This will be a PhD position within the VICI project on ‘License Auctions’. In the last decade, governments around the world have started to employ auctions to assign licences for scarce market positions. License auctions differ fundamentally from auctions for normal goods (art, flowers, houses, etc.) in that they can have a profound effect on the organization of the market for which the licenses are sold. The project is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The PhD student will be based at the UvA (Prof. Theo Offerman and Dr Sander Onderstal) and will have the opportunity to visit Caltech (Prof. Jacob Goeree).

Tasks
The PhD student will use game theoretic tools to investigate various aspects of license auctions, that is, their revenue and efficiency properties as well as how they affect industry structure. He or she will also compare, by means of laboratory experiments, the performance of different license auctions.

Requirements
• MSc (or equivalent) in Economics or a related field • strong background in game theory • background in auction theory • experience with experimental economics and statistical packages • proficiency in both written and spoken English.

More information
For further information, contact Prof. T.J.S.Offerman, e-mail or Dr S. Onderstal, e-mail: For more information about the Amsterdam School of Economics, visit www.ase.uva.nl.

Appointment
The PhD student will be appointed in the Department of Economics. The position will initially be for twelve months, to be extended to a maximum of four years (in total). The gross monthly salary will be € 1,933 in the first year, increasing to € 2,472 in the fourth year. There will also be an 8% holiday allowance.

Benefits include a good research environment, a lively research-oriented collegial atmosphere and good facilities (computing equipment, software, conference funding, etc.). The UvA is located in the centre of Amsterdam.

Job application
Candidates are requested to submit an application letter explaining their interest in and suitability for the position, a CV, two letters of recommendation from academic referees, and copies of university exam certificates and other relevant documents. Applications should emailed to: Please include the job reference code (06-5020).

Starting date: 1 September 2006 or a mutually agreeable later date. Deadline for applications: 28 June 2006.

[Reference]