Doctoral scholarship holder lobbying and EU public policy

Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp

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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 lobbying and EU public policy.

Position

• You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis in the field of Political Science. Your research focuses on interest group mobilization across the EU policy cycle. This PhD project is embedded in a collaborative and internationally oriented research environment with strong expertise in EU politics, interest groups, and public policy analysis. Under the supervision of dr. Frederik Stevens (Politics and Public Governance), Prof. Peter Bursens and Prof. Dirk De Bièvre (International Politics), you will study how interest groups strategise, gain access, and exert influence across different stages of the EU policy process.
• You are expected to gradually develop independence in designing and executing your research while benefiting from close supervision, structured feedback, and integration in ongoing research activities.
• You will publish scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.
• You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Department of Political Science.
• You will prepare and submit an FWO PhD fellowship application within the first year of the appointment, in close collaboration with the supervisory team.

Profile

• Essential requirements:
  • You hold a Master degree in Political Science, European Studies or Public Policy or a closely related field, or you will have obtained it by the time you start work.
  • You can demonstrate excellent academic performance during your studies.
  • You have a strong interest in lobbying, EU politics and public policy research.
  • You have an excellent command of English (written and spoken)
  • 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 are willing to develop skills in quantitative data analysis tools such as Stata or R.
• Strong assets:
  • You have familiarity with lobbying and/or EU institutions and public policy processes
  • You have experience with quantitative methods, qualitative methods, or both
  • You are comfortable with (or demonstrate a high potential for) mixed-methods research. 

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 period of 1 year, up until a maximum of 4 years in total.
• The planned start date is November 1^st 2026
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders
• You will receive ecocheques, internet-connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• 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 do most of your work at City Campus in a dynamic and stimulating working environment, integrated into the Politics & Public Governance and International Politics research groups.
• 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 August 17^th 2026 by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments:
  • a motivation letter
  • your academic CV
  • a research proposal (max. 3 pages) which should outline how you would approach studying interest group lobbying across the EU policy cycle. It should include a clear problem statement, research questions, preliminary hypotheses, and an outline of your data collection strategy.
• 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.
• The selection interviews are scheduled for September 16^th 2026, during which shortlisted candidates will present their research proposal and discuss their application.
• 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 dr. Frederik Stevens ([email protected]), Prof. dr. Peter Bursens ([email protected]) or Prof. dr. Dirk De Bièvre ([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.