Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

The research group GASPAR (www.gaspar.ugent.be) is looking for a motivated and enthusiast researcher in order to conduct a PhD in political science, more in particular either on political ambition or on how parties continue to structure the political debate through party cues. You will set up, develop and execute a research project on any of these topics, which will lead to a PhD. You will occasionally be involved in educational and administrative tasks. 

For more information on the kind of research questions that could be investigated within these topics, please contact bram.wauters@ugent.be

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a Master’s degree in political science, sociology, public administration, political psychology or in any other field of human sciences with comparable qualifications 
• You have a scientific and critical attitude 
• You are passionate about research 
• You are prepared to write a PhD in political science (including following a PhD Training) 
• You are able to set up, elaborate and execute a research project autonomously 
• You are able to plan and follow-up the practical execution of a project 
• You are familiar with theories and research in political science 
• You have at least a basic training in quantitative research methods and are willing to further strengthen your methods skills 
• You obtained excellent study results 
• You possess good writing skills in English and preferably also in Dutch, or you are ready to improve these language skills in the short term 
• You are a team-player, and you are prepared to take up some responsibilities in the GASPAR team 
• You are prepared to participate to international conferences and to publish in international outlets

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months. 
• Your contract will start on 01/10/2026 at the earliest. 
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales 
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

• Send your CV, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), a motivation letter and a one-page document about how you would approach any of the two research topics to bram.wauters@ugent.be on 8 July 2026, 1 pm at the latest. All these documents are preferably merged into one PDF-file.
• We do not accept late applications.
• Last-year students (graduating in June) are especially encouraged to apply. 
• Job interviews will be held in the last week of August.
• For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Bram Wauters (bram.wauters@ugent.be)