ERC Doctoral Scholarship

The University of Antwerp invites applications for a full-time doctoral scholarship in Media & Prison Studies, with a focus on the United States, as part of the ERC-funded project WALLS2BRIDGES – Media Production of Prison Communities. The Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center, within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Department of Communication, leads this innovative research initiative. The project investigates how prison communities produce media and how these practices reshape understandings of justice across France, Turkey, the UK, and the US. It foregrounds the interplay between media practices, systems of surveillance, sensory experience, and struggles for justice, using a transnational and interdisciplinary approach.

As a doctoral researcher, you will conduct in-depth research in the US, focusing on prison education programs, NGOs, and universities involved in prison education and re-entry. Your work will examine media infrastructures that shape access to education, including digital platforms (such as prison tablets), communication technologies, and institutional access regimes. You will analyze the role of universities and NGOs as intermediaries in these processes and contribute to the project’s comparative and transnational framework alongside team members working on Türkiye, the UK, and the US.

Research strands include studying education systems and infrastructures from above (policy frameworks, institutional structures, media access, and public discourses), and from below (implementation by NGOs, universities, artists, and institutional actors). You will explore lived experiences, education, and communicative practices, investigating how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals engage with educational programs, including literacy, higher education, and informal learning. The project also examines how education fosters self-representation and mediated expression, and how prison-based knowledge circulates beyond prison walls.

The University of Antwerp will serve as your home base, with extended research stays in the United States. 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, education, or a related field. Fluency in English is required. Familiarity with, or willingness to engage with NGOs and organisations working in prison education in the US is expected. Experience with qualitative research methods (such as interviews, ethnography, discourse analysis) and an interest in creative and media-based materials are required. Sensitivity to ethical questions related to working with vulnerable communities and issues of representation, access, and consent is essential. Assets include experience researching prisons, carceral systems, or social justice issues; working with NGOs or educational programs; participatory or collaborative research methods; interest in digital platforms or communication technologies in restricted settings; publishing or curating media content; familiarity with media justice, prison abolition, or critical prison studies; and existing networks with organisations working in prison education in the US.

The doctoral scholarship is offered for one year, renewable for up to three additional years after positive evaluation. The monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to standard rates for doctoral scholarship holders. Additional benefits include eco cheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting, 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, providing 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 a CV (with two referees), motivation letter, writing sample in English, course transcript and diploma, and a short research proposal (max 2 pages). The selection process involves an initial review of application files, followed by interviews with shortlisted candidates in July 2026, where candidates will present their research proposal aligned with the objectives of the WALLS2BRIDGES project.

The University of Antwerp is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities, and encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds. For questions about the application process, contact [email protected]. For job-related inquiries, contact Principal Investigator İpek A. Çelik Rappas at [email protected].