The Regulatory Behavior Lab invites expressions of interest from prospective postdoctoral researchers interested in developing a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF) proposal. The selected candidate will, if successful in the funding competition, join the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to conduct their independent research under the supervision of Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė at the Regulatory Behavior Lab.

 

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellows may choose to contribute to one or more of the Lab’s core research themes or develop their independent research agenda that relates to research conducted at the Lab.

 

The Lab welcomes projects across regulatory domains, including (but not limited to) environmental protection, financial supervision, digital platform governance, consumer protection, food and product safety, public health, energy transition, and AI governance. Research may examine regulators operating at international, supranational (e.g., EU agencies), national, or local levels.

 

The selected researcher will collaborate closely with scholars in the Regulatory Behavior Lab to develop a competitive MSCA proposal. Successful applicants will receive comprehensive institutional support during the proposal development phase (May–September 2026), including individualized feedback, training, and administrative assistance with the submission process.

 

Requirements and eligibility criteria

• PhD in public administration, political science, law, psychology, communication science, or a related discipline (awarded no more than 8 years before the call deadline in September 2026).
• Demonstrated research excellence, evidenced by publications, conference participation, or other scholarly achievements—such as working papers of high quality, awards or distinctions, successful grant applications, invited talks, research-related professional experience, or contributions to collaborative research projects.
• Available to devote full-time attention to developing the competitive proposal from May to September 2026, during which regular supervisory and grant-advice support will be provided.
• Please check further information to make sure you meet all eligibility criteria: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships/6-steps-to-prepare-your-application#Step1

 

Application procedure

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents (as one PDF file) to Dr. Dovilė Rimkutė at d.rimkute@vu.nl by 15 April 2026:

 

• Curriculum Vitae (maximum 3 pages) listing all relevant scientific achievements
• Research proposal idea (minimum 3 pages): Outline your preliminary idea for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship, including the research question, objectives, scientific approach, and proposed methodology.

You are encouraged to follow the MSCA application guidelines (Part B-1: 1. Excellence), specifically:

1.1 Quality and pertinence of the project’s research and innovation objectives

1.2 Soundness of the proposed methodology

(See page 7 of the official MSCA Guide for Applicants for detailed instructions: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-msca-pf_en.pdf)

 

Online interviews will take place at the end of April. From May through September, the selected candidate will be expected to develop the full proposal. During this period, they will receive regular feedback and support from the supervisor and the grant advice team, and they will be required to participate in the MSCA application training sessions provided by VU Amsterdam grant support team.