Postdoctoral Position in Polluter and Wealth Elites, Decarbonisation and Justice Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium

Postdoctoral position in polluter and wealth elites, decarbonisation and justice

The Brussels Centre for Urban Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is advertising a four-year full-time postdoctoral position within the Chair in Decarbonisation and Justice, a collaborative initiative between Université libre de Bruxelles and Vrije Universiteit Brussel under the Swifft Collective research project. The position is based in the Urban and Socio-Environmental Transformations Research Hub (USET) and is closely linked to interdisciplinary work on just socio-ecological transitions.

The successful candidate will coordinate the Chair’s research agenda on polluter elites and wealth elites, contribute to research on the regulation of carbon-intensive practices and investments, and develop an independent research project aligned with the Chair’s themes. The role also includes co-supervising two PhD projects with the Chair’s co-promoters, Prof. Tom Bauler (ULB-SONYA) and Prof. Bas van Heur (VUB-COSMOPOLIS), and may involve limited MA-level teaching and dissertation supervision.

The call welcomes applicants from a broad range of disciplines, including ecological economics, political ecology, political science, sociology, urban studies, economic geography, and political economy. The research focus should relate to polluter and/or wealth elites and their role in just socio-ecological transitions. Applicants are expected to have a PhD in a relevant discipline, a strong research profile, and experience with multi- and interdisciplinary projects. Openness to transdisciplinarity and post-normal science is considered an advantage.

Funding and appointment: the post is a salaried postdoctoral appointment; the announcement does not specify a stipend amount. The Chair also aims to strengthen its funding base through third-party research budgets at Belgian and European levels.

Deadline: applications close on 3 September 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 22 September 2026. The expected start date is Autumn 2026.

How to apply: submit a CV, motivation letter (max. 2 pages), two references, a statement on expertise (max. 1 page), and a 4-year research project (max. 4 pages). Upload the documents in the requested filename format through the application link.