One of the deadlines on this list is July 27, 2026. If you’re reading this close to that date, stop scrolling and check position 11 first.
Utrecht University in the Netherlands has opened eleven fully funded doctoral positions across departments spanning psychology, artificial intelligence, climate science, sociology, engineering, media studies, and environmental science. Every position carries full funding. Every position is open now.
The fields are genuinely diverse — which means this list is relevant to a wider range of researchers than most single-university PhD roundups. Also see University of Oslo Scholarships 2026.
Utrecht University Phd Scholarships Overview
| Country | Netherlands |
| University | Utrecht University |
| Positions | 11 PhD Positions |
| Funding | Fully Funded with Salary |
| For | Early-Career Researchers |
| Application Deadline | July – September 2026 (Varies by Position) |
List of 11 PhD Scholarships at Utrecht University
1. Interpersonal Emotion Regulation in Relationships
Department: Psychology
Deadline: 23 August 2026
Why do some attempts to comfort a partner strengthen a relationship while others backfire? This project investigates how emotion regulation unfolds between partners in daily life using experience sampling, laboratory interaction studies, and longitudinal assessments.
The research aims to identify what forms of interpersonal emotion regulation work, for whom, and under what circumstances — questions with implications across clinical psychology, relationship science, and wellbeing research.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
2. Climate, Cooperation, and Community in Asia
Department: History / Social Sciences
Deadline: 15 August 2026
You study how climate change affects cooperation in Asian villages after World War 2. Good for applicants with background in history or social science.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
3. Hybrid Machine Learning for Global Soil Mapping
Department: Physical Geography / Computational Geography
Deadline: 6 September 2026
Current global soil maps rely on empirical machine learning that ignores known soil processes, creating inconsistencies across properties and underperformance in data-scarce regions.
This project develops next-generation geospatial AI methods by integrating process knowledge into modern machine learning tools. You’ll work with neural network architectures, tabular transformers, and Bayesian methods within the Computational Geography group.
Strong fit for candidates with backgrounds in AI, environmental science, geography, or data science.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
4. Contextual Disadvantage and Educational Inequality
Department: Sociology
Deadline: 12 August 2026
You study how place and background affect school success. You do research and teach a little. Good for applicants with background in sociology or education.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
5. Geosocial Worlds and Territorial Politics in Latin America
Department: Anthropology / Human Geography
Deadline: 17 August 2026
You study how volcanoes minerals and land shape life and power in Latin America. You do field work. Good for applicants with background in anthropology or geography.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
6. Welfare States, Migration, and Social Network Deficits
Department: Sociology
Deadline: 16 August 2026
Social networks can support migrants — but they can also generate pressure, stigma, and misinformation that undermine economic prospects. This project examines how different welfare state structures affect whether migrants’ social networks become sources of support or sources of deficit.
The research combines secondary analysis of European Social Survey data with MIPEX indicators, alongside development of a new cross-national two-wave survey. Strong fit for candidates in sociology, political science, migration studies, or quantitative social research.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
7. Politicization of University Knowledge and Education
Department: Geosciences / Science Studies
Deadline: 27 JULY 2026
This one closes soon. You study how politics affects universities and how to teach difficult topics. Good for applicants with background in science studies or geosciences.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
8. Media Governance and Democracy in the 1970s
Department: Media Studies / History
Deadline: 6 September 2026
You study how media rules changed in Europe from 1970s to 2000s. Good for applicants with background in media studies or history.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
9. Subsurface Heterogeneity in Backward Erosion Piping
Department: Physical Geography / Geosciences
Deadline: 10 August 2026
The Netherlands protects its floodplains with about 2000 kilometers of river dikes. One of the major risks to those dikes is backward erosion piping where groundwater flow slowly erodes the dike base from underneath.
This position is part of the NWO TTW funded Digital Dikes consortium project. It focuses on creating advanced 3D subsurface models to improve dike safety checks. The candidate will work with geological and geohydrological data alongside partners from Delft University Twente University and Deltares Research Institute.
This is a strong fit for candidates in civil engineering hydrology geotechnical engineering or physical geography.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
10. Practical Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions
Department: Physical Geography / Environmental Science
Deadline: 31 August 2026
You study how to use nature like marshes to fight flooding and build land. Good for applicants with background in environmental science or coastal engineering.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
11. Planning Techniques, Risk, and Urban Futures
Department: Human Geography and Spatial Planning / Copernicus Institute
Deadline: 19 August 2026
Cost-benefit analysis and similar planning tools are often treated as neutral instruments. This project argues they’re not — and investigates how valuation techniques shape what futures become imaginable in urban planning decisions around climate risk.
The research traces cost-benefit analysis through global expert networks and national planning practices, examining the “boring power” of planning bureaucracies. The candidate joins an interdisciplinary team at the intersection of urban planning, knowledge politics, and transformative imagination.
Backgrounds in planning, human geography, science and technology studies, or political science fit this position well.
View details and apply on the Utrecht University jobs portal
Can International Students Apply?
Yes. Utrecht University explicitly welcomes international doctoral candidates and conducts its PhD programs and selection processes in English across most departments.
Non EU applicants will need to arrange a Dutch residence permit and may need to complete pre enrollment procedures. Utrecht University’s international office gives guidance on visa and registration requirements after admission.
Candidates should check the individual project description for any nationality restrictions or specific eligibility conditions. Some positions funded through external partners may have extra requirements.