Fully Funded Dual PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Health, Environment and Africa KU Leuven in Canada

Call for applications for a fully funded dual PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology at KU Leuven (Belgium) and the University of Oslo (Norway) under the Horizon Europe-funded HEALENAE Doctoral Network.

The project examines how environmental pollution, toxicity, climate change, and ecological degradation affect people’s health, livelihoods, and wellbeing across generations in Africa. The successful PhD candidate will focus on topics such as pollution and toxic exposure, chronic illness and health challenges, and mental distress and wellbeing.

The position is linked to the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at KU Leuven and the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo. The PhD includes one year of fieldwork in Africa and/or Europe, annual training schools, writing retreats, and a six-month research stay at the University of Oslo.

Eligibility: applicants should hold a Master’s degree in Anthropology, Sociology, Development Studies, Public Health, Environmental Studies, or a related social science/humanities field. Strong academic performance and excellent English are required; African language skills are an advantage. Applicants must have less than 4 years of research experience after the Master’s degree, must not already hold a PhD, and must not have lived in Belgium for more than 12 months in the last 36 months before recruitment. Any nationality may apply.

Funding: fully funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellowship (MSCA-DN), duration 3 years.

Deadline: 7 June 2026. Start date: 1 September 2026.

How to apply: prepare the requested documents (motivation letter, CV, research proposal, bibliography, project timeline, cover sheet, certificates, and transcripts) and submit via the KU Leuven vacancy page before the deadline.