PhD Candidate in Child Eating Behaviour

Offer Description

Do you want to uncover how food properties shape children's eating behaviour and energy intake, combining nutrition, sensory science and innovative digital tools to help promote healthier eating? Join our Child Eating Behaviour team as PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• identifying and critically reviewing the literature on factors that influence children's eating behaviours and dietary patterns;
• designing and conducting experiments on the role of food properties in moderating eating behaviour and energy intake in children, using innovative digital tools to track eating behaviour;
• analysing your experimental studies and publishing the findings in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences;
• translating your evidence into recommendations to improve the food environment for children in the Netherlands;
• contributing to the supervision of MSc students' thesis projects within this topic.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair group Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour of the Division of Human Nutrition and Health, which is led by Prof. Ciarán Forde. You will be co-supervised by Associate Prof. Guido Camps.

Requirements

Specific Requirements

You are an enthusiastic, independent self-starter with excellent organisational and communication skills. You are genuinely curious about child eating behaviour and motivated to run studies that help improve children's eating behaviours and dietary patterns.

You also possess:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in a relevant field (e.g., Nutrition and Health, Sensory Science, Food Technology, Psychology);
• affinity with and/or experience in experimental studies on human eating behaviour;
• experience with, or a strong interest in, conducting research with children;
• knowledge of and experience with applying statistical techniques;
• good spoken and written Dutch and English.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Additional Information

Benefits

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 3.204,- per month rising to € 4.051,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.

Selection process

For more information about the position, please contact Guido Camps, Associate Professor, via email: guido.camps@wur.nl, or Sjanneke Hulshof via email: sjanneke.hulshof@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Rutger Voorrips, Corporate recruiter, via email: rutger.voorrips@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

To apply, please send the following documents (max. 3 pages in total):

• complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages);
• motivation letter (max. 1 page).

The maximum length of the documents must not exceed 3 pages. If it exceeds, applications will not be considered. Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required during this stage and will not be considered.

You can apply up to and including Monday 30 November 2026. The first interviews are scheduled for 2nd of December 2026.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

PhD Candidate in Child Eating Behaviour – Fill out form

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

Additional comments

Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Wageningen University & Research
• Country: Netherlands
• City: Wageningen
• Postal Code: 6708WE
• Street: Stippeneng 4

Contact

• City: Wageningen
• Website: http://www.wageningenur.nl
• Street: Droevendaalsesteeg
• Postal Code: 6708 PB