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

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network, SUPER, as a PhD Fellow. The successful candidate will be registered as a fee free PhD student at Ghent University and enrolled in the SUPER Doctoral Network, with secondment opportunities in industry and other European academic institutions.
SUPER (Sustainable Sports and Physical Activity for Equity and Resilience) is offering 17 pioneering fellowship opportunities at the intersection of sustainability and sports science.
Sports and physical activity are an essential part of the fabric of our lives, but also impact the planet through transport, infrastructure, equipment and energy use in ways that are widely unknown. At the same time, sports and physical activity will be affected by the impacts of climate change and must adapt to continue promoting health and resilience.
SUPER will reshape physical activity and sports practices, equipment and infrastructure to ensure equitable access for all, regardless of where they live, their socioeconomic status or background.
It will reduce sport’s environmental impact through sustainable practices and mitigate the negative health effects of climate change by fostering resilience and wellbeing, especially among vulnerable populations.
Through SUPER, sports and physical activity will become a platform to raise awareness of planetary health, helping to inspire broader engagement in sustainability. SUPER will confront the need for equity and climate justice head-on, creating a transformative and mission-driven science to guide the future of sport for future generations.
A new wave of scientists and leaders will emerge, equipped with transdisciplinary expertise that bridges physical activity, sports, public and planetary health, circular economy and sustainability.
The Doctoral Candidate in the project ‘The role of Sports leaders and organizations as climate advocates’ will play a central role in the SUPER network and will:

1) Assess public receptiveness in Europe to climate messages from sports leaders and organisations
2) Study how healthcare professionals become climate advocates by analysing the operations, communication strategies, and resources of organisations like “The Medical Consortium on Climate and Health.”
3) Perform focus groups with sports leaders and organisations to investigate their willingness to adopt climate advocacy and integrate it into their practices.
4) Perform case studies to provide in-depth insights into early adopters.


The Doctoral Candidate will be expected to:

• Report on findings by publishing scientific articles, resulting in a PhD dissertation;
• Obtain a doctoral degree;
• Present findings at (inter)national meetings/conferences;
• Contribute to the wider work of the SUPER project
• Contribute to educational activities of the department and within the consortium.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a Master’s degree in social sciences, humanities, or health sciences; i.e., movement sciences, (social)psychology, communication sciences, business, or sport (management) sciences or similar.
• You enjoy working in a team, you deeply care about planetary health.

Eligibility Conditions:

• Applicants do not already hold a doctoral degree.
• Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of recruitment (Belgium) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
• Applicants must be excellent in English and have Dutch language skills (Minimum B 1 for Dutch) in order to communicate with and collect data in older adult participants.

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 01/09/2026 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 application to Annick.Willem@ugent.be.

Deadline 19/4/2026 12 PM

The application must include:

A research statement (max. 3 pages) including:

o A short explanation of the applicant’s motivation to undertake a PhD.

o How the applicant sees his/her background as suitable for this position.

o The applicant’s view of research challenges for the selected PhD position, as well as their theoretical and methodological approach to the challenges.

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not yet completed the master's degree, you must confirm the submission date.
• Name and contact information of two referees.
• Include copies and evidence of publications or other relevant research work if applicable.
• Include proof of excellent English skills

We do not accept late applications.
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Annick Willem (Annick.Willem@ugent.be).

We are hosting two information sessions on Monday 23rd March 2026 for those interested in applying for a PhD fellow position with SUPER. The session will start with a 15-minute presentation and then there will be a Q&A. We are running two sessions to ensure maximum global reach. Both sessions will be the same so you should only attend one. Sign up here:
Monday 23rd March 2026, 10am UK time – sign up here
Monday 23rd March 2026, 6pm UK time - sign up here