Vacancy number: 16725
Job type: PhD positions
Contract hours min: 38
Contract hours max: 38
Location: Leiden
Applying is possible up to and including: 6 augustus 2026
PhD Position on “Mental disorders as harmful stable states”
The departments Clinical Psychology and Methodology & Statistics, at the Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, invite applications for a
PhD Position in the context of the NWO Zwaartekracht consortium New Science of Mental Disorders: Mental disorders as harmful stable states (1 fte, 4 years)
The PhD candidate will be working within the NWO-funded Zwaartekracht consortium “New Science of Mental Disorders”, and supervised by Prof. Dr. Eiko Fried (Clinical Psychology and Methodology & Statistics, Leiden University) and Prof. Dr. Janna Cousijn (School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam). Co-supervisors are Dr. Jonas Haslbeck (Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam) and Dr. Bart Verkuil (Clinical Psychology, Leiden University). The appointment will start around November 2026.
The overall project
The NSMD consortium studies mental disorders as dynamical systems. In its current phase, NSMD focuses on developing and testing network-informed treatment for individuals with mental health problems. This is done in many single-case experimental designs (SCEDs). The program aims to translate network theory, intensive longitudinal methods, complexity science, and clinical expertise into more personalized and effective forms of intervention.
The PhD position
This research project, embedded within a large interdisciplinary team, investigates a central claim of network theory: that mental health problems may become self-maintaining, harmful attractor states, in which symptoms, behaviours, and contextual factors reinforce each other over time. This idea of harmful attractors has been a central tenet in the field, but direct empirical tests remain scarce. This speaks to crucial aspects of the phenomenology of mental illness broadly. The project will use existing intensive longitudinal patient data from NSMD and other projects to identify recurring within-person mental health states, study their persistence and transitions, and examine whether such attractor states predict clinically relevant outcomes such as relapse, comorbidity burden, symptom severity, and functioning. In the final part of the project, the PhD candidate will use NSMD SCED data currently being collected to investigate whether we can improve the effects of network-informed interventions by leveraging information on attractor states. There will also be room for creative input from the candidate to shape the project.
Key responsibilities
- Investigating attractor states in time-series data of patients with a variety of mental health problems; characterizing these states; analyzing if they predict clinically relevant outcomes, and if they can improve treatments
- Completing a PhD thesis in English within 4 years
- Putting together and analyzing a database of time-series data of people diagnosed with mental disorders
- Participation in regular meetings of the research group and associated departments
- Working collaboratively to achieve joint research projects within the research group
- Publication of several articles in peer-reviewed journals
- Presenting these papers at conferences, both in the Netherlands and internationally
- Participation in the Graduate School at our faculty, and, if of interest, participation in either the (more clinical) Dutch-Belgian Research School Experimental Psychopathology or the (more statistical) Interuniversity Graduate School of Psychometrics and Sociometrics
- Participation in the NSMD consortium and other initiatives the supervisory team is involved in, offering lots of opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange in the domains of mental health science, network science, time-series analyses, and complexity science
Where you will work
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Education and Child Studies, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty is home to approximately 7,000 students and 1,000 staff members. Our institutes are dedicated not only to education but also to groundbreaking research that expands our understanding of human behavior and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the variety of teaching approaches, and the structure of professional support. This provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise. For an introduction to our faculty, visit our website: Welcome to the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences – Leiden University.
The Institute of Psychology trains new generations of students to address the challenges of our society, both now and in the future, through leading behavioral science research and education. This is achieved through collaboration, both within and outside the institute, in the field of psychology and related research areas, covering both fundamental and applied aspects. The broad bachelor’s program and a wide range of master’s specializations further contribute to this mission. Within the institute and the academic community, a dedicated and passionate atmosphere prevails. The themes of Health and Wellbeing, Social-Cognitive-Affective Decision Making, Development and Learning, and Advanced Behavioral Science Methods guide both research and education. The institute places great importance on fostering a safe and inclusive environment, with room for new developments such as open science, recognition and valorization, and interdisciplinarity, which are firmly embedded in the institute’s strategy. The institute, with approximately 5,000 students and 600 staff members, comprises the Institute Office, the Bachelor’s Education Department, and six research and teaching units: Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social and Organizational Psychology, and Methods and Statistics.
What you bring
What you bring (required)
- Master’s degree and excellent track record in Clinical Psychology, Quantitative Psychology, Statistics, Data Science, or a related study program
- Strong analytic and statistical skills, ideally with time-series data
- Strong statistical programming skills
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Interpersonal and communication skills to effectively collaborate and communicate in academia
What you bring (desired)
- Experience with collecting and analyzing ecological momentary assessment data
- Experience with interdisciplinary research between mental health science and statistics
- Experience with network models, systems science, or complexity science
- Experience with open science practices (e.g. data and code sharing)
What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.
You can count on an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.
We also offer:
- We offer a full-time 1-year term position for initially one year. After a positive evaluation of the progress of the thesis, personal capabilities and compatibility, the appointment will be extended by a further three years. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities
- A salary between €3059 - €3881 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (PhD student);
- A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
- Full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs for home-to-work travel;
- Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
- If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
- A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone.
For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions
What we value
Diversity and inclusion are integral to the future of psychological science. Those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in science are especially encouraged to apply.
Want to apply or find out more?
If you want to apply, please click the application button.
Please ensure that you upload (1) a CV including names and contact details of two academic references who may be contacted regarding your application, and (2) a 1-page letter of motivation. The deadline is 6 august 2026.
For content enquiries, please contact Prof. Dr. Eiko Fried ([email protected]). For procedural enquiries, please contact Mariska Moreu ([email protected]).
To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions
- In choosing between candidates, in case of equal suitability, preference will be given to internal candidates, women, the occupationally disabled and employees with a migration background.
- You live and are officially registered as resident in The Netherlands or are willing to relocate upon starting the position.
- A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.
- Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid
