Call for Applications! for PhD Position! at Department of Criminology at the Max Planck Institute! Apply Now!

Your profile

Are you interested in novel research methods and conducting state-of-the-art empirical research? Do you aspire to be a researcher that conducts innovative research with social relevance? Would you like to gain experience working in multidisciplinary teams at renowned scientific institutes in Germany and the Netherlands? If so, then this position may be perfect for you.

As a PhD candidate in this project, your primary tasks are to:

contribute to the development of a novel smartphone-based intervention;
set up and conduct experiments in the field focusing on youth with adverse early experiences;
investigate the effectiveness of the intervention through large-scale research;
manage support staff (including Bachelor/Master students and research assistants);
write scientific articles resulting in a PhD thesis and giving presentations at conferences.

The PhD project is led and supervised by Prof. dr. Jean-Louis van Gelder and Prof. dr. Anne-Laura van Harmelen.

What you bring

We are looking for a candidate with a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Pedagogical Sciences, Psychology, Criminology, Child Development). Having completed a Research Master’s degree and/or having work experience as a research assistant in empirical studies are assets. Other selection criteria are:

You have experience with conducting experiments and quantitative data analysis techniques (e.g., R-studio, Python, Mplus);
You are interested in multivariate research methods;
You can work independently and have excellent planning skills;
You are meticulous, proactive, highly motivated, and driven to excel;
You are flexible and enjoy working in multi-disciplinary teams;
You can seek out and set up research collaborations with other researchers;
You are fluent in English, both in communication and writing;
You are committed to open science and transparent research practices.

Speaking German or Dutch is an asset but not a prerequisite for the position.

Your application and further information

To apply, please submit your application with the following documents:1. a motivation letter (max. one page), including an explanation as to how your interests and profile match the project goals and selection criteria;2. your CV, including a list of publications (if any, either as first author or co-author);3. a writing sample, e.g., your Master’s thesis, a paper, a first-authored journal article, etc.;4. name and email address of at least one scholar who has agreed to provide a reference for you;5. study certificates and transcripts of records.
Please submit your application via our online application portal.