PhD position: Co-created agent-based models for a circular society

Help to accelerate the transition to a circular Netherlands by co-creating and designing an agent-based model of the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam (MRA).

The world is facing many ecological and political challenges, many of them rooted in the linear, extractive systems of resource use in present-day society. As a result, these challenges throw up many questions about the future of society and cities. One widely agreed-upon necessity is the transition to a circular society, a society that is not extractive but that systematically reuses its resources. In this PhD, you will contribute to visions of a circular future, particularly in an urban context. 

Our multi-disciplinary NWA project ‘Accelerating the Circular Transition’ (ACT!) develops a systemic approach to accelerate the fair transition to a circular society in The Netherlands (and beyond). It will co-create an integrated approach to manage this complex transition, building a toolbox of shared visions of and for a circular society with societal well-being at its centre. For this, the consortium consists of a large variety of scientific researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, as well as stakeholders from all parts of Dutch society, including (national, regional and local) government, industry, and local NGO’s. 

Your main contribution will be the development of a spatially explicit agent-based model of the society of the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam, simulating circular behaviour and interactions with the social and physical environment. In order for you to design such a model you will (also) contribute to 1) expanding the inventory of circular behaviours and initiatives in the MRA (in particular, reuse, repair and sharing), based on a meta-analysis of existing projects, policy information and evaluations, and academic research, 2) evaluating drivers and barriers for different activities, population groups, and neighbourhoods and towns within the MRA, partly based on co-creation sessions and behavioural experiments and 3) collecting and connecting relevant (spatial) datasets. 

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

• Develop and Agent-Based model (ABM) of a circular society, with input from citizens in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam.
• Connect to citizens and other stakeholders, such as ‘Repair Café’s’, to retrieve their experiences and expectations from a circular society.
• Design and conduct behavioural (choice) experiments to inform the ABM.
• Interact with macro-modellers so they can connect their models to the ABM.

The research is embedded within the chair Urban Economics https://www.wur.nl/en/chair-groups/section-economics/urban-economics and, which is led by Prof. Eveline van Leeuwen https://www.linkedin.com/in/eveline-van-leeuwen-a13b894/. You will be co-supervised by Anne van Valkengoed (UEC) and Kasper Lange from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA). Furthermore, part of the time, you will be a Research Fellow at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), here, Gerard Roemers will help with the connections to the societal partners of the project.

You have successfully completed a MSc degree in urban/regional/spatial economics; behavioural economics; Economic geography; Computational Science; Geo-information Science, Complex systems engineering and management, Industrial Ecology or[KL1]  a similar program.

You also possess: 

• Experience with agent-based modelling, and/or programming, modelling and simulation (i.e. Python, Netlogo etc.).
• Interest in cities and society, and/or circular economy.
• Experience or affinity with stakeholder interaction and/or participatory modelling.
• Ability to work in teams.
• Being able to communicate in Dutch is an advantage.

For this position, your command of the English language is expected to be at level C1. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

 Suggestions: Complex systems engineering and management, Industrial Ecology.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8,3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 3,059,– per month rising to € 3,881,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreement Wageningen Research Foundation (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 36 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well. 

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Please find more information at https://www.wur.nl/en/chair-groups/section-economics/urban-economics

There are two work locations, namely Wageningen and Amsterdam.

Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. 

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

For more information about the position, please contact prof.dr. Eveline van Leeuwen, via eveline.vanleeuwen@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jouke Oostenbruggen, Corporate Recruiter, via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl

Ready to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until the 26th of January 2026.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

​The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

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