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE). Over 7,000 students are enrolled in our UvA Economics and Business programmes and around 500 employees provide education and support.
The Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE) enjoys international recognition for its research in actuarial science, econometrics, mathematical finance and quantitative economics.
The vacancy is within the Quantitative Economics section of the ASE, which is responsible for teaching most quantitative economics related courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. The section produces internationally acclaimed research and covers three different research programs: Actuarial Science & Mathematical Finance, Econometrics, and Equilibrium, Expectations & Dynamics (CeNDEF).
Find more information about Economics and Business on uva.nl/eb.
Find more information about the Amsterdam School of Economics on ase.uva.nl.
Find more information about the Quantitative Economics section here.
Do you recognize yourself in the profile and are you interested in the position? We are curious to hear from you and look forward to receiving your application.
Applications must be submitted via the UvA vacancy portal and should include:
- A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) explaining why you are interested in this specific pillar and outlining your relevant background;
- A full curriculum vitae;
- Transcripts of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees;
- Names and contact details of two academic referees (this may include Master’s thesis supervisors).
Applications that do not satisfy all listed requirements will not be taken into consideration.
For substantive questions about the position, please contact Prof. dr. Bas Kolen (b.kolen@uva.nl).
Also important!
- We would like to receive a cover letter and resume as a pdf file.
- The response period closes on 17 September 2026. Applications that we receive after the response deadline, that are not sent through the apply button, or are not complete, we unfortunately cannot consider.
- The first round of interviews will take place during the week commencing 5 October 2026.
- In case of equal suitability, internal candidates will be given priority.
