Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science
University of Antwerp
Belgium

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape. 

The Department of Political Science in the Faculty of Social Sciences is looking for two full-time (100%) doctoral scholarship holders 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 sciences, working on a project on the link between political representation and political disinformation.
• 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 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.

Project description

The two PhD positions are part of the DEMO-LIES project, “Deception in Democracy: Political Lying Accusations and Their Effects on Democratic Citizenship”, led by Prof. Dr. Maurits Meijers. Funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant, this five-year project (2025–2030) investigates how political elites use accusations of lying and disinformation, how citizens perceive such accusations, and what effects these dynamics have on democratic attitudes and behaviours.

      DEMO-LIES addresses urgent questions about political communication and democratic integrity. It seeks to understand when and why political actors engage in disinformation accusations, how these accusations influence public perceptions, and what this means for democratic participation and trust. The project aims to generate insights that can strengthen democratic resilience in the face of manipulative political discourse.

      The research employs a mixed-method approach. Elite discourse will be studied using advanced quantitative text analysis techniques, including natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLMs). To examine citizens' responses, the project will combine qualitative focus groups, cross-sectional surveys, and survey experiments. This integrated design allows for a comprehensive analysis of both top-down (elite-driven) and bottom-up (citizen) dynamics of political disinformation.

      DEMO-LIES offers an intellectually rich and methodologically diverse environment. The project contributes to current debates on the role of truth in politics and will provide evidence-based insights for academics, policymakers, and civil society actors concerned with safeguarding democratic norms. An outline of the project can be found here.

Profile

• You hold a Master’s or postgraduate degree in political science or a related discipline, or you will have obtained it by the time you start work.
• You can demonstrate excellent study results, especially on research-related assessments (i.e., bachelor/master dissertation or theses).
• 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 representation, party competition, citizens’ political attitudes, democratic norms, and/or elite political discourse.
• 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 English.
• You have experience with quantitative research methods, such as regression analysis, survey experiments, and/or survey design, and a willingness to also work with qualitative methods.
• You are proficient in at least one statistical or programming language relevant to social science research (e.g., R, STATA, or Python).

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 planned start date is 15 October 2025, or as soon as possible after that date.
• 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.
• 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 21 August 2025 (by midnight Brussels time, CET). Click on the 'Apply' button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments: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 online in the second week of September 2025.
  • a motivation letter, outlining your previous experience and your interest in the position.
  • a one-page “PhD proposal outline” presenting a concise overview of a potential PhD project (e.g. research question, relevance, theoretical expectations, first ideas for data collection and empirical analysis).
  • your academic CV.
  • your academic transcripts from your bachelor’s (undergraduate) and master’s (postgraduate) studies.
  • contact details for two potential referees.
  • a copy of your master’s thesis/dissertation.
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact prof. dr. Maurits Meijers, Research Professor of Political Science and Principal Investigator of DEMO-LIES, at maurits.meijers@uantwerpen.be.

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.