PhD position in organisational science and cybersecurity

Doctorat / PhD Profil chercheur : First Stage Researcher (R1) Type de contrat : Temporary Date limite de candidature : 3 Dec 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Programme UE : Not funded by a EU programme Domaine : Political sciences » Governance Sociology » Societal behaviour Sociology » Sociology of enterprise

For our NWO-funded project “From ‘what went wrong’ to ‘what works well?’ Using Safety 2 principles to develop new cybersecurity solutions”, we are looking for a PhD candidate interested in building positive cybersecurity solutions for organisations. In this five-year project, we aim to develop cybersecurity solutions that organisations can implement in their ways of working based on what we learn from organisations where cybersecurity is managed successfully. The main research question the team will answer is: “What do successful organisations do differently on the individual, team, and organisational level to prevent the occurrence of cyber incidents or reduce their impact?” This position focuses on the organisational level of the main research question. What you will do The successful applicant will work with researchers from the cybersecurity governance and the governance of crisis research group to help answering this question. Knowledge of (organisational) cybersecurity at the start of the project is not a requirement. However, we do expect the successful applicants to quickly familiarise themselves with the field through self-study or by taking in-house courses. The successful applicant will conduct empirical research on what successful organisations do differently on the organisational level. Is it the structure, power dynamics or perhaps the communication between departments that warrants success? Or can other factors be found that explain what organisations could do differently to improve their cybersecurity? Where you will work ISGA is a scientific institute specializing in security, safety, and global challenges. These include challenges in the fields of cybersecurity, crises, intelligence, terrorism, war, violence, and diplomacy. ISGA is characterized by high-quality, interdisciplinary education and the development of scientific knowledge with a high potential for societal impact. ISGA is part of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA) and is based in the city of The Hague, the international city of peace and justice. FGGA is one of the seven faculties of Leiden University. This young, entrepreneurial, innovative organization has three scientific institutes, two centers, over 3,700 students, and 425 staff members. For more information about the faculty, click here . The interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Governance research group works on the non-technical side of cybersecurity at all levels of society. This includes the cybersecurity of end-users in organisations, regulation on the national and international level, but also international relations and diplomacy. The group consists of scientists with a range of different background…