The postdoctoral researcher and the PhD candidates will carry out research in the framework of the project Accountability of Executive Power in Europe, a research project funded by the Dutch Science Organization, as part of the Spinoza Prize awarded to Professor Curtin and complemented by funding from the University of Amsterdam. This research is also located within the broader research programme of the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance (ACELG), Composite Constitutions in Europe (http://jur.uva.nl/acelg/research.cfm).

The basic premise underlying this research project is that since EU legislative, executive, and regulatory power is expanding, formally and informally, step by step, in a growing number of domains, questions about how it should, could and is being accounted for are increasingly salient. Paradoxically both the political and administrative actors taking decisions both at the national level and at the European level are often the same (i.e., members of the national executive power, both political and administrative). This leads to distinct accountability problems because the participation of multiple actors in different contexts of rule making gives rise to the dispersion of influence and responsibility.

Tasks of the postdoctoral researcher:

• Conduct independent research into the normative aspects of accountability with a possible empirical component
• Assist in general leadership of the project
• Assist in supervision of the PhD candidates within the ACELG
• Candidates may also lecture on subjects in the Faculty's curriculum that are related to this project 

Tasks of the PhD candidates:

• Engage in supervised scientific research that will ultimately result in a doctoral thesis
• Candidates may also lecture on subjects in the Faculty's curriculum

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 8 July 2010 at noon.

Further information and details on how to apply can be found on the University of Amsterdam's website.