Doctoral scholarship holder digital disconnection

 Department: Department of Communication Studies

Regime Full-time

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20 000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape. 

The Department of Communication Studies in the Faculty of Social Sciences is looking for two fulltime doctoral scholarship holders in the field of digital disconnection in the context of a recently funded FWO SBO-project with primary societal valorisation (Disconnect to connect: Towards a healthier relationship with digital technologies across work, school, and family contexts), in collaboration with Ghent University and KU Leuven. 

Position

• You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis on digital disconnection with a focus on individual media behavior (PhD position 1) or the mechanisms behind (dis)connection (PhD position 2).
• You will work within an interdisciplinary and interuniversity consortium that aims to study individuals’ disconnection practices and outcomes within the contexts of families, school and work.
• You will help to translate these scientific findings to relevant outcomes for different groups of societal stakeholders (e.g. schools, employers, families, ICT industries, health organizations,…)
• You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Department of Communication Studies and the Research Group MIOS.

Profile

• You hold a Master degree in Communication Science, Psychology, Sociology or Educational Sciences and Economics by the time you start to work.
• You can demonstrate excellent study results (minimal “distinction” in your Master).
• Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision.
• Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
• You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
• You have a deep interest in (and experience with) new communication technologies, and specifically the topic of digital disconnection, and quantitative methods (surveys and experimental studies) and/or qualitative methods (in-depth interviews).
• You are highly proficient in spoken and written English and preferably also in Dutch.

What we offer

• We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed once for another two-year period.
• The planned start date is 1 October 2022 or as soon as possible after that date.
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• You will do most of your work at the City Campus in a dynamic and stimulating working environment, but will also closely collaborate with the partner universities in Ghent and Leuven.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 4 August 2022 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button, complete the online application form and be sure to include the following attachments: a motivation letter, your CV and a sample of your academic writing (e.g. the Master thesis, an academic article, …you wrote).
• The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure.
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Prof. Heidi Vandebosch (heidi.vandebosch@uantwerpen.be), Prof. Karolien Poels (Karolien.Poels@uantwerpen.be) or Prof. Ann DeSmet (Ann.DeSmet@uantwerpen.be).

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

 

Apply