PhD Positions: BSI Graduate School

Employment

0.8 - 1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary

€ 3,059 - € 3,881

Required background

Research University Degree

Organizational unit

Faculty of Social Sciences

Application deadline

03 May 2026

The Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) Graduate School offers four PhD positions on the theme Empowering the Young. If you are interested in becoming a behavioural scientist and want to work at an institute where multiple disciplines of behavioural science are studied under one roof, we invite you to apply for our 2026 PhD positions.

The BSI’s overall aim is to strengthen people by means of high-quality research on human behaviour. BSI has a strong tradition of linking fundamental and applied science from an interdisciplinary perspective in order to contribute to societally relevant research themes.

The four PhD positions are all linked to the research theme “Empowering the Young”. “The Young” refers to the full range of young people, from infants, children, and adolescents to young adults, such as students, early-career workers, and young parents. The BSI aims to study the challenges that young people face and to contribute to their empowerment and well-being by providing the knowledge, tools, and confidence to shape their future.

The four BSI programmes which offer a PhD position are:

In the document, at the very end of the vacancy text (under 'Attachment'), you will find specific information about the four PhD positions. Please read this document carefully. When applying, you are asked to indicate which particular (max. 2) position(s) appeal(s) to you most.

As part of your PhD position, you will have a teaching task of 10% and the opportunity to make a start with/work on your teaching portfolio for the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ).

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate . 

• You hold a (Research) Master's degree in Behavioural Science, Psychology, Pedagogical Sciences, Educational Sciences or Communication Science.
• You enjoy complex matters that require flexibility and creativity in bringing different viewpoints together.
• You have strong analytical, methodological and statistical skills, and you value research quality and open science.
• You have good written and spoken English language skills as required for scientific publishing.
• You work well in a team, while also being able to work independently.
• You effectively adapt your communication style to align with different people and situations.
• You are proactive, solution-oriented, and show resilience when facing setbacks.
• You acknowledge your personal areas of development and translate them into professional learning goals, and welcome receiving and providing constructive feedback.

• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract, 1.0FTE) or 3.5 years (5 year contract, 0.8FTE).
• You will receive a starting salary of €3,059 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,881 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P ).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) is an interdisciplinary research institute where fundamental, applied and translational research takes place with the aim of understanding important societal issues and contributing to their solutions. BSI is one of the three research institutes of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Radboud University. Our researchers collaborate across the boundaries of psychology, communication science and pedagogical and educational science. Our mission for the coming years is to join forces in interdisciplinary research on the theme ’Empowering the Young’. We study the challenges young people face in our society and work to empower them.

BSI performs high-quality research with scientific and societal impact. To foster this, the institute provides excellent research facilities and has strong collaborations with non-academic partners. Moreover, BSI is known for its successful graduate school and strong dedication to open science and team science. We stand for a warm, inclusive, and cooperative research environment in which our staff are well supported by a work culture that promotes collaboration and respect.

Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences , humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology, and the Radboud Centre Social Sciences as an institute for post-master education have been merged into the Social Sciences Education Institute. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.
Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.
If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account(link is external) and read stories from our colleagues.

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Prof. Dr. Debby Beckers. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The interviews will take place in May. Specific dates are mentioned in the project descriptions. You will preferably start your employment at 1 September, but no later than 1 November.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. 

Attachment
BSI PhD Programmes
pdf 114.3 KB

Apply now Application deadline 03 May 2026

We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Mastodon
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• E-mail