PhD Position in Analysing Effective Science Communication of Climate Change

How can scientists effectively communicate about climate change in today’s polarised world? In this PhD project, you will assess the outreach programme of the EMBRACER project, focusing on climate system feedbacks. By analysing audiences, surveying teachers, and interviewing scientists, you will develop a framework for impactful and hopeful science communication. Join a dynamic, multidisciplinary team at Utrecht University and contribute to advancing climate communication strategies that truly make an impact.

Your job

Climate change is one of today’s most pressing issues, but in this polarised world it is unclear how scientists can best communicate about their latest climate science. In this PhD project, you will apply science communication theories to assess the effectiveness of climate communication within the EMBRACER project. As part of that project on feedbacks in the climate system, you will analyse its outreach programme. Do we reach the people we want to reach? What is the effect of our communication on our audiences? Are the words and visuals that we use impactful? And how can climate scientists communicate about climate change feedbacks in a hopeful way? Answering these questions will help advance the knowledge-base of climate science communication.

During the project, you will:

• analyse the effectiveness of the EMBRACER outreach programme, through surveys of high school teachers and other target audiences;
• interview the EMBRACER scientists and analysing these responses about their strategies to communicate hopefully;
• develop a framework for effective science communication about climate tipping points.

You will work in a diverse and interdisciplinary team including colleagues with expertise in science communication, educational research, and climate science.

Your qualities

We welcome candidates with a collaborative spirit who recognise themselves in the following criteria and are enthusiastic about contributing to our team:

• either an MSc in a field related to science communication, in combination with a BSc in natural sciences; or an MSc in one of the natural sciences such as physics, biology, computer science, applied mathematics or similar, in combination with evidence of a background in science communication theory or practice;
• a proven affinity with climate (change) science;
• experience in quantitative analysis of social media or other large data sets, for example with Python or R;
• motivated to cooperate within a dynamic, diverse, multidisciplinary research team;
• proficiency in written and spoken English;
• as an important part of the target audience consists of Dutch students and teachers in secondary education—both in the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean—as well as Dutch young professionals in government, finance, and industry, you need a written and spoken Dutch proficiency of least B1 level.

Our offer

We offer:

• a full-time position for four years with a start date in summer 2025;
• a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.