PhD in Art-Science-Action Integration & Challenge-Based Sustainability Education

The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University invites applications for a PhD position on the role of art-science-action integration and challenge-based learning towards transformative sustainability education.

Your job

The PhD candidate will investigate how higher education can prepare students to have meaningful contributions in complex sustainability challenges. Specifically, the PhD candidate will study how the integration of academic knowledge, the skills to make academic knowledge actionable in these complex challenges, and the use of artistic expressions can strengthen students’ professional impact.

A specific focus in the research lies on challenge-based learning environments, in which students from different disciplinary backgrounds work with educators, artists and societal partners on real-world sustainability issues. Situated at the intersection of sustainability education, transformative learning, challenge-based learning and arts-based interventions, the project combines scientific ambitions with the wish of the research having impact within Utrecht University and beyond. It aims to advance knowledge on transformative sustainability education while contributing to the development of effective and inclusive educational practices.

Your role and research
As a PhD candidate, you will develop and carry out an independent research programme within a broader project. Together with an interdisciplinary supervisory team and a range of academic and societal partners, you will explore how knowledge, skills and artistic expression can be combined to support sustainability learning and help students engage with complex sustainability challenges. Your research may address questions such as:

• How can artistic practices contribute to cognitive, affective and action-oriented sustainability learning?
• How can challenge-based education connect disciplinary knowledge with the experiences and priorities of societal partners?
• What opportunities and tensions arise when artists, scientists, educators and societal actors collaborate?
• How can skills be taught so that they enable action in practice?
• What are the (educational or institutional) conditions that enable art-science collaborations that can have a real impact on student learning?

Your work will include designing and conducting empirical research in higher-education settings, analysing qualitative and/or quantitative data, and translating findings into both academic and practical outputs. Possible methods include interviews, surveys, observations, focus groups and the analysis of student work. The precise research questions and methodological approach will be developed together with the supervisory team.

You will also contribute to the evaluation and further development of sustainability skills and challenge-based courses, and help strengthen collaboration between educators, students, artists and societal partners. You will have opportunities to share your findings at conferences and workshops and to publish in international peer-reviewed journals. As part of the Copernicus Institute research community, you will also participate in relevant doctoral training activities.

Your qualities

We are looking for a curious, motivated and collaborative researcher with a strong interest in the role of higher education in sustainability transformation.

You have:

• a completed Master’s degree in sustainability science, environmental sciences, educational sciences, social sciences, governance, transformation studies, arts-based research, or a related field;
• a clear interest in sustainability education, transformative learning, challenge-based learning, art-science collaboration or related topics;
• strong analytical, academic writing and communication skills;
• experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods;
• the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.

Experience with educational research, stakeholder engagement, arts-based methods or mixed-methods research is an advantage, but is not required. Being able to collect data (using interviews or surveys) using the Dutch language is also an advantage. We welcome applicants with diverse disciplinary and professional backgrounds who can demonstrate a strong fit with the research topic.

Our offer

You will join the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, an interdisciplinary research environment addressing urgent sustainability challenges through research, education and societal engagement. You will receive supervision from an interdisciplinary team and have opportunities to participate in doctoral training, seminars, conferences and international research networks.

We offer

• a position (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 32 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between €3.204 and €4.051 (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU)). The salary is based on a 38-hour working week;
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment set out in our collective labour agreement, we offer attractive additional benefits, including opportunities for personal and professional growth, flexible leave arrangements, and extra vacation days. Through the UU Terms of Employment Options Model, you can tailor your employment package to your needs. In this way, we encourage you to grow in what you do, both in your work and in your development. Read more about our terms of employment.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (Department of Sustainable Development) is a vibrant international research community that aims to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. We do this by developing excellent and relevant knowledge, collaborating with citizens, politicians, policymakers, NGOs and firms to learn from each other and influence decision-making, and by educating the change agents of the future. Formally, we are organized as one of four departments of Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences. We occupy a unique position as an interdisciplinary natural/social sciences department. While we are the only department at Utrecht University that solely focuses on sustainability research, it is a key topic for Utrecht University in general. Notably, the Strategic Theme Pathways to Sustainabilitystrengthens our collaboration with many other groups across the university. We also actively contribute to the Strategic Theme Institutions for Open Societies, bringing in our research on the role of institutions and institutional change in understanding transformations to sustainability. We were formed in 2003 as the Department of Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences (IMEW), bringing together the Environmental Governance, Environmental Sciences and Innovation Studies sections. In 2012, the Science, Technology and Society section joined us from the Faculty of Science, forming what is now known as the Energy & Resources section. In 2021 the Urban Futures Studio became our fifth research section. This position will be part of the Energy & Resources section.

More information

For more information, please contact Karin Rebel via k.t.rebel@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Apply now

At Utrecht University, we strive to be a place where everyone feels at home. We value colleagues with different backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including differences in culture, religion or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability and age. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute. Read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion. If you have any questions about accessibility, for example regarding your workplace Vening Meineszgebouw A, the application process or your work, please contact us via our HR contact page.

Please submit your application through the Utrecht University application portal. Your application should include:

• a curriculum vitae;
• a motivation letter explaining your interest in the position and your fit with the research topic;
• the names and contact details of two academic referees.

Interviews are planned on November 27th and December 11th.

We especially encourage applications from candidates who are eager to work across disciplinary boundaries and to connect academic research with educational innovation and societal change.