As part of your PhD project, you are expected to:

• Provide detailed ethnographic descriptions of everyday practices in selected groundwater care initiatives.
• Document and assess the institutional and hydro-geological functioning of these initiatives.
• Conduct historical and political-ecological analyses linking groundwater depletion to neoliberal agricultural changes.
• Identify and analyze how irrigators navigate pressures in the study sites.

You should have:

• A (research) master’s degree in Human Geography, Development Studies, Anthropology, or a closely related field.
• Interest in the role of water in agrarian change.
• Familiarity with feminist theories of human/society-environment relations.
• Knowledge of agrarian India and willingness to work in remote rural areas.
• Experience with ethnographic research methods and an openness to quantitative approaches.
• Understanding of or curiosity about hydrogeology.
• Excellent academic writing and communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in Hindi and preferably another Indian language; knowledge of Spanish, French, or Arabic is a plus.
• A collaborative spirit and a willingness to experiment with creative research methods.

We provide a temporary employment contract of 38 hours per week for a maximum of four years, with the possibility of extension based on performance. You will receive a gross monthly salary starting at €3,204, increasing to €4,051 by the final year, along with an extensive benefits package including holiday allowance and a year-end bonus. The UvA supports professional development through training courses and lectures.

If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, please submit your application, including a motivation letter, CV, a writing sample, and contact information for two academic references, by 2 November 2026.

For inquiries, please contact Prof. Margreet Zwarteveen at m.z.zwarteveen@uva.nl. We value diversity and encourage applications from all qualified candidates, particularly women and underrepresented groups.