You have:

• A master’s degree with an excellent or very good final grade, in communication science, political science, psychology, or a related field, or expect to obtain it soon;

• Experience with quantitative and/or computational research methods; preferably previous experiences with quantitative content analyses;

• Skills to handle and analyze complex datasets;

• An interest in open science principles and a commitment to methodological rigor and scientific integrity;

• Proven proficiency in the English language. For more information on what is considered evidence of English language proficiency, please consult this link (section ‘4. English language proficiency (non-Dutch degree students only)’).

• Proficiency in Dutch or a willingness to learn. (You will be provided with an opportunity to take Dutch language courses.)

You are able to:

• show curiosity in exploring insights from various disciplines and a readiness to learn new skills and methods as the project evolves, adapting to challenges with resilience and creativity;

• maintain a proactive attitude, be open to feedback, and pay attention to detail;

• manage your own time effectively and work independently while collaborating well within a team;

• keep a cool head and stay organized when juggling multiple tasks;

• communicate research findings clearly to both academic and non-academic audiences.

This PhD project takes a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative, computational and qualitative research. Over the course of the project, you will conduct three interconnected studies: 1) use a quantitative content analysis and/or computational methods to analyze visual content in a dataset of EU election campaigns in ten countries, 2) conduct an experiment on which form of political visuals in party and candidate communications trigger anger in those exposed to them and then map the presence of such elements in real-world communication, and 3) explore patterns of the production and selection of visual content in news media coverage of an election campaign.

You will:

• Manage the project, including scheduling meetings with the supervisory team, preparing agendas, and documenting meetings and research activities;

• Design and prepare the studies (e.g., create a comprehensive search strategy for a literature review, develop and refine survey and focus group materials);

• Collect and analyze data for the studies (e.g., gather and synthesize relevant academic literature, recruit participants for experiments and interviews, and analyze data.

• Write academic articles for publication in high-impact scientific journals, and present findings at (inter)national conferences;

• Contribute to the ASCoR research community by participating in workshops, meetings, and lectures;

• Support teaching activities at the Bachelor’s level (up to approximately 10% of your time).

The planned starting date for this project is September 1, 2025. The position concerns temporary employment for a maximum term of four years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of 36 months, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. We will put together a curriculum that will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also be tasked with teaching (Bachelor’s) students for up to approximately 10% of the contract.

What else do we offer

• A position in which initiative and input are highly valued;

• A position centered on your growth, with ample opportunities for scholarly and professional development, including the opportunity to take Dutch language courses;

• A supervision team with the goal to supervise and advice the PhD candidate in their work and professional development through regular team meetings;

• A daily supervisor who is available for the PhD candidate for regular contact on all matters relevant to the candidate;

• An enthusiastic and warm department that is open to new colleagues;

• A large, welcoming community of PhD candidates working on various projects within Communication Science;

• While frequent presence at the office is valued in terms of cohesion and team building, we offer the opportunity to work hybrid (i.e., to work from home from time to time).