Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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Postdoc in Social Psychology on Covert Hate Speech, Polarization, and Radicalization Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in Netherlands
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Sociology
Funding
Full funding availableDeadline
Aug 20, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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About this position
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is advertising a Postdoc in Social Psychology for a 2-year project on covert hate speech, political polarization, and radicalization within the Horizon2020 Proclaim consortium.
The postdoc will work in the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology and collaborate directly with Prof. dr. Jan-Willem van Prooijen and consortium members, including Dr. Seunghyun Sun (Tilburg University). The project examines how hateful rhetoric can hide behind seemingly neutral language, humor, or irony, and how this may fuel radicalization while bypassing moderation tools and EU legislation.
Research tasks include reviewing literature on overt and covert hate speech, designing and running experiments, developing a longitudinal study linking questionnaire data with social media activity, collecting and analyzing data, presenting findings at consortium meetings and conferences, and publishing peer-reviewed articles as lead author. Minor teaching duties are also part of the role.
Applicants should have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in social psychology or a related field. The ideal candidate has expertise in political psychology, polarization, extremism, radicalization, and hate, strong quantitative and statistical skills, experience with Open Science and preregistration, and familiarity with mixed-method approaches to social media data. Excellent English and strong teamwork skills are required.
The position is full-time (1 FTE) with a salary of €3,546–€5,538 gross per month. The initial contract is for one year and may be extended for a second year after positive evaluation. The targeted start date is 1 January 2027, though earlier or later starts may be possible.
Deadline: 20 August 2026. Apply via the VU Amsterdam vacancy platform; email applications are not accepted. Submit a personal statement and CV, and highlight your fit with the project, methods expertise, and relevant research background.
Funding details
Full funding including tuition fees and living expenses is available for this position. The scholarship covers all educational costs and provides a monthly stipend.
How to apply
Please submit your application including a cover letter, CV, academic transcripts, and contact information for two references. Applications should be sent via the online portal before the deadline.
More information can be found here
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