PhD researcher in European Law

Do you enjoy: Doing research on the societal dimension of European law;Engaging with interdisciplinary approaches to European law; Being part of a vibrant research community;Thinking creatively about law;Participating in academic discussion and exchange
Then this position as PhD which offers an exciting chance develop and work on your own research project is for you!

Join us!

European law is more than a set of rules or doctrines. It reflects and constitutes different aspects of a European society defining who is in and who is out presenting its own (historical and future) narratives to the detriment of others and establishing and reinforcing as much as deconstructing and opening up societal divisions and other words European law plays a crucial role in shaping the ideas boundaries and conditions of living in a European polity as individuals and as a community. As such it is a phenomenon which escapes a singular approach but instead allows for a range of interdisciplinary perspectives to be employed in seeking to understand these roles of EU law.
In this project we invite you to develop an interdisciplinary project to explore innovative ways to better understand European law in light of the historical cultural and socio-political context against which it develops. We welcome proposals which combine legal research with methods from related disciplines such as history philosophy linguistics or employ critical and theoretical approaches.
That way the candidate ultimately will within 4 years develop and produce an original PhD thesis situated in the context of the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance (ACELG) a vibrant research community working to understand and reflect upon the legal political and economic evolution of the European Union.
The ideal candidate has a passion for research and writing a background in EU law and/or related disciplines and willingness to engage with interdisciplinary approaches to law. While we are open to consider projects in all areas of EU law precedence will be assigned to projects which engage with issues that concretely address the societal dimension of the European Union as reflected and constituted by EU law. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

This is what you will do

In this project you will develop your own research project on European law participate in the academic discussions at ACELG and beyond and ultimately come up with an original PhD thesis. Moreover youll be involved in teaching undergraduates the PhD training programme.

What we ask of you

The selected candidate:

• has a masters degree in law and/or a related discipline
• and has very good knowledge of European Law;
• has excellent command of English;
• Knowledge of other disciplines besides law is an advantage.

This is what we offer you

We offer an employment contract for one year with a probationary period of two months preferably starting on 1 September 2026. The appointment will be extended for another three years upon favourable evaluation i.e until 31 August 2030. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates.

Your salary will start at 3.059 gross per month increasing till 3.881 (year 4) on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement the 30% ruling may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

Where will you work

The research project will contribute to the research of the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance (ACELG). Members of our research centers and groups have a strong track-record of excellent research and sustain a dynamic research culture through events and initiatives.

TheDepartmentof InternationalandEuropean PublicLawconsistsofapproximately50 employeeswhowithgreatcommitmentanddedicationworkin researchandeducationinthefields of International PublicLawandEuropean PublicLaw. Thedepartmentisresponsiblefor teachingdifferentBachelorscoursesandprovidestheEnglish-taughtMastersprogram in InternationalandEuropeanLawwith4different tracks. The research isbeingdoneinthetworesearch centers ACELGandACIL.

You will participate in the Amsterdam Law Schools PhD training programme and be part of its PhD community.

If you feel the profile fits you and you are interested in the job we look forward to receiving your application consisting of the documents listed below. Please apply online via the red button. We will accept applications until 22 March 2026.
Interviews will be held online via zoom between 20-24 April. Due to the expected large number of applications we will unfortunately not be in a position to provide substantive feedback should an applicant not be invited to an interview.
Please note that it is only possible to upload two documents therefore please combine the required files in two (PDF-)documents.

• A Motivation letter;
• A CV of no more than two pages;
• A Plan for a Research Project indicating a research question and potential methodologies (no more than 1500 words excluding references);
• Writing sample of a recently written single authored manuscript (e.g. your masters thesis or other work written during your degree) in English;
• Copies of bachelors and masters degree certificates or equivalent providing information about the programmes length content passed courses and grades.
• The contact details of two potential referees (no reference letters required at this stage).

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information Please contact:

Wiebe Hommes or Sabine Mair