PhD Candidate: Doing Gender Studies in Changing Political Climates

Employment

0.8 - 1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary

€ 2,770 - € 3,539

Required background

Research University Degree

Organizational unit

Faculty of Social Sciences

Application deadline

15 April 2024

Apply now

Are you excited about gender studies research? And would you like to join a vibrant, interdisciplinary feminist research environment? Radboud Gender & Diversity Studies is looking for a PhD Candidate who will develop their own project on the political and institutional working conditions of gender studies scholars in the Netherlands.

Gender studies (and related fields) currently exist in a space of heightened visibility and scrutiny from actors within as well as outside of academia, given rising concerns about academic freedom and social safety on campus, debates about what constitutes ‘proper’ science, changing perceptions of academic authority, as well as an increasing global backlash against progressive gender politics. The PhD project builds on a long tradition of feminist scholarship on the political and institutional conditions of doing gender studies, and the production, policing and mobilisation of feminist knowledge. It aims to investigate how academics in the Dutch gender studies environment currently experience and make sense of their role as producers and disseminators of (often devalued) knowledge, and how they understand and navigate the political aspects of their research, teaching and service. The project will pay specific attention to how such experiences are shaped by academics’ embedding; for example, do they work in a gender studies department and/or in a mainstream research and teaching environment?

We invite you to develop your own research proposal, detailing how you would approach studying this topic. In this proposal, you may formulate your own research questions and choose your own theoretical lens, methodology and empirical material. We encourage you to mobilise your academic field-specific strengths in your envisioned project, but we are primarily interested in projects that utilise qualitative or mixed methods, and projects that focus on the local conditions that shape Dutch gender studies academics’ experiences.  

Besides conducting and disseminating your research, and writing your PhD thesis, your responsibilities will include teaching for the Gender & Diversity Studies department (10% of your contract).

You will be supervised by Dr Ea Høg Utoft, Dr Annelies Kleinherenbrink and Prof. Marieke van den Brink. 

Profile

• You have or are about to obtain a Master’s or Research Master’s degree in the Social Sciences or Humanities with demonstrable knowledge of gender studies and/or related fields (e.g. a gender studies minor).
• You have demonstrable knowledge of qualitative research methods that are relevant to your proposal.
• You have a demonstrable interest in the role of power and politics in academia (e.g. a relevant Master’s thesis or project, engagement in campus activism, relevant committee experience, prior work experience in academia, etc.)
• You have an excellent command of spoken and written English (Dutch is an advantage).
• You are proactive and can work independently as well as in a team.
  We specifically encourage candidates who come from groups that are historically underrepresented in academia to apply. 

We are

You will be part of the chair group of Gender & Diversity . The chair group is part of the Radboud Social and Cultural Research institute (RSCR) in which the disciplines of sociology, anthropology and development studies have joined forces. The Gender & Diversity group aims to contribute to knowledge generation on gender, diversity and intersectionality through scientific and interdisciplinary research and education. Our researchers identify and analyse sociocultural processes of inclusion and exclusion in different strands of society, such as health care, for profit-organisations, and governments.

As a PhD candidate in our group, you can expect to develop your project management, research methodology and academic writing skills. You will expand your professional network within and outside of Radboud University. You will grow and learn through participation in course work and seminars, and  strengthen your communication competences through teaching and attendance at academic conferences.

At Radboud University, there is ample opportunity to participate in gender studies-related networks, lectures and seminars, such as the Diversity and Inequalities lunch lecture series at RSCR, the gender studies PhD seminars which provide a space for both social and academic peer support, as well as the Gender Hotspot events organised at the Nijmegen School of Management.

Radboud University

At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.

If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account (link is external) and read stories from our colleagues.

Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences , humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.

We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (0.8 FTE 5- year contract - 1.0 FTE 4- year contract) of 1,5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract) or 3.5 years (5-year contract).
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,770 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,539 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P ).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service . The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

Additional employment conditions

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

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Practical information and applying

You can apply no later than 15 April only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Ea Høg Utoft.

The first interviews will take place on Wednesday 22 May. You will preferably start your employment as soon as possible.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information (link is external) . 

Apply now Application deadline 15 April 2024

We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.

Would you like more information?
Dr A.V. Kleinherenbrink (Annelies)
Dr E.H. Utoft (Ea)

Last modified: 22 March 2024
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