Postdoctoral Researcher in violence & violence prevention; fte

Postdoctoral Researcher in violence & violence prevention (0.8 - 1.0fte)

Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is one of Europe’s leading international research universities.

Applying is possible until: 15 februari 2026

The Research group Violence & Violence Prevention at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher (1.0 fte, 36-month position) with research and teaching expertise in interpersonal violence.

The successful candidate will conduct research on how despair, institutional and structural inequalities manifest in (lethal) interpersonal violence, collective violence and self-directed violence and assist with teaching across several programs within the institute, including the MSc in Crisis and Security Management.

• Conduct independent and collaborative research with the research group Violence & Violence Prevention, on the unifying research line of Deaths of Despair – at the intersection between interpersonal, collective and self-directed forms of harm.
• This research line includes questions of governance; the attempts of various security actors (i.e. local and national authorities and police) to prevent these forms of violence and to reduce their impact on individuals and society.
• The position seeks to bring together and strengthen the Violence Research Group members’ expertise, and in doing so, actively contribute to ISGA’s involvement in the SSH strategic theme on mental health. Specifically, the project will examine how these deaths and acts of violence express broader crisis of meaning, belonging, and legitimacy in late modern societies. The aim is to advance our understanding of the relationships between emotion, larger-scale social processes, and interpersonal, collective and self-directed violence, and to assess their role in the prevention and governance of theseforms of violence.
• In the spirit of Team Science, the postdoc will produce joint publications with Research Group members, assist in the Group’s teaching activities (among others on the domain of governance) and expand (inter) national visibility for interdisciplinary research on violence and violence prevention.
• Collect and quantitatively analyze data on one or several of the topics mentioned above.
• Produce high-quality co-authored outputs for both academic and non-academic audiences, with a focus on international, peer-reviewed journals.
• Work within a multidisciplinary team across the Violence & Violence Prevention research group and other research groups within the Institute, supporting the development and implementation of the Institute’s research strategy.
• Assist in teaching courses in minor, bachelor, and master programs within the institute, including the MSc in Crisis and Security Management.
• Supervise theses and capstone projects.

Our priority is to hire an excellent candidate who can contribute to the research group Violence & Violence Prevention by enhancing and complementing our research agenda, while also assisting in teaching in programs of the wider institute. This opportunity will help the candidate prepare for the next step in their academic career.

If you recognize yourself in this profile, or do not quite meet all the requirements but believe this is the right job for you, please do apply. We look forward to your application.

The mission of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA)? Contributing to society. The faculty does this through high-quality interdisciplinary education and (new) scientific knowledge. Whether it is terrorism, security, artificial intelligence or a governance solution to the housing crisis, contemporary issues are comprehensively addressed  the heart of The Hague, where important decisions are made, students and professionals come together to gain knowledge and skills.

There is much collaboration with academic and societal partners, which ensures that students leave university with a smile and one foot in the future, ready to make a substantial contribution to society.

FGGA is one of the seven faculties of Leiden University. This young,…