Three fully funded PhD positions in Competition Law and AI

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Three four-year doctoral positions in the ERC-funded ATLANTIS project. Two legal-track researchers study data access, AI fairness and procedural safeguards in competition enforcement, while one computational-track researcher provides empirical and AI-methods support across the project.

Amsterdam, North Holland, NetherlandsTransnational Legal Studies / Amsterdam Law & Technology InstituteDoctoral researcher€3,059 to €3,881 gross per month for a full-time appointment.

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Employment

Vacancy terms

Career stage: Doctoral researcher
Employment type: Doctoral researcher
Contract: Fixed-term
Contract ends: Not stated
Original contract term: 4 years; first year probationary, then 3-year extension after positive evaluation
Schedule: Full-time
Workplace: On-site
FTE: Not stated
Salary: €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month for a full-time appointment.
Department or school: Transnational Legal Studies / Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute
Posted: 11 Jun 2026

Role

Responsibilities

Conduct legal or computational research within ATLANTIS
Write peer-reviewed articles and conduct empirical work with competition agencies
Present at conferences and advisory-board meetings
Co-organize project events
Teach up to 20% over four years

Candidate profile

Qualifications and requirements

Qualifications

Legal track: Master’s degree in law with excellent marks and demonstrated competition-law expertise.
Computational track: preferably a Master’s degree in computer science, data science, computational science, AI, or closely related field, with excellent marks.
Ability to produce academic work for an international research environment; the vacancy is in English.

Requirements

Computational track: machine learning, bias/fairness in AI systems or explainable AI; empirical data work and technical writing for non-technical audiences.
Legal-track applicants state which track they apply for; computational applicants must be willing to engage with legal materials and write for a legal audience.

Preferred qualifications

Legal track: comfort with empirical work and computational tools is welcome.
Applicants with both legal and computational credentials may apply to both tracks.

Employment conditions

Full-time 1.0 FTE
38 hours per week
On-campus presence several days per week expected
Initial one-year probationary contract followed by three-year extension after positive evaluation

Employment package

Benefits

€3,059 to €3,881 gross per month for a full-time appointment.
232 annual leave hours for full-time employment
8% holiday allowance
3% end-of-year bonus
ABP pension
Commuting and work-from-home allowances
Paid parental leave
Personal travel budget; conferences, fieldwork and research stays funded by ERC
4 years; first year probationary, then 3-year extension after positive evaluation
Full-time
Fixed-term

Application

Documents and steps

Documents

Academic transcripts
Cover letter, maximum two pages, stating track and motivation
CV
Writing sample such as Master’s thesis or published article

Steps

Open the separate VU application page
Choose the relevant ATLANTIS track in the cover letter
Upload CV, cover letter, transcripts and writing sample
Provide two referee contacts
Submit by 15 September 2026

Official evidence

Sources behind this vacancy

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