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, with a particular emphasis on contesting dominant narratives and reimagining justice through media production.

As a doctoral researcher, you will conduct in-depth research on prison journalism in the US and UK, combining archival work on newspapers produced by incarcerated people from the 1970s onwards with the study of current journalistic practices inside prisons and the civil society organisations that support them. Your research will explore how incarcerated individuals have used journalism as a form of communication, documentation, and critique, and how these practices have evolved over time. You will also investigate the infrastructures that enable or constrain prison journalism, including access to media technologies, institutional regulations, censorship regimes, and collaborations with NGOs, advocacy groups, and independent media initiatives.

The project adopts a transnational and interdisciplinary approach, combining archival research, qualitative interviews, and collaborative research with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, families, and activists. You will contribute to the project’s comparative and transnational framework alongside team members working on Türkiye and France. Research strands include studying prison journalism from above (policy frameworks, censorship, institutional regulations, media infrastructures), from below (everyday practices of writing, editing, publishing by incarcerated individuals, collaborations with journalists and NGOs), and exploring lived experience, journalism, and knowledge circulation (self-representation, testimony, critique, and the circulation of prison-produced media).

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, along with an interest in creative and media-based materials. 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; archival research with newspapers or historical media collections; journalism practices; media production; working with NGOs; publishing, editing, or curating media content; and familiarity with debates on media justice, prison abolition, or critical prison studies.

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 doctoral scholarship holder rates. 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. The University of Antwerp provides a dynamic and stimulating working environment, with most work conducted at the City Campus and extended research stays in the US and UK.

To apply, submit your application online via the University of Antwerp’s job application platform by June 15, 2026. Required documents include your CV (with two referees), 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, 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. The institution has received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award and offers a family-friendly, sustainable environment that invests in employee growth.