Publisher
source

Université libre de Bruxelles

3 PhD positions in Digital Media Use, Gender Narratives, Adolescents’ Development and Mental Health Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Sociology

Funding

Fully funded PhD fellowship supported by an ERC Starting Grant (GENSCOPE project). The contract is initially for one year and extendable up to four years after doctoral jury approval. Salary is about 2,100-2,200 euros net per month.

Deadline

Oct 12, 2026

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Country

Belgium

University

Université libre de Bruxelles

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Keywords

Sociology
Behavioral Science
Psychology
Communication Studies
Media Studies
Adolescent Development
Body Image
Mental Illness

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About this position

Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is recruiting 3 fully funded PhD researchers for the ERC Starting Grant project GENSCOPE (GEnder Narratives and adolescents' Socialization across COntexts, Platforms, and Engagements) in the Department of Information and Communication Sciences (ReSIC), Faculty of Arts, Translation, and Communication.

The project examines how digital media use, gender narratives, and adolescents’ interactions with social media, television, and video games shape gender beliefs, body image, sexuality development, mental health, and psychological well-being. The research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, including longitudinal research, daily diary studies, data donation with automated coding, focus groups, survey research, and content analysis.

Each PhD researcher will develop an independent dissertation while collaborating closely with Prof. Chelly Maes, the postdoctoral researcher, and the rest of the team. The three projects are complementary and focus on: (1) gender beliefs, attitudes, and related behaviors; (2) body image development; and (3) sexuality development.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold or obtain a Master’s degree in Communication Science, Psychology, Sociology, Behavioural Sciences, or a related field; have an excellent academic record; show strong interest in research and youth development; and have solid quantitative and/or qualitative methods training. Excellent English is required, and knowledge of Dutch/French, Italian, or Czech is essential depending on the country-specific position. The project seeks one candidate from Belgium, one from Italy, and one from Czechia, and successful candidates are expected to relocate to Belgium for the duration of the PhD.

Funding: the positions are fully funded through the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. The initial contract is for one year and may be extended to a total of four years. The salary is approximately €2,100–€2,200 net per month.

Deadline: 12 October 2026 at 21:59 UTC. Interviews are planned for the week of 19 October 2026.

How to apply: send a single PDF with your CV, motivation letter, short project-framing statement, and an academic writing sample to [email protected].

Funding details

Fully funded PhD fellowship supported by an ERC Starting Grant (GENSCOPE project). The contract is initially for one year and extendable up to four years after doctoral jury approval. Salary is about 2,100-2,200 euros net per month.

What's required

Applicants must hold or obtain before the start date a Master's degree in Communication Science, Psychology, Sociology, Behavioural Sciences, or another relevant discipline, with an excellent academic record. They should have demonstrated research interest, strong motivation for an academic career, and a genuine interest in digital media and youth development. Strong teamwork, interpersonal and communication skills, openness to feedback, scientific integrity, organizational ability, academic writing and presentation skills are expected. Excellent written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of Dutch or French is essential for the Belgian position, Italian for the Italian position, or Czech for the Czech position. A solid foundation in quantitative and/or qualitative methods is required; experience with survey research, content analysis, R/SPSS/Mplus, qualitative analysis, computational methods, automated content analysis, experience sampling, diary studies, or longitudinal research is an asset.

How to apply

Prepare a single PDF containing your CV, motivation letter, short statement on how you would frame the PhD project within GENSCOPE, and a sample of academic writing. Email the application to [email protected] before 12 October 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed during the week of 19 October 2026.

More information can be found here

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