Postdoc in Modeling Behavior and Interventions for Climate Transition (1.0 FTE) (V25.0279)

This postdoc position is offered by the Environmental Psychology group at the University of Groningen, together with the faculty of Science and Engineering of the University of Groningen.

We are looking for motivated candidates who can bridge system modelling, control and optimization with psychological theories and are confident with calculus, probability, statistics, control, and optimization. In the project you will study the effect of interventions that remove systemic barriers, on pro-environmental behaviour. You will test to what extent the effectiveness of interventions depends on individual and social factors. Specifically, the project will study which factors accelerate pro-environmental behaviour change, particularly focusing on feedback loops.

The project connects research and policy-making. Therefore, the candidate needs to be able to communicate and collaborate with policymakers to help them transform the project outputs into actionable guidelines.

A core skill needed is the capacity to model dynamic processes using differential equations, integrals, probability functions, and applied statistics. Therefore, having experience using more than one of the following languages is crucial: Matlab, Python, and R.

The candidate should have a strong capacity to understand processes underlying pro-environmental behaviour from different perspectives, enabling them to simultaneously understand, use, and create models from the engineering and social sciences.

Project description
Although the 2019 Climate Law stipulates the Netherlands to be climate neutral in 2050, climate policy is lagging. Climate policies have to a large degree focussed on technology shifts to bring about the required emission reductions. However, next to technology, behavioural change is crucial to achieve climate goals. Social and behavioural scientists have yielded critical insights into how different factors and interventions influence behaviour. Still, significant knowledge gaps exist, which we aim to address in this project by jointly developing and implementing tools for better inclusion of behavioural insights in policy. Notably, behavioural insights are not sufficiently known or acted upon by policymakers. Consequently, the great potential of behavioural change in mitigating climate change is underexploited.

Policy instruments are more effective when they target key antecedents of climate action. There is extensive evidence that people have concerns about nature, the environment, and wellbeing of others, and perceptions of what others are expecting or doing. In addition, many contextual factors, such as available infrastructure, financial and fiscal policies, affect behaviour by influencing the feasibility and attractiveness of options. Yet, little is known on how such systemic factors affect behaviour vis-a-vis different motivational factors. The current project will address this gap by examining the effects of motivational and systemic factors on climate actions, and by testing the effects of policies targeting these factors.
Current research typically focuses on effects of factors and interventions on behaviour without considering the dynamics underlying behavioural change, and the interactions between behavioural change and policy instruments. Yet, understanding these dynamics is critical, as different feedback loops affect the likelihood and speed of behavioural change. These feedback loops and tipping points are rarely recognised in research and policymaking but are critical to understand the likelihood and speed of behavioural change over time. Insight in the underlying processes helps understand why a policy might not (yet) be effective in changing behaviour.

Hence, the role of behavioural change in climate policy and the necessary system transitions is part of dynamic processes. Extending previous research, we will employ complex system dynamics and feedback mechanisms to understand how, where and when to intervene. System dynamics highlights which factors and policy (mix) can accelerate behavioural change by strengthening positive and weakening negative feedback loops, and acknowledges that behaviour is influenced by systems, and the other way around. Such a system dynamics approach will yield novel insights into which policy interventions can foster and accelerate behaviour and system change, in a way actionable for policymakers.

The project aims to generate general insights into how to accelerate climate actions that are relevant to all policy areas.

Organisation
The University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, City of Talent. Quality has had top priority for four hundred years, and with success: the University is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.

The Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences (https://www.rug.nl/research/enteg/) excels in teaching and research in the fields of human behaviour, thinking, learning, and how people live together. We work on societal issues and problems that people experience in daily life. Central to this is individual and societal resilience and how to increase this. To this end, we focus on the topics of migration, the environment and climate, health, upbringing and education, the protection of vulnerable minorities, and sustainable partnerships. The Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences employs over 800 staff members.

Environmental Psychology at the University of Groningen has a national and international reputation for excellence. Research within the Environmental Psychology group focuses on a wide range of topics, including understanding which factors influence sustainable behaviours (such as energy use, car use, food consumption); understanding how people cope with environmental and climate risks; understanding the effectiveness of strategies to promote sustainable behaviour; understanding the acceptability of environmental policies; and the effects of sustainable behaviour on wellbeing. The research contributes to theory development and to practice. The Environmental Psychology group collaborates with scholars from different disciplines within and outside the University of Groningen, as well as with governments, NGOs, businesses, and organisations.

Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE - https://www.rug.nl/fse/?lang=en) is home to a wide spectrum of disciplines and research strengths. Our programmes in research and education range from nanomaterials and biomachinery to astronomy, from mathematics to pharmacy, from neurosciences to computer science, and from molecular and evolutionary biology to marine biology.

Our researchers pursue fundamental key questions while collaborating with partners from industry, the medical world and other realms of society. Frontline research groups explore topical fields such as sustainable energy use.

Discrete Technology and Production Automation (DTPA) is internationally recognized for its excellence in research and innovation. The group’s mission is to provide a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment for researchers who are interested in engineering, management, computer science, mathematics and engineering sciences in general. DTPA’s research focuses on developing quantitative and analytical theories, alongside advanced methodologies rooted in mathematical modeling, to design and optimize the control of complex industrial processes and systems. Key application areas include energy systems, opinion dynamics, robotics, and mechatronic systems, among others.

For more information, you may contact (please do not use these email addresses for applications):

Ellen van der Werff, Associate Professor - Environmental Psychology, ellen.van.der.werff rug.nl
Gabriel Muinos, Assistant Professor - Environmental Psychology, g.muinos rug.nl
Michele Cucuzzella, Associate Professor - Discrete Technology and Production Automation, m.cucuzzella rug.nl
Ming Cao, Full Professor - Discrete Technology and Production Automation, m.cao rug.nl

We are looking for candidates who meet the following requirements

• A PhD degree in Control Engineering, Applied Mathematics, environmental Psychology or a related discipline with either of these.
• A relevant publication record demonstrating your ability to publish international academic publications, preferably in top-tier peer-reviewed journals.
• A clear interest in collaborative interdisciplinary research.
• Excellent command of the English language, preferably Dutch as well, or a willingness to learn Dutch.
• Ability to work independently and manage joint research activities.
• A team player with strong communication skills.
• Demonstrable competencies such as conceptual capacity, and combining theory and practice.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• Depending on qualifications and work experience, a salary of € 4,060 to a maximum of € 5,331 (salary scale 10) gross per month for a full-time position
• A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance.
• Attractive secondary terms of employment.
• A temporary contract of 1.0 FTE for a period of 42 months. The position is classified in accordance with the University Job Classification (UFO) system; the UFO profile is Researcher 4.

Intended starting date: 1 October 2025

Please send your application to us, by submitting the following documents:

• Letter of application.
• Curriculum Vitae.

You may apply for this position until 1 June 11:59pm / before 2 June 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Only submissions via the application form will be considered.

The selection interviews will take place on 23 June, 7 and 8 July 2025.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

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