Postdoctoral fellow

Job description

The Ghent Institute for Legal History is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the project “Rethinking Emergency from a Legal Historical Perspective: Contexts, Actors, Practices 1914-2020” (EMERGE), funded by the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 2022, no. 101087876). This project is housed within the Faculty of Law and Criminology, a vibrant academic environment known for its diverse and ground-breaking research in legal history, with a particular emphasis on legal theory and contextual analysis.

As a Postdoctoral Fellow, you will investigate the historical use of emergency powers and legislation in Europe during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The EMERGE project posits that the enactment of emergency legislation leads to significant and enduring changes in fundamental rights, the rule of law, and the commitment to liberal values such as equality before the law and the universality of rights. This hypothesis will be examined through five pivotal moments in the constitutional and legal history of five European jurisdictions from approximately 1914 to 2020.

Your contributions will include producing research outputs that conceptualise and place within a theoretical framework the historical contextual findings of the project. You shall also participate in the training, coordination, and mentoring of PhD researchers. Additionally, you will assist in creating a digital archive of emergency legislation, curating relevant documents for both public and specialist use.

Job profile

• You hold a doctoral degree in law, history or a related field (social sciences or the humanities);
• You have a good command of English, both spoken and written;
• You have experience in producing internationally recognized high-quality scholarship demonstrated by publications in leading peer reviewed journals;
• You have experience in working with historical archives and demonstrable skills in digital humanities or are willing to take training in developing these skills;

Note that the grant can only be awarded within the framework of international scientific mobility. This is the case if:

the researcher has resided abroad for at least 24 months out of the 3 years prior to the start date of the postdoctoral fellowship and has not worked or studied in Belgium during that period. However, short-term stays in Belgium are allowed during 24 months, such as holidays, participation in conferences or a short stay to prepare for the period as a postdoctoral researcher ;

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full time position as a postdoctoral fellow, with a minimum period of 24 months which can be extended once taking into account the maximum period of 36 months.
• Your contract will start on 01.01. 2025 at the earliest.
• The grant amount is equal to the net salary of a doctoral assistant (AAP 5) with the same level of education and seniority and based on the same family situation as the doctoral assistant. The supervisor may deviate from this and assign a higher level based on acquired experience, professional career and demonstrated competences. The grant amount will not be revised in the current year except in case of indexation. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents:
1. A cover letter detailing their research interests and experience and how they align with the EMERGE project.
2. A curriculum vitae (CV) including a list of publications.
3. A research proposal (max. 3 pages) outlining the intended research project.
4. Contact information for two academic references (references will be sought at a later stage).
Deadline for Applications:
Date: 15/11/2024
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview in the second half of November.
Contact Information:

For further inquiries, please contact Professor Cosmin Cercel at cosmin.cercel@ugent.be