ERC Doctoral Scholarship

The University of Antwerp invites applications for a full-time doctoral scholarship in Media & Prison Studies, focusing on the United States and United Kingdom. This position is based in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Communication, within the Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center, and is part of the ERC-funded project WALLS2BRIDGES – Media Production of Prison Communities. 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.

The doctoral researcher will conduct in-depth research on prison journalism as both a historical and contemporary practice. This includes archival work on newspapers produced by incarcerated people from the 1970s onwards, and the study of current journalistic practices inside prisons and the civil society organisations that support them. The research will examine how incarcerated individuals have used journalism for communication, documentation, and critique, and how these practices have evolved over time in both national contexts. The project also investigates infrastructures that enable or constrain prison journalism, such as access to media technologies, institutional regulations, censorship regimes, and collaborations with NGOs, advocacy groups, and independent media initiatives.

Research strands include: analyzing policy frameworks, censorship regimes, and media infrastructures that shape prison journalism; examining everyday practices of prison journalism, including writing, editing, and publishing processes by incarcerated individuals; and exploring how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals engage in journalistic practices as forms of self-representation, testimony, and critique. The project pays special attention to questions of access, visibility, preservation, and the afterlives of prison-produced journalism.

The University of Antwerp will serve as the home base, with extended research stays in the US and UK. The position offers a doctoral scholarship for one year, renewable for up to three additional years following positive evaluation. The monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to university rates and includes eco cheques, internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting. Doctoral researchers have access to a wide range of courses and educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in media studies, journalism, history, sociology, anthropology, criminology, or a related field, and be fluent in English. Experience with archival and/or qualitative research methods is expected, and familiarity with NGOs and organisations working to improve media access to prisons in the US and UK is desirable. Sensitivity to ethical questions related to vulnerable communities and issues of representation, access, and consent is important. Assets include experience researching prisons, carceral systems, or social justice issues; familiarity with journalism practices, media production, or independent media; and existing networks with relevant organisations.

To apply, submit your application online by June 15, 2026, including your CV, motivation letter, writing sample in English, course transcript and diploma, and a short research proposal (max 2 pages). Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview in July 2026. 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.