Postdoctoral Researcher: Peer Relationships in Emerging Adulthood

Employment 0.8 - 1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary € 4,332 - € 5,929

Required background PhD

Organizational unit Faculty of Social Sciences

Application deadline 26 May 2024

We are looking for a full-time postdoctoral researcher to work on a unique longitudinal project. In the Nijmegen Longitudinal Study (NLS), participants have been followed since infancy and are now turning 27 years old. In this position, you will utilise the existing data to examine the antecedents and correlates of peer relationships in emerging adulthood. This is an exciting opportunity to work on state-of-the-art publications with an excellent research team.

This position is part of the NWO project ’Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Predicting Peer Relationships in Emerging Adulthood’. Primary responsibilities involve writing and collaborating with other team members on several high impact journal articles (in English), involving the most recently collected waves of NLS data. Specifically, you will be involved in all aspects of the writing process (i.e. formulating research questions, identifying relevant literature, analysing data, and interpreting results). The topics of these publications will be chosen in collaboration with the supervisors and other members of the research team. This position provides a unique opportunity for you to take part in an exciting project and efficiently boost your publication record.

Emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) is a developmental transition in which individuals are faced with many life changes and which has a major impact on later life. Emerging adulthood is marked by opportunities for growth in relationships, work and worldviews. It is also marked by increased reliance on peers. Interactions with peers continue after adolescents leave secondary education and are critical for physical and mental health and social functioning in adulthood. In this project, the peer relationships of emerging adults are studied in the context of a 25-year ongoing longitudinal study (NLS).

This project has three aims. First, to examine the nature and correlates of peer relationships in emerging adulthood, and the stability of peer relationships from childhood and adolescence to emerging adulthood. Second, to examine the reciprocal associations between peer relationships and social functioning, health and adjustment from childhood to emerging adulthood. Third, to observe actual peer interactions of emerging adults, focusing on collaborative problem solving, conflict resolution and the flexible adjustment of behaviour to different peers and contexts. This research is innovative because it combines long-term longitudinal design with observational experimental design to study all aspects of peer relationships in emerging adulthood.

Profile

• You have a PhD in developmental psychology or a related field.
• You have good writing skills in English.
• You are able to publish in international peer-reviewed journals as a first author.
• You have experience with multivariate and longitudinal statistical analyses.
• You are motivated to succeed in scientific research.
• You are a collaborative person and can work well in a team.

We are

You will be part of the research team conducting the Nijmegen Longitudinal Study and work closely together with its members. The research team consists of the PI (Cillessen), three co-PIs (Burk, Lansu, van den Berg), two PhD candidates (Chmielowice-Szymanski, Millett), and affiliated researchers. Together with other international researchers studying peer relations, the NLS team is part of the Peer Relations Lab group. More broadly, you will be embedded in the Social Development programme of the Behavioural Science Institute. We are an active and cohesive group of researchers in developmental psychology focusing on social development across the lifespan. As a member of the Social Development programme, you will have access to the facilities and resources of the Behavioural Science Institute.

In the Social Development programme, we conduct fundamental research on social and emotional development and related processes across the human lifespan. Taking a developmental perspective, we focus on the interplay between social factors (e.g. parents and peers) and individual factors (e.g. temperament, personality) in the explanation of various behavioural outcomes. We also conduct applied/clinical research on the causes and treatment of psychopathology in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood (including addiction, aggression, anxiety, depression, trauma). We strive to contribute new knowledge to developmental science that is also relevant for clinical, developmental and educational practice.

The Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) is an interdisciplinary research institute where fundamental, applied, and translational research takes place, often with the aim of understanding important societal issues and contributing to their solutions. The BSI is one of three research institutes in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Radboud University. Our researchers collaborate across the boundaries of psychology, communication science, and pedagogical and educational science. Our mission for the upcoming years is to join forces in interdisciplinary research on the theme “Empowering the Young”. We study the challenges that young people face in our current society and contribute to their empowerment.

The BSI performs high-quality research with scientific and societal impact. To foster this, the institute provides excellent research facilities and has strong collaborations with non-academic partners. Moreover, the BSI is known for its successful graduate school and strong dedication to open science and team science. We stand for a warm, inclusive, and cooperative research environment in which our employees are well-supported in a work culture that promotes collaboration and respect.

Radboud University

At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.

If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.

Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences, humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.

We offer

• We will offer you a temporary employment contract for a maximum of 16.5 months.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

Additional employment conditions

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Prof. Toon Cillessen. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place between 3 June and 7 June. You will preferably start your employment on 1 July 2024, but at latest on 15 August 2024.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.