Post-doctoral research position in media and communication sciences

Institute for Language and Communication

Organisation/Company Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) Department Institute for Language and Communication Research Field Communication sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Final date to receive applications 31 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

The CLAIM project – Climate Litigation Actions by the Internationally Marginalised – is an ARC project (Concerted Research Action, UCLouvain) situated at the intersection of law, political science, and communication studies. CLAIM aims to analyse the role and practices of marginalised actors in international climate-change-related litigation. It draws on three disciplines – law, political science, and communication studies – to go beyond a purely technical legal analysis and to consider power dynamics and the way discourses and practices are constructed before, during, and after cases.

Climate change particularly affects marginalised stakeholders, and climate-related litigation has been widely used by these actors. Beyond the litigation itself, these actions trigger a range of related strategies in the fields of law, politics, and communication.

• Within the CLAIM project, develop research activities to analyse the communicational and discursive dimensions of international climate litigation. This will involve defining specific research strategies in collaboration with the CLAIM team; collecting a corpus of publications and communication materials, particularly media and digital content; applying appropriate analytical methods, including quantitative and/or qualitative analysis of discursive and multimodal materials; and, where relevant, conducting interviews and observation.
• Collaborate in producing a database listing international climate litigation cases, particularly those initiated by marginalised actors.
• Produce scientific publications and presentations in collaboration with the other CLAIM project researchers.
• Participate in coordinating the research team.

E-mail

Research Field Communication sciences Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Continuing this research requires recruiting, from 1 January 2027 (the exact start date of the contract will be fixed with the selected candidate), a postdoctoral researcher holding a PhD in media and communication sciences (or language sciences, or an equivalent field).The postdoctoral fellowship is awarded for one year, in accordance with UCLouvain's pay scales.

This call is aimed at researchers in a situation of international mobility, who have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 24 months during the three years preceding the start date of the contract.

• A PhD in media and communication sciences or language sciences, or an equivalent degree;
• Experience in online data extraction (particularly digital social media);
• Interest in issues related to ecology, the environment, and climate litigation;
• Interest in decolonial issues and sensitivity to marginalised actors;
• Strong writing skills, openness to interdisciplinary work, availability and interest in learning to use software tools useful for research;
• Ability to work both independently and within a multidisciplinary team;
• Fluency in English and French; knowledge of Spanish is an asset;
• In addition, the candidate must meet the conditions set by UCLouvain for the award of postdoctoral fellowships;
• Willingness to relocate to Belgium for the duration of the fellowship.

Specific Requirements

How to apply?

The application file, comprising a cover letter and a CV (including the list of publications and a summary of the doctoral thesis), must be sent by email before 31 October 2026: