This prestigious appointment offers her the opportunity to further develop her own research agenda. It builds on earlier work conducted with support from an NWO Veni grant (2015) and an NWO XS grant (2023). The position also allows her to supervise PhD candidates and act as a VU ambassador in the field of Empirical Legal Studies. Her research addresses one of today’s most pressing societal questions: how does the law work for people with an unstable income?
For Eleveld, the appointment is a highlight in her diverse career. 'I’ve taken different paths in my professional life, but entering academia was the right move. I find great fulfilment in conducting research and am grateful for the opportunity to grow at VU Amsterdam, especially at the Faculty of Law.'
Law in practice
Eleveld combines legal analysis with empirical research methods such as interviews, observations, and data analysis. Her work explores how labour and social security laws affect people in precarious situations, including flexible workers, low-income self-employed individuals, and benefit recipients.
'These groups often find legal procedures opaque or obstructive. By centring their lived experiences, I aim to understand how the law works in practice, not just on paper,' she explains. She also focuses on the right to income security. 'The Dutch childcare benefits scandal painfully illustrated how crucial reliable legal protection is.' She observes a shift within social security law towards more tailored approaches and fewer harsh sanctions for minor infractions.
Social security and climate change
In the coming years, will investigate how social security law can adapt to the consequences of climate change, especially for vulnerable populations. She explores the legal underpinnings of ecological citizenship: a form of social security that accounts for sustainability and care relations.
'Climate change, labour market flexibilisation and growing inequality call for a social security system that can evolve. My aim is to contribute to future legislation, particularly the Dutch Participation Act, and to European social policy by promoting a broader focus on care and sustainability, rather than solely on moving benefit recipients into (potentially polluting) jobs.'
Research with impact
Through her chair, Eleveld aims to contribute to both legal theory and societal change. She seeks to inform the development of national and European regulations on income security and labour, and to establish a research group focused on empirical legal research into ecological citizenship and minimum income schemes.
'I want to further conceptualise ecological citizenship within the context of social minimums and develop a theory on the connection between robust policy ideas, legal reasoning, and the lived experiences of people on low incomes. The strength of empirical legal research lies in its ability to reveal not only how the law is supposed to function, but how it actually plays out. That insight is essential for creating just and future-proof legislation.'
Social engagement as a constant thread
Eleveld’s deep social commitment runs throughout her work. As a first-generation university student and former social counsellor, she understands how essential effective legal protection is for people in vulnerable positions. She previously worked for the Dutch Council for Refugees and served for six years as deputy member of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. She currently also holds several advisory and board positions with societal organisations.
Connected to FAIR
Her chair aligns closely with the new interdisciplinary research centre FAIR (Flexible Labour, Income Security and Legal Protection), where labour law scholars collaborate with researchers from fields such as sociology, economics and public administration. FAIR focuses on the legal and societal challenges faced by (vulnerable) workers in a flexible labour market.
Teaching with a societal focus
In her teaching, Eleveld connects legal theory with real-world issues. In her course on European labour law, for example, she addresses the position of labour migrants and the protection of third-country nationals posted within the EU. 'The Faculty of Law is a hub for critical thinking. I want to show students where the law falls short, and how they, as future legal professionals, can make a difference.'
She encourages students and PhD candidates to move beyond traditional doctrinal research and to study the law within its broader societal and practical context. 'We only truly understand the meaning of law when we connect normative foundations with empirical insights and the realities of everyday life.'