PhD Position in ERC Project EXPULSE: Urban Expulsion Regimes (Barcelona) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in United Kingdom

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) invites applications for a PhD position within the ERC-funded project EXPULSE, focusing on Urban Expulsion Regimes in Barcelona. The project is hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Department of Sociology, and the Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies. VUB is a leading Dutch-speaking university in Brussels, renowned for its commitment to freedom, equality, and solidarity, and is a member of the EUTOPIA alliance of European universities.

EXPULSE investigates how urban expulsion regimes—particularly housing evictions—shape housing trajectories, urban citizenship, and socio-spatial inequalities among low-income residents in four European cities: Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Thessaloniki. The project conceptualizes urban expulsion as the interplay between state policies, housing market regulations, public discourses, and the practices of street-level bureaucrats and private actors involved in eviction processes. Using a comparative mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative analysis of eviction court data with qualitative interviews and ethnographic fieldwork.

The successful candidate will conduct in-depth research in Barcelona, actively engaging with the project's comparative framework. Key responsibilities include:

• Studying urban expulsion regimes “from above” by analyzing state policies, legal frameworks, housing regulations, and public discourses shaping eviction governance.
• Studying urban expulsion regimes “from below” by examining how eviction governance is enacted in everyday practices by street-level bureaucrats and private actors (landlords, welfare offices, judicial courts, police, bailiffs).
• Exploring lived experiences of housing insecurity, investigating housing trajectories, notions of home, coping strategies, and access to urban citizenship among residents at risk of eviction.

The position is based at the Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene). The PhD scholarship is full-time for 12 months, extendable up to 48 months upon positive evaluation. The grant is linked to government scales and includes a range of benefits: telework allowance, cost-free hospitalisation insurance, full reimbursement of public transport commute, affordable campus meals, sports facilities, nursery discounts, and extensive leave arrangements.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in sociology, urban studies, geography, anthropology, or a related field. Essential requirements include an excellent academic track record, strong motivation, fluency in English, proficiency in Catalan or Spanish, and proven experience with qualitative research methods. Assets include experience with housing insecurity, vulnerable populations, or street-level bureaucrats, and networks with housing movements or urban actors in Barcelona. Non-EEA nationals must meet permit and residence requirements for VUB.

To apply, submit your CV (with two referees), motivation letter, writing sample in English, course transcript, and diploma via jobs.vub.be by 15 May 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and must present a draft research proposal aligned with the EXPULSE project objectives. For questions about the job content, contact Prof. Eva Swyngedouw at [email protected].

VUB is committed to diversity and inclusion, offering a dynamic and stimulating international work environment. For more information about the university and the EUTOPIA alliance, visit jobs.vub.be and eutopia-university.eu.