PhD Fellow Governance of Cybercrime

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

Applying is possible up to and including: 31 augustus 2026

Cybercrime is on the rise: there are ever more different types of criminal offences conducted via digital networked technologies, and the volume of criminal activities also rises year by year. Some forms of cybercrime are growing rapidly and therefore require extra research. This is the case, for instance, with online sexual offences such as sextortion, harassment and cyber stalking. One area of interest is trying to find predictors for victimization of these types of cybercrime to get an understanding of which groups or personality types have a higher risk of becoming a (repeat) victim and why.

A deeper understanding of such predictors can facilitate research into the use(fulness) of interventions, so that specific groups or personality types may become better protected against these types of cybercrime.

The Research group Governance of Cyber Security at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) is looking for a PhD Fellow (1.0 fte, 60-month position) to conduct research on the governance of cybercrime with a special focus on the governance of victimization in online environments. In this PhD project the candidate will study predictors of victimization of (1) online sexual offences or (2) harassment and cyber stalking, with a focus on improving the effectiveness of interventions against these specific types of cybercrime.

The duties of a PhD Fellow consist of several components, namely: doctoral research, training, and teaching. Over the course of a six-year appointment, on average 50% of the total workload is devoted to doctoral research, 10% to training and professional development, and 40% to teaching, including administrative responsibilities related to the educational programme.

The successful candidate will conduct research on governance of cybercrime and assist with teaching in the MSc in Crisis and Security Management. The candidate will:

• Conduct supervised and collaborative research with the research group Governance of Cyber Security leading up to a dissertation;
• Collect and analyse data on the above topics;
• Produce a high-quality dissertation under the guidance of two supervisors;
• Work within a multidisciplinary team in the Governance of Cyber Security research group and with other research groups within the Institute;
• Assist in teaching and grading activities for courses at master level within the institute.

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 at FGGA.

In 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, entrepreneurial, innovative organisation has three scientific institutes, two centres, over 3,700 students and 425 staff members. For more information about the faculty, .

The Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) is a scientific institute specialising in security issues. ISGA is part of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs of Leiden University.

ISGA analyses and studies security issues with local, national, transnational and global impact. These include crises, intelligence, terrorism, war, violence and cybercrime. The institute is characterised by a multidisciplinary research approach.

ISGA is based in the residential city of The Hague, the international city of peace, justice and security. Inspiring interactions are maintained with other knowledge institutions, regional, national and international…