Doctoral scholarship holder in children’s literature studies

Role: Doctoral scholarship holder in children’s literature studies
Organisation: University of Antwerp, Department of Literature, Faculty of Arts
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Contract Type: Temporary, Full-time
Application Deadline: 10 August 2026

Role Overview
The University of Antwerp is looking for a full-time (100%) doctoral scholarship holder in the field of children’s literature studies. The successful candidate will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD dissertation on "Scenes of friendship in German and English children’s literature.”

The project draws on the field of friendship studies to analyse how friendship is practiced in a selection of English and German children’s books. It seeks to address the lack of systematic exploration of friendship in children’s books, responding to a broader need to attend closely to notions of entanglement, co-dependency, and living networks. The research aims to answer questions regarding how friendship is practiced, who becomes friends with whom, the impact of age, gender, race, class, and religion on friendships, how differences and conflicts are negotiated, and the function of friendship for characters, plot, and the implied reader.

Responsibilities
- Prepare and defend a PhD dissertation on "Scenes of friendship in German and English children’s literature.”
- Conduct research using narrative analysis, close reading, and discourse analysis.
- Publish peer-reviewed articles and deliver conference papers related to the research project.
- Carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Department of Literature in the areas of English and German Literature.

Requirements and Qualifications
- Hold a Master's degree in German and/or English Literature or an adjacent field relevant to the project, or have obtained it by the time work starts.
- Preferably demonstrate experience in studying children’s literature.
- Demonstrate excellent study results.
- Possess teaching competences in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision.
- Possess research qualities in line with the faculty and university research policies.
- Act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity, and cooperation.
- Read, write, and speak English and German with high proficiency.
- Work effectively in a team and balance independent and collaborative work.

What They Offer
- A doctoral scholarship for a period of two years, renewable once for another two-year period following a positive evaluation.
- Planned start date: 1 October 2026, or as soon as possible after.
- Monthly scholarship amount calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.
- Ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
- 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 University of Antwerp’s city campus (Stadscampus).
- An inclusive working environment with equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or age.