Fully Funded PhD Position in Social Data Science at VU Amsterdam: Research the Online Manipulation Economy

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, commonly known as VU Amsterdam, is accepting applications for a fully funded PhD Position in Social Data Science. This four-year doctoral opportunity will allow the successful candidate to investigate the market infrastructure behind disinformation, fake online engagement, bot networks and other forms of digital influence operations.

The position is connected to the Vidi-funded research project titled “The Economy of Digital Influence Operations,” led by Associate Professor Jon Roozenbeek. The project moves beyond studying individual pieces of misinformation to examine the broader economic system that makes large-scale online manipulation possible.

The successful candidate will join the Department of Communication Science within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at VU Amsterdam. The doctoral researcher will use advanced quantitative research methods, social-media data, financial information, experiments and qualitative interviews to investigate how the online manipulation economy operates.

This is a full-time, salaried doctoral position based primarily in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The preferred starting date is 4 January 2027, and the selected candidate can receive a salary that rises to a maximum of €4,051 gross per month in the fourth year.

According to the official VU Amsterdam vacancy announcement, applications must be submitted no later than Monday, 14 September 2026 at 23:59.

Key Details About the VU Amsterdam PhD Position

• Host institution: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
• Department: Department of Communication Science
• Research field: Social Data Science
• Research project: The Economy of Digital Influence Operations
• Location: VU Main Building, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Employment level: 1.0 full-time equivalent
• Working hours: 38 hours per week
• Duration: Four years, subject to a satisfactory first-year evaluation
• Starting salary: €3,204 gross per month
• Maximum fourth-year salary: €4,051 gross per month
• Preferred starting date: Monday, 4 January 2027
• Application deadline: Monday, 14 September 2026 at 23:59
• Expected interview period: 21–30 September 2026
• Interview format: In Amsterdam or online
• Required educational level: Master’s degree
• Application language: English or Dutch
• Application method: Online through the official VU Amsterdam recruitment portal

VU Amsterdam does not identify a timezone beside the deadline on the vacancy page. Applicants should therefore submit their materials well before 23:59 rather than waiting until the final hours.

About the Economy of Digital Influence Operations Research Project

Disinformation and coordinated online manipulation are often examined by focusing on misleading posts, individual social-media users or specific political campaigns. However, large-scale influence operations require more than misleading content. They depend on an extensive market in which fake accounts, automated engagement, artificial followers and sophisticated bot networks can be created, purchased and deployed.

The “Economy of Digital Influence Operations” project will investigate this underlying market infrastructure.

Through the project, the doctoral researcher will help map what the research team describes as the “online manipulation economy.” This includes examining the individuals, businesses, intermediaries and organizations involved in buying and selling digital manipulation services.

The research may explore questions such as:

1. Who creates and sells fake social-media accounts, automated engagement and bot networks?
2. Who purchases these digital influence services, and what objectives do buyers hope to achieve?
3. What economic, political or social motivations encourage individuals and organizations to participate in the market?
4. How are buyers and sellers connected across digital platforms and national borders?
5. What financial systems or transaction structures support the market?
6. How do fake accounts and bot networks affect online discussions, public trust, political communication and democratic participation?
7. What interventions could disrupt the supply of manipulation services?
8. How can policymakers, researchers and technology companies develop system-level responses to coordinated digital influence operations?

The project is supported by a Vidi grant awarded to Jon Roozenbeek. The wider research programme is intended to improve understanding of the black market that enables misleading information and political manipulation to spread online. More information about the grant and its research objectives is available through the official VU Amsterdam Vidi project announcement.

Why This Social Data Science Research Matters

Disinformation can threaten electoral integrity, weaken confidence in institutions, distort public debate and make it more difficult for citizens to distinguish authentic public opinion from coordinated manipulation.

Many existing interventions concentrate on individuals. These may include warning labels, fact-checking services, media-literacy programmes or prompts that encourage users to assess information more carefully. Although these measures can be useful, their ability to stop large and organized influence operations may be limited.

The VU Amsterdam project approaches the problem at a system level. Instead of looking only at the people who encounter misinformation, the research will investigate the commercial and technical infrastructure that allows manipulation campaigns to operate.

Understanding this infrastructure could help researchers and policymakers identify more effective interventions. For example, evidence about sellers, buyers, payment systems and digital platforms could support new regulatory policies or enforcement strategies designed to reduce the availability of fake engagement services and automated influence networks.

The PhD candidate will therefore contribute to research with potential importance for:

• Democratic institutions and electoral integrity
• Digital platform governance
• Online trust and safety
• Public policy and technology regulation
• Political communication
• Cybersecurity and information integrity
• Computational social science
• Social-media research
• Disinformation prevention
• Artificial intelligence and automated online behaviour

Main Responsibilities of the PhD Candidate

The successful applicant will complete a cumulative doctoral dissertation within four years. Rather than producing only one traditional monograph, the candidate will work on multiple connected academic studies that collectively address the objectives of the research project.

The main responsibilities are expected to include the following.

1. Planning and Conducting Empirical Research

The candidate will work with the supervisory team to plan and execute empirical studies on digital influence operations and the economic infrastructure supporting them.

This work will require the researcher to turn broad theoretical questions into measurable research designs, determine what evidence is required and select suitable methods for collecting and analysing that evidence.

2. Designing Experiments

Experimental research will form part of the doctoral project. The candidate may design studies that test the effects of online manipulation, evaluate potential interventions or examine how individuals and institutions respond to inauthentic online activity.

Applicants should therefore be comfortable developing controlled research designs, identifying appropriate variables, formulating hypotheses and interpreting experimental results.

3. Collecting and Analysing Social-Media and Financial Data

An important part of the position involves developing bespoke data pipelines for collecting and analysing relevant information.

The candidate may work with large volumes of social-media data to identify coordinated behaviour, patterns of artificial engagement or networks of suspicious accounts. Financial or transactional data may also be used to understand the economic connections between buyers, sellers and service providers.

Applicants should be prepared to work with complex, imperfect and potentially large datasets.

4. Conducting Qualitative Interviews

Although the position requires strong quantitative skills, the project will not be limited to numerical data. Interviews with individuals who understand or participate in the online manipulation economy may provide essential information about motivations, business models and market practices that cannot be observed from platform data alone.

The candidate may therefore contribute to identifying interview participants, designing interview protocols, conducting interviews and integrating qualitative findings with quantitative results.

5. Developing Reproducible Data Pipelines

The successful applicant will help create tailored research pipelines using tools such as Python and R. These pipelines may be used to collect, clean, organize, connect and analyse information from several sources.

Because the project follows open-science principles, the candidate will be expected to make research procedures, code, materials and eligible datasets reproducible and publicly accessible where appropriate and legally possible.

6. Publishing Research Findings

The candidate will be expected to produce high-quality academic publications. Research findings may be presented through:

• Articles in leading international academic journals
• International conference papers and presentations
• Conference proceedings
• Public-facing research reports
• Policy briefs
• Online research resources
• Reproducible datasets, code and methodological materials

The ability to communicate complex technical findings to both academic and non-academic audiences will be important.

7. Supporting Public-Facing Research Outputs

The position may involve building and maintaining public resources similar to the Cambridge Online Trust and Safety Index.

This responsibility reflects the project’s commitment to producing research outputs that are useful beyond traditional academic publications. Public-facing tools can help policymakers, technology professionals, civil-society organizations and the wider public understand online trust and safety challenges.

8. Participating in Doctoral Training

The candidate will take part in courses and professional-development activities offered by the Graduate School of Social Sciences.

This training is intended to support the candidate’s development in research methods, academic writing, research integrity, open science and other skills required to complete the doctorate successfully. Additional information is available through the VU Amsterdam Graduate School doctoral information page.

9. Building an International Research Network

The doctoral researcher will be encouraged to collaborate with specialists working in communication science, psychology, computational social science, computer science, political communication, economics and related areas.

The position will be based primarily at VU Amsterdam but will include close research connections with the University of Cambridge.

Educational Qualifications

Applicants should have completed a research master’s degree or another relevant master’s degree in a field such as:

• Social Data Science
• Communication Science
• Psychology
• Economics
• A closely related discipline that provides suitable quantitative and computational research training

VU Amsterdam indicates a preference for candidates with excellent academic results, particularly strong performance on their final-year dissertation or master’s thesis.

Applicants should use their application materials to demonstrate how their graduate education has prepared them to conduct independent, interdisciplinary research involving digital platforms, online information and advanced data analysis.

Essential Technical and Research Skills

This position requires a substantial quantitative and computational foundation. Competitive applicants should be able to demonstrate the following:

Strong quantitative research abilities

Applicants should understand how to design and conduct quantitative empirical research. This includes formulating research questions, selecting appropriate methods, evaluating evidence and interpreting results responsibly.

Advanced statistical knowledge

Candidates should have experience with advanced statistical analysis. Knowledge of time-series analysis is specifically identified as important for the position.

Depending on the final studies developed during the project, other useful knowledge could include experimental analysis, regression modelling, network analysis, causal inference or computational text analysis.

Programming experience in both Python and R

Experience with Python and R is essential. Applicants should not assume that knowledge of only one of the two languages will meet the stated requirement.

The candidate may use these programming languages to:

• Collect information through APIs or other permitted sources
• Clean and restructure complex datasets
• Conduct statistical analysis
• Build reproducible research pipelines
• Perform time-series or network analysis
• Produce visualizations
• Document analytical workflows
• Share code under open-science practices

Research-design experience

The candidate must be able to translate conceptual questions into rigorous empirical studies. Experience designing experiments or other structured research projects will therefore be valuable.

Academic writing in English

Excellent English academic-writing skills are essential. The successful candidate will need to prepare journal manuscripts, conference papers, dissertation chapters, public reports and research documentation.

Interest in digital influence operations

Applicants should show a clear intellectual interest in:

• The spread of information and misinformation online
• Fake or coordinated social-media activity
• Bot networks and automated engagement
• Digital influence operations
• The market infrastructure behind inauthentic content
• Platform governance and online trust
• The social and political effects of manipulation campaigns

Russian or Mandarin language ability

Knowledge of Russian and/or Mandarin would be an advantage, particularly because digital influence operations can involve actors and data from different linguistic environments.

However, Russian and Mandarin are listed as desirable rather than mandatory. Applicants without these language skills may still apply if they satisfy the essential requirements.

Personal Qualities VU Amsterdam Is Seeking

The university is looking for more than technical competence. The successful candidate should also be:

• Sociable, open-minded and friendly
• Communicative and able to explain ideas clearly
• Responsible and capable of taking ownership of individual studies
• Diligent and conscientious
• Comfortable working independently
• Able to collaborate across academic disciplines
• Capable of communicating findings clearly in writing and conversation
• Prepared to work with colleagues in Amsterdam and Cambridge

Independent working ability is especially important because lead supervisor Jon Roozenbeek spends part of the year at the University of Cambridge. Virtual supervisory meetings will be available, but the candidate must be able to organize research tasks, maintain progress and take responsibility for day-to-day project development.

Supervisory Team and International Research Links

The candidate will be supervised by Associate Professor Jon Roozenbeek and Ivar Vermeulen.

Jon Roozenbeek leads the Vidi-funded research project and directs work within the Influence and Technology Lab. His research focuses on misinformation, online influence, digital technology and interventions designed to improve the quality of information environments.

The project has close connections with research conducted at VU Amsterdam and the University of Cambridge. This arrangement gives the candidate an opportunity to work in an international research environment and develop professional relationships across institutions.

Although some supervisory interaction may take place virtually, applicants should understand that the position itself is based primarily at VU Amsterdam. It is not advertised as a fully remote doctoral position.

Salary and Employment Conditions

The successful applicant will be employed by VU Amsterdam as a full-time doctoral researcher.

The advertised salary begins at €3,204 gross per month and increases to a maximum of €4,051 gross per month in the fourth year, based on full-time employment and the applicable Dutch university employment conditions.

The initial employment contract will be for one year. After a satisfactory evaluation, the contract can be extended so that the total appointment covers four years.

The first-year evaluation will be based on progress and academic outputs defined through the Graduate School of Social Sciences. Applicants should recognize that the extension is dependent on satisfactory performance rather than being completely automatic.

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be completed by the end of the fourth year, at which point the employment contract will end.

Additional employment benefits include:

• A standard full-time working week of 38 hours
• 232 hours of annual leave based on a 38-hour working week
• An additional 96 hours of annual leave when working a 40-hour schedule
• Holiday allowance of 8%
• Year-end bonus of 8.3%
• A contribution toward commuting expenses
• Access to an optional personalized benefits package
• Access to university sports facilities for a modest fee

Applicants should remember that the published salary figures are gross amounts. The final net salary will depend on Dutch taxation, social contributions and the successful candidate’s personal circumstances.

About the Influence and Technology Lab

The doctoral candidate will become part of the Influence and Technology Lab, an interdisciplinary research environment examining how information, technology and psychological processes influence what people believe and share.

The lab combines knowledge and methods from areas including:

• Communication science
• Psychology
• Computer science
• Social data science
• Area studies
• Political communication
• Online trust and safety

Its researchers use advanced social and computational methods to study information environments, propaganda, technology effects and interventions.

The lab also has a cross-cultural orientation. It conducts research across countries and combines methodological rigour with attention to local political, linguistic and cultural contexts.

The lab operates through connections between the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge and the Department of Communication Science at VU Amsterdam. The selected candidate will primarily work in Amsterdam while benefiting from this wider international network.

About the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at VU Amsterdam consists of nine departments organized across three academic schools:

• The School of Religion and Theology
• The School of Social Sciences
• The School of Humanities

The faculty has approximately 900 employees, around 5,000 regular students and approximately 5,000 additional course participants.

Its researchers and educators examine major social and cultural questions from interdisciplinary perspectives. This environment can be particularly valuable for a doctoral researcher studying digital influence operations, which involve technology, economics, communication, psychology, politics and culture.

About Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a major research university located in Amsterdam’s Zuidas district.

The university has more than 6,150 employees and approximately 31,000 students. It presents itself as a values-driven institution committed to education, research and social impact.

VU Amsterdam emphasizes diversity, inclusion and internationalization. Its academic community includes people from different nationalities, backgrounds, beliefs and worldviews.

The university’s Amsterdam location also provides access to a large network of academic institutions, technology companies, public-policy organizations, international businesses and civil-society organizations.

Information for Applicants Moving to the Netherlands

Applicants who are selected and need to relocate should begin immigration and relocation preparations as early as possible.

Immigration requirements depend on nationality and the expected length of stay. Non-European Union nationals who will remain in the Netherlands for more than 90 days generally require a Dutch residence permit and may also require a provisional residence visa, known as an MVV.

VU Amsterdam’s International Office provides immigration support for eligible international employees and doctoral candidates. The university explains that it can generally use an accelerated immigration procedure for scientific researchers and highly skilled migrants when the relevant requirements are met.

Immigration procedures normally begin after a candidate has been selected and formally onboarded by the supervisor and human-resources team. Residence authorization remains subject to the requirements and decisions of the Dutch immigration authorities.

VU Amsterdam also provides relocation information to international doctoral candidates. Limited university-arranged accommodation may be available, but housing is not guaranteed. Candidates relocating to Amsterdam should therefore prepare for the city’s competitive housing market.

Applicants can review the university’s official guidance for international employees and PhD candidates and its information for international doctoral candidates.

Required Application Documents

Candidates should prepare the following documents:

1. An up-to-date curriculum vitae
2. A concise application or motivation letter in English or Dutch, with a maximum length of two pages as stated in the vacancy instructions

The motivation letter should directly demonstrate how the applicant meets the requirements of the position. Rather than offering only a general explanation of interest in doctoral study, applicants should connect their experience to the specific research project.

A strong letter should address:

• The applicant’s relevant master’s degree
• Academic performance and thesis or dissertation research
• Experience with quantitative research design
• Knowledge of advanced statistics and time-series analysis
• Practical experience using Python
• Practical experience using R
• Interest in disinformation and digital influence operations
• Experience working with social-media, behavioural or financial data
• Any previous experimental research
• Academic-writing experience
• Ability to work independently
• Experience collaborating in interdisciplinary teams
• Russian or Mandarin proficiency, if applicable
• Reasons for wanting to join VU Amsterdam and the research project

Applicants may also mention relevant publications, conference presentations, open-source code, research assistantships, GitHub projects or reproducible analytical work in their CV when applicable.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the official VU Amsterdam online recruitment system.

Email applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should:

1. Read the complete official vacancy announcement.
2. Prepare an updated CV.
3. Write a targeted application letter in English or Dutch.
4. Confirm that the letter does not exceed the stated two-page limit.
5. Review the documents for accuracy and consistency.
6. Submit the application through the official VU Amsterdam application portal.
7. Complete the submission before Monday, 14 September 2026 at 23:59.

Candidates should apply early enough to resolve any technical problems before the deadline.

Selection and Interview Timeline

VU Amsterdam expects interviews to take place between 21 and 30 September 2026. Interviews may be conducted in Amsterdam or online.

Shortlisted candidates should be prepared to discuss:

• Their master’s thesis or previous research
• Their understanding of the online manipulation economy
• Quantitative methods they have used
• Their experience with Python and R
• Their understanding of time-series analysis
• How they would approach large-scale social-media data
• Their experience designing experiments
• Their ability to work independently
• Their academic and professional objectives
• Their interest in interdisciplinary research
• Their availability to begin on 4 January 2027

Applicants invited to interview should review the project description carefully and be ready to propose possible research questions or methodological approaches. Any ideas presented should remain flexible because the final studies will be developed collaboratively with the supervisory team.

Important Dates

• Vacancy publication date: 17 August 2026
• Application deadline: Monday, 14 September 2026 at 23:59
• Expected interview period: 21–30 September 2026
• Preferred starting date: Monday, 4 January 2027

Application Tips for Prospective Candidates

Demonstrate both Python and R experience

The vacancy identifies experience with both programming languages as essential. Applicants should provide concrete examples of how they have used each language rather than simply listing them under technical skills.

Explain your statistical preparation

Mention relevant graduate courses and research projects involving advanced statistics. Candidates with time-series analysis experience should make that expertise clearly visible.

Connect your thesis to the position

Even if the master’s thesis was not specifically about disinformation, applicants can explain how its methods, datasets or theoretical questions prepared them for this project.

Show evidence of reproducible research

Examples may include documented code, version-controlled projects, preregistered studies, publicly available materials or well-organized analytical workflows.

Address the project directly

A generic motivation letter is unlikely to demonstrate sufficient preparation. Applicants should explain why the market infrastructure behind digital influence operations is an important research problem and how their skills can contribute to studying it.

Demonstrate independence and collaboration

The position requires both qualities. Applicants should provide examples showing they can manage complex research tasks independently while communicating effectively with supervisors and interdisciplinary collaborators.

Submit before the final day

Waiting until the deadline creates unnecessary risk. Applicants should allow time for document conversion, portal errors and any final revisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the application deadline?

The deadline is Monday, 14 September 2026 at 23:59. The vacancy page does not specify a timezone, so candidates should submit well in advance.

When will interviews take place?

VU Amsterdam expects to conduct interviews between 21 and 30 September 2026. Interviews may be held in Amsterdam or online.

When is the preferred starting date?

The preferred starting date is Monday, 4 January 2027.

What is the monthly salary?

The advertised salary starts at €3,204 gross per month and increases to a maximum of €4,051 gross per month in the fourth year for full-time employment.

How long does the position last?

The total planned duration is four years. The initial contract is for one year and may be extended following a satisfactory evaluation.

Are Python and R both required?

Yes. The vacancy states that experience with Python and R is essential.

Is time-series analysis required?

Applicants are expected to have advanced statistical skills, including time-series analysis.

Are Russian or Mandarin mandatory?

No. Knowledge of Russian and/or Mandarin is an advantage, but it is not listed as a mandatory requirement.

Can the position be completed remotely?

The position is based primarily at VU Amsterdam. Some supervisory meetings may take place virtually, and interviews may be conducted online, but the vacancy is not advertised as a fully remote doctoral position.

Can applications be submitted by email?

No. VU Amsterdam states that email applications will not be accepted. Candidates must use the official recruitment portal.

Conclusion

The fully funded PhD Position in Social Data Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers an exceptional opportunity to conduct advanced, socially relevant research into the economic infrastructure behind disinformation and digital influence operations.

The successful candidate will investigate how fake accounts, artificial engagement and bot networks are produced, marketed, purchased and deployed. By combining social-media information, financial data, experiments, interviews and advanced computational methods, the researcher will help build a deeper understanding of the online manipulation economy and its effects on society.

In addition to receiving structured doctoral training and international research exposure, the selected candidate will receive a full-time salary beginning at €3,204 gross per month and increasing to a maximum of €4,051 gross per month in the fourth year. Additional benefits include holiday allowance, a year-end bonus, annual leave and commuting support.

Candidates with a relevant master’s degree, advanced statistical knowledge, strong research-design abilities, excellent English academic writing and practical experience in both Python and R should consider applying.

Applications must be submitted through the official VU Amsterdam recruitment portal by Monday, 14 September 2026 at 23:59. Because email applications are not accepted and no deadline timezone is specified, prospective candidates should complete their submissions well before the closing time.

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