Postdoctoral Researcher position on Increasing the visibility of public engagement for OS monitoring Leiden University in Netherlands

Postdoctoral Researcher position on Increasing the visibility of public engagement for OS monitoring at Leiden University

This postdoctoral position is hosted by Leiden University, within the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. The project examines how Public Engagement Activities (PEAs) can be made more visible in Open Science monitoring and research information systems, with the broader goal of improving recognition, reward, and policy support for researchers who engage with societal actors.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team working in the CWTS Open Science Lab and related focal areas. The project sits at the intersection of Open Science, research evaluation, research information, and science-society engagement. It addresses a known gap in current monitoring frameworks, which are often not well equipped to capture the variety, processes, and outputs of PEAs.

The research programme includes a bibliometric study of impact statements on successful NWO grants, interviews with researchers and infrastructure professionals, a questionnaire for stakeholders in the Dutch academic landscape, community consultations with PEA practitioners, dialogue sessions with repository providers and CRIS system managers, and co-creation sessions to design new sociotechnical strategies for documenting PEAs in the digital scholarly record.

Applicants should hold a PhD in social sciences, informatics, digital humanities, or a related field, and bring experience with qualitative and co-creation methods, expert interviews, and focus groups. Familiarity with the Dutch Open Science landscape, scholarly communication infrastructures, research information systems, research data management, and non-traditional research outputs will be an advantage. Strong communication, project management, and time management skills are essential, and Dutch language skills are welcomed.

The appointment is for two years at 38 hours per week. The role is classified as Senior Researcher (Researcher 3) and includes a salary of €4728 gross per month on a full-time basis, plus holiday allowance, end-of-year bonus, pension coverage, commuting reimbursement, and other Dutch university employment benefits. Hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands.

The application deadline is 7 August 2026. Candidates can apply via the Leiden University careers portal. For questions about the position, contact Dr. A.S. Hoffman at [email protected].