Postdoc: Developing a Planetary Health Impact Assessment in policy practice

How can knowledge about the health of people and the planet be translated into effective policy? If this question interests you, this position may be a strong fit. As a driving force within the CINPHIA consortium, you will integrate methods for knowledge development, policymaking, and public participation into a Planetary Health Impact Assessment compass, with the aim of strengthening the impact of policy.

Earth provides us with air, water, food, and space for rest and recovery. At the same time, heat, pollution, and declining biodiversity—on land, in oceans, and in the atmosphere—are contributing to increased illness and mortality in the Netherlands and worldwide. Existing knowledge, targeted policies, and citizen initiatives have so far proven insufficient to adequately protect and restore the health of people and planet. Planetary health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of destabilized natural systems on human health and all life on Earth (The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health, 2015).

About CINPHIA

Supported by funding from the Dutch National Science Agenda (NWO/ZonMw) CINPHIA is a consortium of academic, policy, and societal partners that will work on ‘the Co-creation and Integration of Planetary Health Impact Assessment in policy practice.’ The Planetary Health Impact Assessment compass will serve as a tool to assess the health impacts of policy plans and to support decision-making by policymakers at national government level as well as municipal, provincial and water authority levels. In this way CINPHIA contributes to decision-making ‘for policies that protect and restore the health of both people and the planet. CINPHIA includes researchers from WUR, the University of Amsterdam (UvA), RIVM, Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Erasmus MC (EMC), Inholland University of Applied Sciences, KWR Water Research Institute, and Waag Futurelab, as well as policymakers from local, provincial, and national governments, citizen initiatives, and societal stakeholders.

Tasks and Responsibilities

You will be responsible for:

• Designing and facilitating workshops with citizens and stakeholders, in collaboration with Waag Futurelab, for the development of a Community Compass (a toolbox for participatory design and action on local planetary health, based on existing methods, indicators, and knowledge);
• Coordinating the development of a prototype Planetary Health Impact Assessment across all work packages, integrating initial versions of the Knowledge Compass, Policy Compass, and Community Compass into a roadmap for user evaluations by policymakers;
• Testing underlying assumptions regarding data, collaboration, and political support for integrated policymaking on planetary health through periodic reflexive evaluations;
• Publishing findings in scientific journals and through public communication channels;
• Actively participating in and contributing to the CINPHIA Planetary Health Talent Programme, including training, coaching, and peer-to-peer learning with CINPHIA PhD candidates, in support of your personal and academic development.

You will work here

Health & Society (HSO) Group 

The Health and Society group is embedded in widening circles of engagement with the major challenges facing human and planetary health today. HSO studies the domain of people, places, policies, or the planet more broadly, engaging with these domains with the aim to improve health and society. The chair group HSO focuses on the sociological study of public health, health promotion and health protection, in both resource poor and research rich contexts, with emphasis on (1) the social, natural and built environment, and (2) the role of actors and social institutions in advancing health and wellbeing.

You will be appointed to the Chair Group Health and Society (Dr. Marleen Bekker, project leader CINPHIA), working also with Prof. Robbert Biesbroek (Public Administration and Policy group). In addition, you will collaborate with researchers from Waag FutureLab. You will also work with PhD candidates and researchers from other knowledge institutions in CINPHIA to integrate their contributions into the Planetary Health Impact Assessment. Finally, you will be part of the CINPHIA Consortium and collaborate with societal and policy partners on implementation and impact. You will have access to a vibrant interdisciplinary research community and opportunities for professional development through workshops, conferences, and collaborations.

This project bridges multiple disciplines such as Public Administration or Policy Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Health Sociology, or Communication Sciences. You are not expected to be an expert in all these fields, but you should have wide intellectual curiosity and a mixed methodological skills set, the ability to navigate across disciplines, and enthusiasm for science-community-policy collaboration. Creativity and initiative are essential.

You have:

• A completed PhD in one of the following disciplinary expertise areas: Public Administration or Policy Sciences, Health Sociology, Environmental Sciences, or Communication Sciences. Training or focus on a combination of two or more of these is an asset.
• Affinity with or experience in societal health issues, and socio-economic and socio-ecological health inequalities;
• Qualitative research skills, with demonstrated experience in regulatory and governance analysis; facilitation of multi-stakeholder dialogues, co-design or co-creation workshops or citizen participation methods; as well as affinity with computational text analysis, natural language processing, or working with large text datasets;
• Motivation for, and/or experience in, policy advising and public communication.

You also possess:

• A proactive attitude and the ability to work both independently and within an interdisciplinary team;
• Willingness to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries with societal and policy partners within the CINPHIA consortium;
• Proficiency in Dutch at C2 level and in English at C1 level.

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• 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 of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.546,- and € 6.433,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10 or 11). We offer a temporary contract for 0.8 fte for 24 months with a possibility for a 12 month extension. After 1.5 years we will jointly evaluate and explore options for follow up.

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. 

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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs 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 Dr. Marleen Bekker, Associate Professor, via email: marleen.bekker@wur.nl.

Do you have questions about the procedure? Please contact Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl .

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• A cover letter outlining their interest and suitability for the project (max 2 pages).

• A CV, including relevant research experiences. The CV should include contact details for two relevant references (max 4 pages).

You can apply up to and including 9 June 2026. The first round of interviews is scheduled for 17 and 18 June 2026. The second round of interviews is scheduled for 24 June 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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