Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands invites online Application for number of Fully Funded PhD Degree at various Departments. We are providing a list of Fully Funded PhD Programs available at Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Eligible candidate may Apply as soon as possible.
(01) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in ML Accelerator Programming for HPC and Scientific Computing
The growing computational demands of Machine Learning (ML) have led to the rise of spatial devices explicitly designed for ML workloads, such as the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine, AMD Versal AI Engine, and Tenstorrent Blackhole.
Although these accelerators can offer performance and efficiency gains to application domains beyond ML (e.g., computational sciences, big data analytics, graph processing), their potential in these areas remains unexplored. This is largely due to the lack of comprehensive software ecosystems, making them difficult for experts to use and inaccessible to domain scientists.
In this PhD project, you will help bridge this gap by demonstrating best practices and by developing programming tools and methodologies that democratize access to ML accelerators and other spatial devices for the wider scientific community.
Deadline : 15-04-2026
(02) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD in Biomolecule Detection with Inverse-Designed Plasmonic Metasurfaces
Sensitive detection of biomolecular interactions is essential for applications ranging from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring. In this PhD project, you will develop inverse-designed plasmonic metasurfaces [1,2] for biomolecular sensing [3], combining nanophotonics, nanofabrication, and optical characterization. The goal is to create compact optical sensors capable of detecting molecular binding events with high sensitivity using simple optical components such as LEDs, photodiodes, or cameras.
This PhD project is part of the BIND project (Biomolecule Detection with INverse-Designed Plasmonic Metasurfaces) and aims to develop compact and low-cost alternatives to conventional surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors. The project will exploit plasmonic metasurfaces, periodic arrays of metallic nanoparticles whose optical resonances are highly sensitive to changes in the local refractive index induced by molecular binding. A key novelty of the project is the use of inverse design algorithms to optimize the geometry of nanoparticle arrays for maximal sensing performance [4] guiding their cleanroom fabrication.
The project is a collaboration between the group of dr. Andrea Baldi (Physics and Astronomy, VU Amsterdam) and the group of dr. Jeroen Kool (Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU Amsterdam), combining expertise in nanophotonics, nanofabrication, and biochemical sensing.
Deadline : 01-05-2026
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(03) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD student in mass spectrometry of aggregating proteins
Neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are strongly associated with pathological aggregation of the protein TDP-43. Increasing evidence indicates that early-stage oligomeric intermediates are key drivers of toxicity. However, these transient, low-abundant and heterogeneous species are extremely challenging to detect and characterize with conventional techniques.
In this project, you will develop and apply advanced native ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM‑MS) to study early aggregation intermediates of TDP‑43. In parallel, you will work with complementary biochemical, cellular, and protein‑based methods to build a comprehensive molecular understanding of how TDP‑43 aggregates and how therapeutic antibodies can modulate this process. These combined approaches allow you to characterize disease‑relevant TDP‑43 variants, including post‑translationally modified forms, and to evaluate how different interventions affect their aggregation behavior.
During your PhD, you work will involve native and structural mass spectrometry, complementary analytical chemistry methods, and protein biochemistry. You will produce TDP‑43 variants from different cellular systems and ensure their stability during sample processing. You will develop and apply native MS workflows to probe early-stages of aggregation pathways which will be complemented by cellular and imaging approaches to study later stages of aggregation. This includes examining how VectorY’s antibodies interact with oligomeric species and how these interactions shape aggregation outcomes across different biological models.
Deadline : 17-04-2026
(04) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position on Behavioral, Environmental and/or Development Economics
Are you a highly motivated student interested in doing research in behavioral economics with a focus on improving environmental and development outcomes for society? The Department of Spatial Economics at the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, seeks a PhD candidate who is interested in research at the intersection of behavioral, environmental and/or development economics for a 3-year fulltime position (20% teaching) starting September 2026 or September 2027.
You will conduct independent, high-quality research. The project, led by associate professor dr. Menusch Khadjavi, aims to improve our understanding of how artificial intelligence can foster sustainable development, for instance in the domains of education, farming, saving/investing, entrepreneurship and health, with a lot of scope for your own creativity and ideas. The project offers preferential use of Liseli Decision Lab, an online and offline participant pool in Zambia with thousands of participants. The research methods may include online, lab and field experiments, use of naturally occurring (i.e. census) data as well as theory building. Funding for field research and conference visits is available in consultation with the supervisor dr. Khadjavi. The setup of the project allows you to show and develop a variety of skills and write a job market paper which will enable you to be competitive on the academic job market.
This PhD position is a full-time position for a period of three years. You will spend 80% of your time on research and 20% on teaching (with teaching topics likely related to your research). The exact details of your schedule are determined in close consultation between you and your supervisors. Becoming an active member of and profiting from the scientific community at the Department of Spatial Economics, which offers internal research seminars, the Tinbergen Institute Spatial Economics Seminar and social events, is desirable. It is possible to work remotely part of the time but travelling to Amsterdam for meetings, teaching and department events is required. This PhD position is a full-time position for a period of three years. The school provides opportunities to attend conferences, go on an exchange, meet other international researchers, and participate in various training modules that support your knowledge and skills development.
Deadline : 31-07-2026
(05) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Human Neuroscience: Neurons and Circuits of Human Cognition
While we know that human cognition is unparalleled, we lack a mechanistic understanding of the specific neurons and circuits that support it. This PhD project, funded by European Research Consolidator grant focuses on the function of the specialized neuron types in the human cortex that are vulnerable in Alzheimer disease – layer 3 Pyramidal Neurons and Double Bouquet Cells (DBCs). Our previous work shows that human layer 3 Pyramidal Neurons have distinct physiological and morphological properties that distinguish them from other species and link to cognitive scores. These neurons might play a role of a hub in cognitive networks integrating information from thousands of synaptic inputs. To keep this excitation in balance it must be matched by inhibition. Another human specialized interneuron type – Double Bouquet cell – might provide this inhibitory balance. These neuron types are likely to be critical for human cognition as they are selectively lost in cognitive disorders. In this project you will investigate how these neurons function and form circuits in the human brain, and how their activity translates to more efficient computation.
Deadline : 01-06-2026
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(06) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position – Structural Injustice and Social Cohesion
This PhD project Repairing Injustice Without Breaking Bonds: Structural Injustice and Social Cohesion examines how societies should address structural injustice without damaging the social relations required for collective action. Building on philosophical theories of structural injustice and moral responsibility, it investigates who ought to bear forward-looking responsibilities for unjust social structures and how accountability for meeting such responsibilities can be exercised without generating backlash or fragmentation. Empirical work plays a supporting role, using experimental studies to test how different responsibility assignments affect cooperation under conditions of inequality. The project develops a justice-centred framework that contributes to SOCION’s research on social cohesion.
Deadline : 01-04-2026
(07) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position: An Ethical-Empirical Study of Climate Responsibility
A lack of trust in other parties can lead to a breakdown in shared climate effort. The core question of the project is: does the (perceived) climate inaction of powerful actors – governments and corporations – excuse individual citizens from their own responsibilities?
This PhD project studies the issue of climate responsibility from an interdisciplinary perspective. We seek a PhD candidate who is trained as a philosopher (preferably in ethics) but has an interest in (social) psychology.
You will analyse normative arguments regarding fairness and autonomy between actors with unequal power. Furthermore, you will compare these arguments against empirical data on how Dutch citizens perceive the shifting responsibilities between themselves, the state and corporations.
Deadline : 01-04-2026
(08) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position (1 FTE): Emotions in Regulatory Politics
This fully funded four-year PhD position is part of the VIDI research project “Emotion-Infused Risk Regulation: Rethinking the Fundamentals of Regulatory Governance for Citizen-Centric Rulemaking”, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and led by Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė.
The VIDI project investigates the role of emotions in regulatory governance, examining how emotions shape both regulators’ formulation of rules and citizens’ reception of regulatory responses. It is structured around three interlinked objectives: (1) Emotion and Regulatory Responsiveness: To what extent and why do regulators respond to citizens’ emotion-laden concerns? (2) Citizens’ Emotional Responses in Regulatory Encounters: To what extent and how are citizens’ emotions elicited during interactions with regulators? (3) Emotions and Regulatory Legitimacy: What are the effects of citizens’ emotions on their perceptions of regulators’ legitimacy? Read more about this research agenda in the following link: Affective regulatory governance: towards an emotion-based understanding of citizen-regulator interactions in regulatory politics.
The PhD project will contribute to the emerging research agenda on affective regulatory governance, with a particular focus on regulatory responsiveness to citizens’ emotionally charged concerns (Objective 1). Specifically, the project will examine when and under what conditions regulators respond to citizens’ emotion-laden reactions – such as anger, fear, or anxiety regarding regulatory conduct. The project will analyze these dynamics across different regulatory domains (e.g., health, environment, financial regulation) and multiple levels of the EU governance system (supranational and national). It will investigate how independent regulators exercise their discretionary authority when responding to affective citizen concerns, particularly when addressing emerging societal risks that demand regulatory interventions. Empirically, the PhD project employs a rigorous mixed-methods design, combining survey experiments with interviews involving top-level EU and national regulators.
Deadline : 15-04-2026
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About The Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands –Official Website
The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 1880, and consistently ranks among the top 150 universities in the world by major ranking tables. The VU is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The literal translation of the Dutch name Vrije Universiteit is “Free University”. “Free” refers to independence of the university from both the State and the Dutch Reformed Church. Both within and outside the university, the institution is commonly referred to as “the VU”. Although founded as a private institution, the VU has received government funding on a parity basis with public universities since 1970. The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern Buitenveldert neighbourhood of Amsterdam and adjacent to the modern Zuidas business district.
In 2014, the VU had 23,656 registered students, most of whom were full-time students. That year, the university had 2,263 faculty members and researchers, and 1,410 administrative, clerical and technical employees, based on FTE units. The university’s annual endowment for 2014 was circa €480 million. About three quarters of this endowment is government funding; the remainder is made up of tuition fees, research grants, and private funding.
The official university seal is entitled The Virgin in the Garden. Personally chosen by Abraham Kuyper, the Reformed-Protestant leader and founder of the university, it depicts a virgin living in freedom in a garden while pointing towards God, referring to the Protestant Reformation in the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th century. In 1990, the university adopted the mythical griffin as its common emblem.
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