PhD in Social Network Deficits, Welfare States, and Migrants' Economic Vulnerability Utrecht University in Netherlands

PhD opportunity at Utrecht University in sociology / political science / economics / statistics focused on welfare states, migrants, social networks, and economic vulnerability.

The project, part of the ERC Starting Grant SHADOW, asks when and how migrants’ social networks can create social deficits such as pressure, stigma, dependency, and misinformation, and how welfare-state institutions shape these dynamics. The research combines comparative secondary analysis with original cross-national data collection, including linking the European Social Survey with MIPEX indicators and contributing to a new two-wave survey across several countries.

The successful candidate will be embedded in the ICS Graduate School and the European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations (ERCOMER) at Utrecht University, and supervised by Verena Seibel and Tobias Stark.

Eligibility highlights: a master’s degree in sociology, political science, or a related field (or expected completion this academic year), strong quantitative research experience, motivation to design and conduct original quantitative research, excellent English writing and presentation skills, and strong organizational skills.

Funding: this is a paid PhD employment position for 1 year initially, extendable to 4 years, with a gross monthly salary of €3,059–€3,881 plus holiday pay, year-end bonus, pension, and other employment benefits.

Deadline: 16 August 2026. Interviews are scheduled for 24 August 2026, and the preferred start date is 15 September 2026 (negotiable).

How to apply: submit your application through the official Utrecht University application link only. Do not apply by email. Prepare a CV, an English motivation letter, contact details for two referees, and an overview of your master’s courses and grades.