PhD Candidate in Communication Science and Digital Fraud Prevention at the University of Amsterdam University of Amsterdam in Canada

PhD Candidate opportunity at the University of Amsterdam in the project AuthentiMark: Protecting Citizens Against Digital Fraud (Dutch speakers only).

The project is based at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, and focuses on digital trust, fraud prevention, and communication science. The PhD research will examine who is most vulnerable to digital financial fraud, what types of scams and susceptibility patterns exist, how effective interventions such as digital watermarks are, and under what conditions people trust or reject fraud-prevention tools.

Research methods include surveys, experiments, focus groups, and field experiments. The position is embedded in a large interdisciplinary consortium with collaboration across universities and more than 25 societal partners, including stakeholders in government, health, and finance.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should have or be completing a Research Master’s in Communication Science, Communication & Information Studies, Information Science, or a related field. Experience with surveys, experiments, and qualitative research is expected. Fluent Dutch is mandatory, strong English is required, and the motivation letter must be written in Dutch. Only Dutch-speaking candidates are eligible.

Funding and conditions: this is a paid PhD employment contract for up to 4 years, with a 1-year initial contract and possible extension after evaluation. Salary is €3,059–€3,881 per month. The role includes about 10% teaching of bachelor students.

Deadline: 25 June 2026. Start date is targeted for 1 September 2026.