Call for Expressions of Interest: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship on Affective Governance

Call for Expressions of Interest: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship on Affective Governance

I am seeking prospective postdoctoral researchers interested in developing a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF) proposal under my supervision at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The prospective postdoctoral researchers will conduct their independent postdoctoral research within the Affective Governance Lab led by Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė.

The prospective project would fall within the broad theme of Affective Governance, focusing on the role of emotions in public institutions, policymaking, and regulation. The topic is interdisciplinary, and I welcome proposals that bridge political science, public administration, law, communication, psychology, affective science.

An example of a possible research direction could be:

Affective Regulatory Governance — exploring how emotions shape interactions between regulators and citizens, influence the legitimacy and responsiveness of regulatory bodies, and affect the public reception of regulatory decisions. The project could engage with the growing scholarship on the regulatory state, legitimacy, and behavioral public administration, integrating insights from affective science into the study of governance.

The selected candidate will work closely with me to co-develop a competitive MSCA proposal. The successful applicant will benefit from institutional support during the application process, including tailored guidance on proposal writing, training, and submission.

Eligibility:

• PhD in political science, public administration, law, psychology, communication, or a related field (PhD awarded no more than 8 years before the call deadline).

• Strong research track record (publications, conference participation, etc.).

Application procedure:
Interested candidates are invited to send their application to the prospective supervisor Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė:

1. A CV (max. 2 pages)

2. A short expression of interest (3 page) including your research ideas for the MSCA postdoctoral fellowship application.

Please send your expression of interest to d.rimkute@vu.nl by 20 April 2026.