PhD Position: ‘Beyond the Odds’ – Unravelling Pathways to Gambling-related Harm Radboud University in Netherlands

Radboud University is offering a PhD position on ‘Beyond the Odds’ – Unravelling Pathways to Gambling-related Harm, based in the Faculty of Social Sciences in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. This project is part of a ZonMw-funded consortium and focuses on understanding why some people develop gambling-related harm while others do not, even when faced with similar circumstances.

The PhD candidate will work in the Decision, Development and Psychopathology (D2P2) lab and be embedded in the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) PhD graduate school. The project is highly interdisciplinary, connecting psychology, decision sciences, economics, and addiction research. The research uses the LISS panel, a large longitudinal panel representing the Dutch population, and combines new data collection with existing longitudinal information on mental health, personality, socioeconomic circumstances, relationships, social integration, and major life events.

The core research tasks involve developing and conducting three measurement waves with around 1,000 participants who have recent gambling experience. The project will use advanced quantitative methods to study how vulnerability factors interact over time, how gambling behavior and gambling-related harm develop longitudinally, and which factors precede or follow changes in harm. The position includes the opportunity to produce scientific papers, present at workshops and conferences, and work toward the University Teaching Qualification.

Applicants should have a Research Master’s or Master’s degree in psychology, economics, or a related field. Strong skills in advanced statistics and research methods are essential, preferably including experience with mixed-effects models, cross-lagged panel analysis, latent class analysis, and R. Familiarity with panel data is an advantage. The team is looking for someone who is committed to Open Science, collaborative, creative, open-minded, and eager to learn. Excellent English is required, and Dutch proficiency is welcomed or can be learned during the project.

The supervisory team includes Dr. Bernd Figner (Radboud University), Kim Fairley (Radboud University), Kirsten Rohde (Maastricht University), and Harmen Beurmanjer (NK expertise centre for Addiction). The application deadline is 30 September 2026, and the preferred start date is 1 January 2027. The role offers a temporary contract with a gross monthly salary starting at €3,204 and increasing to €4,051 from the fourth year onwards, plus holiday allowance, end-of-year bonus, leave, and additional employment benefits.