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 ERC-funded project FROST ‘Frozen in time – Unravelling Younger Dryas climate variability, environmental dynamics and their impact on human recolonization in Western Europe’ is seeking to appoint a full-time (100%), four-year PhD position in geoarchaeology within the Archaeology Department.
The PhD project aims to investigate human and environmental responses to climate fluctuations during the Younger Dryas (ca. 12,850 to 11,650 cal BP) in Western Europe.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
1. Refine the chronological framework for Younger Dryas archaeological sites, both cave and open-air contexts, through the application of various dating methods (14C, OSL, cryptotephra analysis). This work will improve our understanding of the timing of human occupation, mobility and adaptation during this period, while also advancing dating methods for buried open-air sites.
2. Reconstruct landscape dynamics and post-depositional processes at archaeological sites, based on field observations and sedimentological and soil-based laboratory analyses (such as grain-size analysis, magnetic susceptibility, loss-on-ignition, micromorphology). This will help clarify the environmental context associated with site use and abandonment, and provide the basis for well-founded sampling strategies for chronological analyses.

Together, these research components will address the following questions:

• Was there a significant population decline in newly recolonized Western Europe during the early Younger Dryas, followed by a resurgence in its later phase?
• Were changes in settlement patterns and population dynamics related to shifting environmental conditions?
• Did the timing and amplitude of human and environmental responses vary geographically, with later sites appearing in the west (the British Isles) and earlier ones in the east, linked to an NW-SE temperature gradient?

Your main tasks will include:

• Conducting scientific research with the aim of obtaining a doctoral degree.
• Preparing and submitting research results for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Performing fieldwork to collect samples for chronological and sedimentary analyses.
• Conducting laboratory analyses on collected samples (some analyses will be outsourced, and a lab technician will assist with the work).
• Contributing to teaching and research activities within the Archaeology Department.

You will be embedded within an interdisciplinary ERC team, in which researchers with complementary expertise collaborate closely and integrate their results to achieve the project’s overarching research objectives.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a Master’s degree in archaeology, geology, earth sciences, soil science, or a related field.
• You have a strong interest in prehistoric archaeology and in the study of past human-environment interactions.
• You have demonstrated training in geoarchaeology, with experience in sedimentological and stratigraphic fieldwork, and are highly motivated to further develop your skills in this field.
• Prior experience in the following areas is considered an advantage; further training and skill development will take place during the PhD:
  
  • Experience in computational data analysis and quantitative modelling (e.g. in R).
  • Experience in one or more of the following laboratory techniques: granulometry, magnetic susceptibility, loss-on-ignition, micromorphology, cryptotephra analysis, OSL.
• You have excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Knowledge of French and/or Dutch is strongly recommended.
• You are willing to work internationally, including possibly staying abroad for a short period of time (fieldwork, conference, research stay).
• You are able to work independently on your own research while actively collaborating within the interdisciplinary ERC research team.
• You are able to manage competing deadlines, work proactively, and demonstrate strong organizational skills.
• You demonstrate strong academic potential and the ability to deliver high-quality research outputs.

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.
• You will be part of a dynamic and stimulating work environment.
• You will benefit from training opportunities related to your research.
• Your contract will start on 01/04/2026 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?

Applications should be sent by email to Possum.Pince@ugent.be.

Please include the following documents in your application:

Motivation letter (1-2 pages) describing your background, research interests, and motivation for applying for this PhD position. Please include your contact details.

• Curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages), including:
  
  • Education and academic qualifications
  • Relevant research, work and/or fieldwork experience
  • Research interests and, if applicable, publications
  • The contact details of two referees (preferably academic, or professional if more appropriate to the candidate’s background)
• Copy of your Master’s diploma (or expected graduation date if not yet obtained)

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

Following a preselection, interviews are expected to take place in mid-March 2026, either in person or online.

For further information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Dr. Possum Pincé (Possum.Pince@ugent.be).