University of Antwerp Doctoral Scholarship

Call for applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship in Political Science at the University of Antwerp in Belgium.

The position is part of the ERC-funded TEMPER project, How The Emotions of Politicians Explain their Representative Behavior, led by Dr. Julie Sevenans. The project examines how politicians’ emotions shape political decision-making, responsiveness to public opinion, political communication, and representative behaviour.

The doctoral researcher will join the Department of Political Science and the research group M²P (Media, Movement & Politics). The work uses a mixed-methods design, including survey experiments with politicians, interviews, direct observations of debates and party meetings, and psychophysiological measures of emotion and affect.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s or postgraduate degree in social sciences, psychology, or a related discipline; strong academic results; experience with quantitative methods and statistical analysis; proficiency in R, STATA, Python, or similar; excellent Dutch and English; and a strong interest in political psychology, political representation, and political communication. Experience with psychophysiological measures or qualitative interviewing is an asset.

Funding: the scholarship is initially awarded for one year and may be renewed for three additional years after positive evaluation. The University of Antwerp also offers doctoral training, conference and professional development opportunities, and commuting-related allowances.

Deadline: 23 June 2026. The expected start date is 1 October 2026.

Applicants must submit the online application with a motivation letter, CV, transcripts, and a copy of the master’s thesis/dissertation.