ERC Doctoral Scholarship

The University of Antwerp invites applications for a full-time doctoral scholarship in Media & Prison Studies, focusing on France, as part of the ERC-funded project WALLS2BRIDGES – Media Production of Prison Communities. The project explores how prison communities, including incarcerated individuals, their families, and anti-prison activists, produce media and how these practices reshape understandings of justice across France, Türkiye, the UK, and the US. The research foregrounds the interplay between media practices, surveillance systems, sensory experience, and struggles for justice, using a transnational and interdisciplinary approach.

As a PhD student, you will conduct in-depth research in France, focusing on abolitionist groups and prison-related NGOs and their media, cultural, and educational practices. Your work will explore how these actors communicate with people in prison, mobilize media for advocacy, and intervene in public debates on incarceration and justice. You will contribute to the project’s comparative and transnational framework alongside team members working on other countries.

Research strands include: studying NGOs and abolitionist groups from above (policy frameworks, institutional structures, funding models, and public discourses); studying NGOs and abolitionist groups from below (everyday practices, interactions with prison administrations and municipalities); and exploring lived experience and communicative practices (engagement with NGOs, media and cultural initiatives, and creative outputs such as letters, films, audio, and digital media).

The University of Antwerp will be your home base, with extended research stays in France. You will conduct independent doctoral research leading to a PhD dissertation, publish in peer-reviewed academic journals, present at international conferences, contribute to workshops and public-facing events, and engage in societal dissemination of research findings, particularly with NGOs and educational organisations. You will work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international research team.

Applicants must hold a master’s degree in media studies, sociology, anthropology, criminology, or a related field, and be fluent in English and French. Experience with qualitative research methods and an interest in creative and media-based materials are required. Sensitivity to ethical questions related to vulnerable communities and issues of representation, access, and consent is necessary. Assets include experience researching prisons, carceral systems, or social justice issues; working with NGOs or community-based organisations; familiarity with media production or collaborative creative practices; and existing networks related to prison or abolitionist work in France or Europe.

The scholarship is offered for one year, renewable for up to three additional years following positive evaluation. The monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to standard doctoral scholarship rates. Additional benefits include eco cheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of public transport costs, and access to a wide range of courses and educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School. Most work will be conducted at the City Campus of the University of Antwerp in a dynamic and stimulating environment.

Applications must be submitted online via the University of Antwerp’s job application platform by June 15, 2026. Required documents include CV, motivation letter, writing sample, course transcript and diploma, and a short research proposal. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview in July 2026, where they will present their research proposal aligned with the objectives of the WALLS2BRIDGES project. For questions about the job, contact Principal Investigator İpek A. Çelik Rappas at [email protected].

The University of Antwerp is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities, and encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds.