Employment 1.0 FTE
Gross monthly salary € 3,059 - € 3,881
Required background Research University Degree
Organizational unit Faculty of Social Sciences
Application deadline 18 August 2026
Develop an independent PhD project on ecological violence, gender and decolonial ecologies in Latin America and/or the Caribbean.
The Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at Radboud University invites applications for a fully funded PhD position, starting November 2026. We are looking for a PhD candidate who wants to develop an independent research project at the intersection of slow violence, decolonial ecologies and gender.
We are particularly interested in projects that explore how violence against nature is simultaneously violence against people, with women and other minoritised bodies often most affected by it. We welcome proposals that ask about the perpetual, colonial and cumulative violences that are perpetrated against the more-than-human world and, from a power-sensitive and eco-feminist perspective, address how both nature and people are affected by and respond to it. We are interested in questions such as “What forms of ecological violence exist?”, “How does this violence affect women and/or other minoritised bodies?”, “How do the affected people resist violence with everyday practices of mutual care and repair?” and “In what creative ways do they shape alternative futures for themselves and their more-than-human environment?”
Your project should engage with these themes in Latin America and/ or the Caribbean. We are interested in proposals that show a sensitivity to intersectionality and a focus on gender, and engage with colonial histories and their enduring effect on present social and ecological contexts. Proposals should ask a research question that can explore ecological violences and how people respond to them using qualitative, ethnographic and co-creative approaches, including arts-based approaches, as the latter are sensitive to local artful strategies of resistance and repair and particularly suitable to explore the hidden aspects of violent experiences. We also would like you to engage with societal partners in your research, where possible.
Do you have a clear and innovative research idea that examines ecological violence, while exploring how it affects women and marginalised communities in Latin America and/or the Caribbean? Do you have an affinity for feminist epistemology and ethnography? Do you think that your research project can speak meaningfully to today’s urgent challenges of violence, threats to entangled more-than-human life worlds, imaginations of less exploitative futures and change making? If so, we encourage you to apply.
We are committed to welcoming applicants from a wide range of backgrounds (anthropology, development studies, geography) and particularly encourage applications from people of the Global Majority and from minoritised communities. Regional experience and language skills relevant to your chosen research area are essential!
You will be based in the Nijmegen area, except where research activities such as fieldwork require travel.
Your duties and responsibilities include:
- Setting up and carrying out in-depth and independent qualitative ethnographic and co-creative fieldwork.
- Setting up and completing a PhD thesis within four years.
- Authoring and co-authoring publications with your supervisors.
- Participating in conferences, workshops, seminars and other scholarly activities.
- Being an active member of the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies.
- Teaching courses within the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies.
- Follow courses to support your PhD trajectory.
Your supervisors will be Dr Catrien Notermans, Dr Sonja Marzi, Dr Elke Linders.
Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate.
Does this sound like you?
- You have a completed Master’s or Research Master’s degree in Anthropology, Development Studies, Geography or a related field.
- You have proven academic writing skills.
- You have proven experience with qualitative ethnographic research and analysis.
- You have an excellent command of written and spoken English (C1 level).
- You have a clear, concrete, academically and societally relevant and feasible research idea that explores how ecological violence extends to women and minorities and their response to it.
- You have a proposed research design that explicitly centralises a co-creative approach throughout the research process, avoiding extractive research.
- You have proven in-depth/extensive experience with the proposed research context.
- You have an excellent command of the language(s) spoken in the proposed research context.
Additional desirable selection criteria:
- An excellent command of the Dutch language (C1 level).
- Proven dedication to contribute to societal impact.
- Training and/or experience in participatory, co-creative and/or arts-based research methodologies.
- Proven ability to work independently and to constructively process feedback.
What we offer you
- We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) 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).
- You will receive a starting salary of €3,059 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,881 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
- You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
- 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. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. 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.
Where you will be working
This position will be embedded in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, which is part of the Radboud Social Cultural Research Institute (RSCR) at the Faculty of Social Sciences.
The research will align with the research on ‘changing inequalities’ of RSCR. RSCR consists of the following groups: Sociology; Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies; and Gender and Diversity Studies. The overall aim of RSCR is to improve the understanding of the processes leading to inequalities in various societies through investigating the societal phenomena of social inequality and inclusion.
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, and the Radboud Centre Social Sciences as an institute for post-master education have been merged into the Social Sciences Education Institute. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.
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.
If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.
Is this the job for you?
You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Sonja Marzi. We look forward to receiving your application. Your motivation letter should include (and be limited to) how you meet the selection criteria (maximum one page). Also, your application should include your research proposal in which you briefly outline your proposed research project, including:
- A brief discussion of key literature and, or concepts that inform your research project.
- Importance and originality of your topic.
- Academic relevance.
- Societal relevance.
- Description where in Latin America and/or Caribbean the project will take place.
- An idea on how to engage relevant societal partners.
- Initial thoughts on research design, methods and fieldwork approach (how will you do the research, fieldwork, timeline).
The first interviews will take place on Friday 11 September. You can apply only via the button below. 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.
Application deadline 18 August 2026
We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.
Want to know more about this position?
Dr S.M. Marzi (Sonja)
[email protected]
