PhD Position "When Lies Take Root Investigating the Impact of Misinformation on Those at Risk"

Are you motivated to protect those most vulnerable against misinformation and to develop new interventions against misinformation Do you want to know more about how mis- and disinformation impact at-risk individuals and how this impact can be corrected Then apply to this PhD project.

We are looking for an ambitious PhD Researcher for the four-year project When Lies Take Root: Investigating the Impact of Misinformation on Those at Risk. The PhD Candidate is embedded in the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) and is part of the Communication Organisations and Society (COS) Program Group.

Join Us!

The prevalence and impact of online misinformation is one of the most hotly debated topics in the social sciences. This project will further this crucial debate by focusing on those who are most vulnerable for misinformations negative particular we investigate how misinformation can reinforce existing beliefs and emphasize the role of group dynamics and communicative features multiple surveys and experimental studies we determine whether to what extent and how misinformation impacts these at-risk individuals. Subsequently we develop and test new intervention methods that strive to increase resilience against misinformation among those who are most at risk.

This project uses several quantitative methods like survey experiment and quantitative intervention testing. The PhD Candidate will write a paper-based dissertation and strive to publish the results of individual sub-studies in important journals in the field of communication science and related disciplines.

This project has been funded by the Dutch Research Foundation (NWO) through an Open Competition M grant awarded to prof. Christian Burgers. Therefore the successful candidate is also expected to participate in activities related to the overall project. The PhD project will be supervised by prof. dr. Christian Burgers dr. Toni van der Meer and dr. Alexandra Schwinges. The starting date for the PhD Candidate is 1 February 2026.

What are you going to do

Tasks include:

• completing an English-language PhD dissertation consisting of research articles within the appointment period;
• conducting survey research on the role of group norms in misinformation perceptions.
• conducting experiments on effects of misinformation on institutional trust;
• developing and testing various targeted interventions to combat the impact of misinformation;
• conducting data analysis;
• presenting the work at national and international conferences;
• actively participate in the overall NWO project;
• spending 10% of your time on teaching-related tasks.

What do you have to offer

You:

• have a (research) masters degree in Communication Science or in another discipline relevant to the project such as Psychology Societal Resilience Communication and Information Studies Sociology or Journalism Studies. Candidates with another (research) masters degree may apply but should motivate why their experience suffices for this project.
• have experience with quantitative research methods (survey experiment quantitative intervention testing);
• preferably have an excellent spoken and written command of Dutch (as this project will comprise designing Dutch-language surveys experiments and interventions);
• have an excellent spoken and written command of English (as you will write an English-language dissertation and present at international conferences);
• have the motivation to participate in a larger project on misinformation.

You are:

• passionate about research particularly related to organizations communication strategies and society and combatting mis- and disinformation;
• open to feedback;
• able to work independently;
• eager to learn and to develop new skills;
• organized flexible and have attention to detail.

What else do we offer you

The position concerns temporary employment of 1.0 fte (38 hours per week) for a maximum term of 4 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances this term will be extended by a maximum of 3 years which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. We will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also be tasked with teaching Bachelors students.

For this position the University Job Classification profile PhD candidate applies.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

You will work here

TheAmsterdam School of Communication Research(ASCoR) is the research institute for the Communication Science Department in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.

A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world the Netherlands and Amsterdam now and in the future.

To work at the University of Amsterdam is to work in a discerning independent creative innovative and international climate characterized by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society. Here you can read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Do you recognize yourself in the job profile Then we look forward to receiving your application by 22 October 2025. Interviews are scheduled for 17 November 2025. You may apply online by using the link below.

Applications in .pdf should include:
a curriculum vitae (please make sure that both your degree and your language proficiency in Dutch are clearly indicated in your CV.)
a letter of motivation
an English writing sample (e.g. a master thesis or other recent individual essay)