PhD candidate to join the research project Unequal Numbers: The Making of Ethno-Racial Inequality in Brazil

Niet gevonden wat je zocht? Sla je zoekopdracht dan op en maak een job alert aan op de online sollicitatiemodule om automatisch op de hoogte te blijven van interessante toekomstige vacatures. Meer informatie kan je hier vinden.

Departement: Instituut voor Ontwikkelingsbeleid en -beheer (IOB)
Regime Voltijds

Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20000 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 Institute of Development Policy (IOB) of the University of Antwerp contributes to a more just and sustainable world through multidisciplinary research, education, partnerships, and policy engagement. More information: www.uantwerp.be/iob. 

The Institute of Development Policy (IOB) is looking for a full-time (100%)

PhD Candidate (4 years)

to join the research project Unequal Numbers: The Making of Ethno-Racial Inequality in Brazil (PI: Prof. Moisés Kopper) starting 01.09.2026 for a period of four years.

Project context

This PhD position is embedded in an international research agenda on the political economy and lived practices of quantification, with a focus on how ethno-racial inequality becomes “data”—through classifications, infrastructures, and everyday encounters in and around official statistics and related data initiatives. The overall project combines historical/archival research, qualitative fieldwork (interviews, observation, focus groups), and digital humanities tools to link data politics (institutions, categories, controversies) with data practices (how data is produced, negotiated, and made actionable).

An exchange/research stay at the non-Flemish host institution is expected; during the stay, the PhD candidate will be co-supervised by Prof. Alexandre Camargo. A joint PhD trajectory (with IOB as the main host institution) is possible

Position

The ideal candidate will:

• Conduct innovative doctoral research aligned with the project’s work packages, examining how ethno-racial inequality is produced, stabilized, contested, and circulated through data across institutional and everyday settings in Brazil. 
• Use a multi-method qualitative and historical approach, combining (as relevant to the candidate’s subproject):
  • archival/documental research,
  • interviews and focus groups,
  • ethnographic observation of data practices,
  • and digital humanities/qualitative-data tools to organize, analyze, and communicate findings.
• Contribute to the project’s emphasis on research communication and societal impact, including dissemination formats and public-facing outputs.
• Engage actively in the intellectual life of IOB (seminars, reading groups, collaboration), and take on limited teaching/support tasks in line with the vacancy domain (up to 10%). 

Profile

You have:

• A Master’s degree in Anthropology, Sociology, History, Development Studies, or a closely related discipline (or an equivalent degree). 
• Prior research experience in qualitative methods (e.g., ethnography, interviews, focus groups) and/or historical/archival research. 
• Excellent command of Portuguese (essential, for fieldwork) and English (essential, for academic communication). 
• Interest in (or basic experience with) digital humanities / qualitative data tools and a willingness to experiment methodologically. 
• A strong motivation to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, internationally networked research environment and to contribute to public-facing research communication.
• 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. 

Assets (nice-to-have):

• Prior research experience in Brazil. 
• Background in at least one of the following fields: social studies of quantification, anthropology of data, critical data studies, political economy of development. 

What we offer

• We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of four years.
• The planned start date is 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible after that date.
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.
• You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• As a doctoral researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of courses and an educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School.
• A dynamic and stimulating working environment at the UAntwerp City Campus and strong integration in IOB’s research community. Teleworking may be possible in the initial phase. You should expect to spend a significant period of time at the field site, and to undertake an exchange/research stay as part of the joint supervision arrangement.
• 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 11 May 2026 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments:
  • A cover letter (max. 2 pages) describing your motivation and relevant experience
  • Your academic CV
  • A writing sample (e.g., thesis chapter, article, or substantial research paper)
  • Copies of your academic degrees (or proof of expected completion)
  • A short research proposal (max. 1,500 words) outlining the PhD project you would conduct within the theme described above (including research questions, case/materials, methods, and a brief timeline)
  • All documents must be submitted in English. 
• The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview on June 8, 2026.
• 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 Moisés Kopper (moises.kopper@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.