All Things Urban

A modern university with a rich history, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) traces its roots back to 1632, when the Golden Age school Athenaeum Illustre was established to train students in trade and philosophy.

The UvA seeks to offer an inspiring international academic environment in which both staff and students can develop their talents optimally. Characterised by a critical, creative and international atmosphere, the UvA has a long tradition of open-mindedness and engagement with social issues, in keeping with the spirit of the city with which it is inextricably linked.

Intensifying extreme weather events disproportionately impact marginalised urban populations, increasing existing health inequalities and vulnerabilities. This PhD project will focus on how meteorologic variables like rising temperatures, causing environmental degradation, impact the respiratory health of children in urban contexts. The successful candidate will conduct interdisciplinary research, combining theories and methods from urban studies and biomedical sciences.

The project examines how rising temperatures and environmental degradation intersect with pediatric respiratory health and can be mitigated through urban greenspace interventions, connecting biomedical explanations with urban political ecological explanations. Research will be conducted among children and caregivers in the Amsterdam Southeast district (around Nelson Mandelapark). The candidate will be supervised by Dr Jannes Willems, Dr Vanessa Harris and Prof Maria Kaika, embedded in the Urban Planning research group (Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies) and affiliated with the Department of Global Health at Amsterdam UMC.

The PhD candidate will conduct interdisciplinary research on the respiratory health impacts of children in Amsterdam Southeast, and how urban greenspace interventions can mitigate these impacts, as part of the NWO/FAPESP-funded REACH project with the University of São Paulo.

• Write and complete a PhD dissertation within four years including a quantitative vulnerability and risk assessment mapping hydro-meteorologic and pediatric respiratory health risks
• Conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with caregivers, residents and public officials
• Carry out a qualitative examination of urban greenspace planning and management regimes
• Produce an integrated, multi-scalar analysis linking bodily exposure experiences with political-economic systems and urban environments
• Rank existing greenspace interventions and prioritise future interventions
• Participate in the PhD program of the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research
• Assist in (under)graduate teaching (10%)
• Co-organise seminars and workshops, and participate in international conferences

Candidates should hold a (Research) Master's degree in human geography, urban and regional planning, urban studies, public health, global health, medicine (MD), biomedical sciences, environmental studies, or an interdisciplinary degree bridging these fields. Preference given to candidates with experience across more than one discipline.

• Passionate about and demonstrated aptitude for interdisciplinary research
• Demonstrated experience doing fieldwork in unfamiliar settings
• Demonstrated experience with mixed methods research
• Very good writing skills, able to develop critical complex arguments
• Very good English skills (written and verbal)
• Preferably speaks Dutch (relevant for fieldwork in Amsterdam Southeast)
• Team player, able to work independently

An enthusiastic and warm interdisciplinary supervision team; an international research network including conference visits; resources for fieldwork; further professional development and education through courses provided by the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research. Preferred starting date is 1 November 2026. Interviews will take place in the week of 24 August 2026, preferably in person in Amsterdam; travel expenses are not reimbursed.

€3,059 - €3,881

This job is available for international candidates.