JOUW FUNCTIE

This four-year PhD student position is based at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam’s (VU) Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (Department of Art & Culture, History, and Antiquity), within the framework of the NWO-funded project Synthetic Adventures: (un)sustainability and(dis)comfort in the design, making and use of outdoor Clothing. This research project responds to the unsustainability of fashion and clothing production and consumption and will contribute to environmental debates on the future of design practices in the apparel industry.
This PhD position is part of a larger interdisciplinary project exploring cultural drivers for the growth of waterproof outdoor clothing consumption in the context of an over-carbonised economy and changing human experiences of weather. We are seeking a candidate interested in questions of environmental sustainability with experience researching material cultures of clothing/textiles. The PhD role is to research the presence of high-performance waterproof textiles in everyday wardrobes, which involves ethnographic fieldwork on how consumer-users form relationships with clothing objects (WP2). Alongside writing their dissertation, the PhD student will be involved in the organisation of public-facing events including the materials workshop that forms part of the overall project.
The PhD student will be employed by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands and enrolled in its doctoral programme, which is part of the Graduate School of Humanities. They will be supervised by dr. Jane Tynan (Design History and Theory) and dr. prof. Gert-Jan Burgers (Heritage and History of Cultural Landscapes and Urban Environments).
The expected starting date is 1 January 2026.

JOUW PROFIEL

We are looking for candidates who meet the following qualifications:

• a relevant Master’s degree in the Humanities or Social Sciences (obtained by the latest on October 1, 2025)
• outstanding research qualities, evidenced in strong transcripts and a high-quality Master’s thesis
• familiarity with the methods, theories and history of design, evidenced through a university diploma in Design Studies, Fashion Studies or Cultural Anthropology
• demonstrable affinity with the subject of the research project
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences
• high level of proficiency in Dutch and English (oral and written)
• keen interest in interdisciplinary research methods and approaches
• ability and willingness to work in a team
• willingness to travel abroad for fieldwork, research stays, conferences and workshops
• strong organisational skills
• familiarity with ethnographic research methods desirable
• familiarity with the design industry desirable

• submit a PhD thesis on the above-mentioned topic within the period of appointment
• complete and submit at least two articles for international, peer-reviewed journals within the period of appointment
• participate in meetings, conferences, and workshops organised within the framework of the research project
• co-organise the project’s Material Workshop
• contribute to authoring reports, the project website and other documentation in the context of the Synthetic Adventures project
• participate in the PhD training program of the Graduate School of Humanities
• assist in teaching during the 2nd and 3rd year of the appointment (max. 0,2 FTE per year)