University of Amsterdam
5 days ago
PhD Position in Groundwater Care, Political Ecology, and Development Studies University of Amsterdam in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Anthropology
Funding
Paid PhD employment at the University of Amsterdam for 38 hours per week for up to four years. Salary is €3,204 gross per month in the first year and rises to €4,051 gross per month in the final year, plus 8% holiday allowance, a year-end bonus of 8.3%, pension accrual, and other employment benefits. The position is funded through an ERC Advanced Grant project.
Deadline
Nov 2, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
University of Amsterdam

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About this position
PhD opportunity at the University of Amsterdam in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, within the GID group and the broader Aquiverse project on groundwater care and governance.
This project sits at the intersection of political ecology, development studies, environmental humanities, anthropology, geography, and earth science. It examines how irrigators and communities in Peru care for, protect, rejuvenate, and recharge groundwater, and how these practices relate to agrarian change, water politics, collective action, and transformational politics.
You may combine ethnographic description, institutional and hydro-geological documentation, historical-political analysis, and analysis of how people navigate pressures to individualize, intensify, or over-exploit groundwater. The project is collaborative and transdisciplinary, and it connects the Peru case with related work in India and Morocco.
Eligibility highlights include a research master’s degree in human geography, development studies, anthropology, or a closely related field; experience with ethnographic methods; interest in water and agrarian change; some familiarity with agrarian Peru and remote rural fieldwork; comfort with quantification; and curiosity about hydrogeology. Strong English academic writing is required, along with good Spanish and preferably Quechua.
The position is a 4-year PhD employment contract, initially for one year and extendable after positive assessment. Salary ranges from €3,204 to €4,051 gross per month (full-time, 38 hours/week), plus holiday allowance, year-end bonus, pension, and other benefits.
Apply online by 2 November 2026. Prepare a single PDF with a motivation letter, CV, one writing sample (or excerpt), and contact details for two academic references. Questions can be directed to Prof. Margreet Zwarteveen at [email protected].
Funding details
Paid PhD employment at the University of Amsterdam for 38 hours per week for up to four years. Salary is €3,204 gross per month in the first year and rises to €4,051 gross per month in the final year, plus 8% holiday allowance, a year-end bonus of 8.3%, pension accrual, and other employment benefits. The position is funded through an ERC Advanced Grant project.
What's required
Applicants should have a research master's degree in human geography, development studies, anthropology, or a closely related field. They should be interested in the role of water in agrarian change and in feminist theorizing of human/society-environment relations, have familiarity with agrarian Peru and remote rural fieldwork, experience with ethnographic research methods, some comfort with quantification, and some understanding of or curiosity about hydrogeology. Strong interdisciplinary collaboration skills, excellent academic writing and communication in English, and the ability to communicate well in Spanish and preferably also Quechua are required; knowledge of French, Arabic (Darija), or Hindi is an advantage.
How to apply
Apply via the red button on the vacancy page before 2 November 2026. Submit one PDF containing a motivation letter, CV, one writing sample (or excerpt if longer), and contact details for two academic references. For questions, contact Prof. Margreet Zwarteveen by email.
More information can be found here
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