Doctoral scholarship holder in political science

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The Department of Political Science in the Faculty of Social Sciences is looking for a full-time (100%) doctoral scholarship holder in the field of Political Science.

Position

• You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis in the field of political science, working on a project about how the emotions of politicians explain their representative behavior.
• You will conduct empirical research and publish scientific articles related to the research project.
• You will collaborate with other project members (PhDs, postdocs, principal and co-investigators).
• You will participate actively in internal seminars of the research group and Department as well as international conferences and workshops.
• You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Department of Political Science.

About the project

The PhD position is part of the TEMPER project, “How The Emotions of Politicians Explain their Representative Behavior”, led by Julie Sevenans, and funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant (2026-2030).

The project aims to shed new light on the representative behavior of individual politicians by addressing an overlooked driver of that behavior: their emotions. What makes politicians decide to be responsive to public opinion signals at some occasions, but not at others? And how do politicians go about communicating their viewpoints, sometimes using very emotional or uncivil language, and at other times not? Whereas extant research has been preoccupied with studying the cognitive, strategic reasons that politicians may have to act so-or-so, TEMPER focuses on the emotional explanations of their behavior. It sketches a portrait of politicians who are, above everything, human. Doing so, the project bridges the gap between theories of elite behavior and theories of the political behavior of citizens, which have—relying on insights from psychology—taken an ‘emotional turn’ decades ago.

Methodologically, the project relies on a mixed methods design. The idea is to conduct a series of (1) survey-experiments with politicians; (2) interviews with politicians; and (3) direct observations of actual media debates and party meetings. Importantly, TEMPER combines self-reported measures of emotion with psychophysiological measures of affect (in collaboration with the Antwerp Social Lab), which are less susceptible to rationalization and social desirability.

The project will be conducted within the vibrant research group M²P (Media, Movement & Politics). The project proposal can be found here.

Profile

• You hold a Master’s or postgraduate degree in social sciences, or theoretical and experimental psychology, or a related discipline, or you will have obtained it by the time you start working.
• You can demonstrate excellent study results.
• You have experience with quantitative research methods (such as survey research and experiments) and quantitative analysis (such as regression analysis). You are proficient in at least one statistical or programming language relevant to social science research (e.g., R, STATA, or Python).
• Having experience with psychophysiological measurements of affect/emotion, or with the processing of big data more generally, is an asset.
• Having experience with qualitative methods (i.e., interviewing) is an asset.
• Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision.
• Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
• You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation. You work pro-actively and thrive on intellectual independence.
• You have a strong interest in questions pertaining to political psychology, political representation, and political communication.
• You have a willingness to obtain new methodological skills during the doctorate degree, including the attendance of summer and winter schools.
• You have strong communication skills and a willingness to work in a team-based environment.
• You have excellent command of Dutch and English.

What we offer

• We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of one year. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed for another three years. 
• The envisioned start date is October 1^st, 2026.
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.
• As a doctoral researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of courses and an educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School.
• You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• You will do most of your work at the Stadscampus in Antwerp in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including June 23^rd, 2026 (by midnight Brussels time, CET). Click on the 'Apply' button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments:
  • a motivation letter.
  • your academic CV.
  • your academic transcripts (including your grades) from your bachelor’s (undergraduate) and master’s (postgraduate) studies.
  • a copy of your master’s thesis/dissertation.
• The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision is made, we will notify you. If you are still eligible after the pre-selection, you will be informed about the possible next step(s) in the selection procedure. Selection interviews are scheduled to take place on July 1^st (in the afternoon).
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to [email protected]. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Julie Sevenans at [email protected].

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.