Postdoctoral Researcher Vacancy at the Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe (deadline: October 18, 2015)

Friend of the network Mira Scholten (Utrecht) has passed along news of a vacancy for a postdoctoral researcher at the Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe ("RENFORCE"). The announcement is below.

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Postdoctoral position at the Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe (RENFORCE Centre Utrecht) (0,8 FTE; application deadline: 18/10/2015)

Research Program 'Shared Regulation and Enforcement in Europe'

The faculty of Law, Economics and Governance seeks to fill a position for a postdoctoral researcher in the field of Shared Rule-making and Enforcement in Europe. The successful candidate will work for the Europa Institute/ Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe: RENFORCE Centre Utrecht within the field of the research program of the Law School 'Shared Regulation and Enforcement in Europe' which has been in operation since February 2013. This new research program combines some thirty researchers from EU law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Private Law, Economic and Social Law and Criminology. It builds on the Utrecht Law School Europa Institute’s renowned and longstanding reputation in the field of the interaction between European and national legal orders. The research program seeks to renew and broaden the scope of the research activities under the new heading: Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe.

Content and Aims of the Research Program

The program is based on two premises. The first relates to the linkage between national law and European Union law. The resulting legal order may be described as the shared or the integrated legal order. The second premise relates to another linkage: between regulation and enforcement. Based on these two premises, the aim of the research program is to address the following research question: "How may the optimal mix of shared regulation and enforcement of European policies be shaped in the light of effectiveness and in the light of underlying core values? What are the main principles, factors, conditions and components determining this given the interaction between European and national dimensions?"

The set-up of the research program is essentially legal in nature, but seeks input and interplay with other academic disciplines as well. To that end, the research program includes reflection on methodology and the development of specific research methods to be applied in the research to be conducted.

The research program consists of four subthemes:

1. core values of shared regulation and enforcement in Europe;

2. the policy cycle and the mix of enforcement regimes;

3. main players in shared regulation and enforcement in Europe; and

4. the interplay between the European and national legal order.

A more detailed explanation of the program and its subthemes (in Dutch) can be obtained upon request.

At the core of the program lies a close multi-disciplinary dialogue between senior and junior researchers that are involved. The successful candidate will benefit from the mentorship of distinguished professors in the various areas of law and the academic environment based on a community that crosses the regular boundaries of the sub-disciplines of law. The RENFORCE Centre provides a lively, supportive and highly stimulating intellectual environment at one of the oldest Law Faculty’s of the Netherlands that builds on a strong reputation for high-standing legal research on the interplay between European law and national law.

Qualifications

We expect the candidate to:

• conduct postdoctoral research on aspects of the project ( in one or more of the four themes), as part of the research group;
• contribute to the overall coordination and direction of the research program;
• be active in developing the external network of professionals and academics;
• be responsible for external and internal communication on activities, projects and research;
• to report the faculty and university authorities on progress, output and activities;
• participate in the organization of research activities and events, such as conferences, workshops and joint publications;
• regularly present intermediate research results at (inter)national workshops and conferences, and publish them in proceedings and leading journals.

The candidate may also lecture on subjects in the faculty’s curriculum.

Requirements:

• completed legal dissertation in EU law or, alternatively, in another area of law (e.g. criminal law, civil law, constitutional law or administrative law) provided that the research includes a clear EU law dimension;
• strong affinity with the core theme of the project and interest in crossing the disciplinary borders of legal doctrine;
• creative thinker and prolific writer;
• team-player and good communication skills;
• excellent command of English; command of Dutch is an asset;
• knowledge of different research methodologies (e.g. comparative, empirical) is an asset as well.

Offer

The appointment will be 0,8 fte for a period of two years. The salary for a full time appointment is between € 3,324 - € 4,551 gross (scale 11 of the cao NU). The salary will be supplemented by a holiday allowance of 8% per year and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%. We offer a pension scheme, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple-choice model).

About the Organization

As one of the leading research universities in the Netherlands, Utrecht University has great ambitions for its teaching quality and study success rates. This also applies to its clear research profiles which are centered around four themes: Sustainability, Life Sciences, Dynamics of Youth and Institutions for Open Societies. Utrecht University plays a prominent role in Dutch society and contributes to finding answers to topical and future societal issues.

Additional Information

To discuss this post informally, please contact Ton van den Brink at A.vandenbrink1@uu.nl or Michiel Luchtman at M.Luchtman@uu.nl .

Work Environment

The Postdoc-Fellow will be based at the Europa Institute/ Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe (RENFORCE Centre Utrecht, http://renforce.rebo.uu.nl/en/ ) at Utrecht University in The Netherlands for the period of two years.

Apply

To apply, please click the button below and attach your CV, letter of motivation, 2 references, copy of 2 published samples (journal articles, book chapter etc) and a scan of the PhD diploma.

Deadline for Application

18 October, 2015.