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Research focus: This PhD research will develop adaptive institutional design principles for citizen collectives (CCs) throughout their lifecycle. You will use cutting-edge AI-powered agent-based modeling combined with Large Language Models to create context-sensitive governance frameworks that address different developmental stages of CCs.
Your role: You will conduct three in-depth case studies, develop sophisticated simulation models, and co-create practical tools with CCs through interactive workshops. Your research will transform theoretical governance principles into actionable, evidence-based recommendations that CCs can immediately apply.
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Host University: Delft University of Technology
This position offers a unique opportunity to bridge cutting-edge computational methods with real-world social impact, working at the intersection of technology, governance, and community development.
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Research focus: In this PhD project, you will investigate how citizen collectives (CCs) act as early detectors and mediators of societal tensions in living environments in the Netherlands. Societal transitions toward sustainability and justice are not without challenges or disputes and polarization often emerges - between political ideologies, economic interests, or social values. This project explores how CCs can identify and respond to these “transition tensions” - such as the conflict between urgent climate action and principles of equity - before they escalate, and how their community-based engagement can contribute to avoiding transition backlash and advancing just societal change.
Your role: You will work with CCs that operate at the intersection of communities and societal change – both studying as well as helping design strategies for navigating tensions surrounding political ideologies and socio-economic disparities. Therewith you contribute to a broader understanding of how local, community-based organizations can offer solutions for larger societal divides. Using methods such as multi-criteria mapping and participatory action research, you will co-design interventions that help CCs recognize, discuss, and address these tensions.
A key outcome of the project will be the development of a “Pluralizer tool” - a practical and research-based instrument to help CCs in fostering transitions while navigating and embracing the inherent conflicts that arise.
Host University: Erasmus University Rotterdam
This position is ideal for candidates passionate about social justice, conflict resolution, and participatory research approaches that directly empower communities.
Research focus: Your research will explore how housing collectives identify societal shortcomings and embody alternative values like solidarity, collectivity, and care. You will study different types of housing collectives to understand participants' motivations and values, helping these diverse groups develop a unified identity that amplifies their voice in governance.
Your role: Using the Means-End Chains method and collaborative ethnography, you will investigate the emotional, cognitive, and organizational dimensions of collective identity. You will work with housing networks (Cooplink, Ecodorpen, Knarrenhof Foundation) to map collective values and create pathways for these groups to influence housing policy and sustainability transitions.
This position suits candidates passionate about housing justice, collective action, and using values-based approaches to drive systemic change.
Research focus: This PhD trajectory investigates whether citizen collectives function as "schools for democracy." You will explore how participatory decision-making within citizen collectives (CCs) influences members' civic engagement beyond the collective, examining whether democratic practices in cooperatives foster broader pro-social and democratic tendencies in society.
Your role: You will study this in worker cooperatives and co-housing communities (eco-villages), using mixed methods to understand how different forms of democratic decision-making affect civic behavior. A key innovation is developing the "Civic Engagement Tool"—a serious game that captures behavioral data on participants' decision-making abilities, cooperative tendencies, and civic engagement in dynamic, realistic scenarios.
Ideal for candidates interested in democratic innovation, behavioral research, and developing creative methodologies that engage practitioners.
Research focus: Your research explores how citizen collectives mobilize stakeholders around place-based sustainability transitions. You will investigate sense of place, personal values, and community perceptions to help citizen collectives develop collaborative narratives that foster inclusive partnerships and joint agendas for sustainable development in urban-rural settings.
Your Role: You will establish living labs with citizen collectives in areas where governance trust is low, applying co-design methods to develop the "Sense of Place Mapper" tool. This innovative tool integrates personal values with perceived place assets, helping communities visualize what they care about and build shared visions for their future. You will work across municipalities to test and refine participatory approaches.
Host University: University of Groningen
Perfect for candidates passionate about participatory planning, community development, and creating tools that empower local communities to shape sustainable futures.
Research focus: This PhD research explores how citizen collective networks can expand their capacity to mobilize large sections of the population for sustainability transitions. You will investigate organizational and digital infrastructures that enable citizen collectives to reach beyond immediate communities, examining coalitions that bring together multiple networks for greater impact.
Your role: Working with networks like LSA, Energie Samen, and Cooplink, you will use qualitative methods and action research to understand current hindrances to mobilization. Through workshops and working sessions, you will co-develop the "Mobiliser" futuring tool—helping citizen collectives envision and build the infrastructures needed for broader participation. You will embed yourself in change processes, supporting networks from within.
Host University: Utrecht University
Join us if you are interested in social movements, scaling grassroots innovation, and using action research to support transformative change.
Research focus: Can citizen collectives drive just and sustainable transitions by motivating not only participants but also non-participants? Your research investigates how citizen collectives (CCs) influence motivations, shared identities, and behaviors of both involved and uninvolved individuals, examining whether these initiatives inadvertently create polarization or successfully foster inclusive engagement.
Your role: You will conduct a groundbreaking longitudinal field experiment with Buurkracht, tracking 40+ communities where new CCs will be initiated. Using surveys and experimental methods, you will assess changes in motivations, shared identity, and polarization over time, comparing different CC setups and their effects on diverse populations. You will develop the "Motivation Mapper" tool for CCs to assess and track their motivational impact.
Ideal for candidates with strong quantitative and experimental skills who are passionate about social-environmental psychology, sustainability, and inclusive transitions.
Research focus: Your research addresses collaborative relationships between governments and citizen collectives (CCs), which are often fraught with challenges, primarily due to mutual distrust and the difficulty governments face in adopting interactive and responsive approaches to these emerging initiatives. As a result, the potential to truly co-create public value is frequently unrealized. A key principle is that public value co-creation should occur on an equal footing, that it should be a balanced and reciprocal collaborative process. Establishing such effective co-creative partnerships requires the development of high-quality relationships between CCs and local government agencies. This involves mutual learning, where both parties gain insights into each other's approaches, capacities, and roles. In this context, the involvement of academia, particularly in their role as civic universities, can be highly relevant. Academia can contribute to co-creating knowledge and developing reflective approaches and tools for these partnerships. Co-creative partnerships are underpinned by core values such as reciprocity, responsiveness (the capacity to react constructively to inputs), inclusiveness (ensuring openness, accessibility, and opportunities for involvement), and a sense of joint ownership (where all parties feel a shared responsibility in both the challenge and the solution-seeking process). The challenge is to live up to those mutually recognized core values that will lead to positive experiences in new or ongoing partnerships with satisfying results and outputs.
Your role: You will focus on understanding the core values and approaches that define the relationships between CCs, governmental agencies, and academic institutions, specifically in Rotterdam and Arnhem (but also other municipalities are possible). This study will examine the relational dynamics between the identified actor groups at different stages of the collectives’ life cycles, while respecting the distinct roles of all stakeholders involved. The researcher will employ a comparative case study approach with participatory action research components, drawing on Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). We start from empirical understanding in real life settings of the CCs, by following a community-based research approach, which goes beyond traditional academic approaches. Additionally, we use SSM, a methodology inspired by system thinking and designed to address complex problems, particularly in scenarios where there is no clear or well-defined solution. SSM emphasizes understanding problems from multiple stakeholders' perspectives, facilitating the exploration of different viewpoints and fostering a shared understanding of both challenges and potential solutions in forming effective partnerships. One specific output of the project is the development of an interactive game which can be used to facilitate the co-creation of public value by fostering effective collaboration between CCs and local governments, and simulate real-world scenarios, allowing players to experiment with various strategies and approaches to develop successful co-creative partnerships.
Perfect for candidates interested in governance innovation, co-creation, and developing engaging learning tools for multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Research focus: This PhD trajectory addresses friction between citizen collectives, local governments, and non-participants by investigating how mutual understanding can be fostered. You will explore discourses, perspectives, and factors driving or hindering shared understanding, recognizing that power imbalances and communication breakdowns often prevent effective collaboration.
Your role: Using Q-methodology and focus groups, you will gather and analyze diverse stakeholder discourses in the housing domain. You will develop the "Collaborative Dynamics Tool"—a serious game that enhances empathy by allowing participants to experience others' roles, responsibilities, and challenges. The game visualizes stakeholder interests and helps identify potential conflicts or alignments.
Host University: Leiden University
Ideal for candidates interested in governance, deliberative democracy, and innovative methods for bridging divides between different societal actors.
Research focus: Your research identifies creative competences—empathy, adaptability, visualization, idea generation—essential for citizen collectives and civil servants to collaborate effectively on innovations driving societal transitions. You will explore how these competences can be strengthened to overcome barriers like bureaucracy, budget constraints, and compartmentalized funding.
Your role: Through systematic literature review, qualitative case studies, and research-through-design approaches, you will develop the "Creative Competences Roadmap" (CCR)—a practical tool helping citizen collectives and civil servants identify, self-monitor, and develop creative capabilities. You will work with successful citizen collectives and those experiencing collaboration difficulties, co-designing pathways for competence development through workshops.
Perfect for candidates with backgrounds in design, innovation studies, or social entrepreneurship who want to bridge creative practices with governance transformation.
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