University of Antwerp Doctoral Scholarship

Call for applications for a doctoral scholarship in media and prison studies at the University of Antwerp, within the ERC-funded WALLS2BRIDGES – Media Production of Prison Communities project.

The PhD focuses on France and examines how prison communities, NGOs, abolitionist groups, activists, educators, and artists use media and cultural practices to reshape understandings of justice. The project is especially interested in prison media such as letters, films, podcasts, newspapers, and digital platforms, as well as communication between incarcerated people and civil society actors.

The successful candidate will conduct extended fieldwork in France and contribute to a transnational research project that also covers Türkiye, the UK, and the US. Research strands include studying NGOs and abolitionist groups “from above” through policy frameworks, institutional structures, funding models, and public discourses, and “from below” through everyday practices, interactions with prison administrations, and creative outputs from prison-related communities.

Academic background: master’s degree in media studies, sociology, anthropology, criminology, or a related field. Skills and profile: fluency in English and French; experience with qualitative methods such as interviews, ethnography, and discourse analysis; interest in prisons, prison abolition, media, social justice, or NGO research; and sensitivity to ethics, access, consent, and representation when working with vulnerable communities.

Funding: doctoral scholarship for one year, renewable for three additional years after positive evaluation. The scholarship includes standard doctoral scholarship funding plus eco cheques, internet-connectivity allowance, and either a bicycle allowance or full public transport reimbursement. The University of Antwerp also offers Antwerp Doctoral School training and an interdisciplinary, international research environment.

Deadline: 15 June 2026 (midnight Brussels time). Start date: September 2026 or as soon as possible after that date.

How to apply: submit the application via the University of Antwerp online portal and include a CV with two referees, motivation letter, English writing sample, transcript and diploma, and a short research proposal of max 2 pages. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in July 2026.