KU Leuven
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PhD Fellow in Serious and Organized Crime at KU Leuven KU Leuven in Belgium
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Sociology
Funding
Full-time doctoral fellow appointment. The mandate is initially for one year and is renewable.
Deadline
Nov 13, 2026
Country
Belgium
University
KU Leuven
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About this position
LINC PhD Fellow (100%) in Serious and Organized Crime at KU Leuven
The Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) within the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology at KU Leuven is offering a full-time doctoral fellowship focused on serious and organized crime. The doctoral research will examine organized crime from local, national, and international perspectives, with special attention to the organizations, networks, and criminal activities involved.
The project emphasizes empirical research and will mainly use qualitative methods. The specific dissertation theme will be decided in consultation with the research team. The work will be conducted mainly in Belgium and includes limited teaching support, such as supervising Master's theses, grading assignments or exams, and exam supervision, as well as possible assistance on other research projects.
Applicants should hold a Master's degree in Criminological Sciences; candidates from other humanities fields such as political science or sociology may also be considered if they have relevant criminological work or research experience. The ideal candidate has an excellent academic record, a strong interest in organized crime, familiarity with criminological literature, demonstrable knowledge of empirical research methods, and preferably experience with interviews, focus groups, or fieldwork. Strong scientific writing skills, didactic qualities, teamwork, independent planning skills, and excellent Dutch and English are required.
The appointment is full-time, initially for one year and renewable. The position is physically located in Leuven, Belgium. Applications are accepted until 13/11/2026 at 23:59 CET via the KU Leuven online application system.
For more information, contact Prof. Dr. Letizia Paoli at [email protected].
Funding details
Full-time doctoral fellow appointment. The mandate is initially for one year and is renewable.
What's required
Applicants should hold a Master's degree in Criminological Sciences. Master's degrees in other humanities disciplines, such as political science or sociology, may be considered if accompanied by clear and demonstrable work or research experience in the criminological domain. Candidates must have an excellent academic record (at least one distinction), strong interest in organized crime and its actors, networks and activities, familiarity with criminological literature on organized crime, demonstrable knowledge of qualitative and, where applicable, quantitative empirical research methods, preferably experience with qualitative data collection such as interviews, focus groups or fieldwork, excellent scientific writing skills, preferably one or more international peer-reviewed publications as a co-author, didactic qualities, teamwork ability, strong organizational skills, and excellent oral and written Dutch and English.
How to apply
Apply through the online application system before the deadline. For more information, contact Prof. Dr. Letizia Paoli at [email protected]. Questions about the online application procedure can be sent to [email protected].
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.